Platini {merged}

[bluetonium]

It's a direct measure to protect the current crop of big clubs from being destabilised. Abramovic has basiclaly cried his little heart out to known City-hater Pratini and the two of them want to cook up some way to stop the big players from ever losing out - quite akin to setting up a cartel I dare say.

Platini has no way to implement this. Whilst I do agree in principle that all clubs should be able to be self sufficient in generating enough income to support their activities, it's UEFA themselves who prevent this in the first place with a gross bias on where the money goes to - 90% to the big clubs and the lower leagues have to scrabble for scraps.

The key comment imo is:

I have spoken to Silvio Berlusconi at AC Milan and Massimo Moratti at Inter Milan, as well as Abramovich; all agree we have to do something. Abramovich, Berlusconi, Moratti, they do not want to fork out any more

How the hell does Platini think this is fair? I don't see him talking to the lower division clubs about why they face administration every other week and 10pt deductions on a regular basis - a much bigger crisis than us showing some ambition and agreeing to pay prices set by the selling club and not not by ourselves.

As soon as Pratini meets our owners and sees their wealth and set-up he'll change his tune. Not suggesting we'd pay him off, but I think we all suspect he's as corrupt as hell.

 

[JoshuaJDuckworth]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8225941.stm

The BBC article on this. Scroll down and look at the picture of the £500 billion note representing us. Noticing anything about it? It would have been bad enough to use such a crap image last year but now? He owns another bloody premiership team! Does anyone show images of Gillet when they are talking about Aston Villa, or Randy Learner when discussing Man U? No, so why are they so incompitent regarding us.

-Yes I know he had links with our buy out, but that was last year and for a very short time-

I sent a message to the BBC via this page http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/3701180.stm maybe some others would like to let them know of their mistake!

 

[Project]

I'm not too worried about this - it sounds like it will be impossible to actually execute.

 

[Project]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8225941.stm

The BBC article on this. Scroll down and look at the picture of the £500 billion note representing us. Noticing anything about it? It would have been bad enough to use such a crap image last year but now? He owns another bloody premiership team! Does anyone show images of Gillet when they are talking about Aston Villa, or Randy Learner when discussing Man U? No, so why are they so incompitent regarding us.

-Yes I know he had links with our buy out, but that was last year and for a very short time-

I sent a message to the BBC via this page http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/3701180.stm maybe some others would like to let them know of their mistake!

Honestly, it's shoddy journalism. Mansour has been in charge for a year. Al Fahim is the owner of a different football club. But all arabs look the same I guess...

 

[bluebarn]

This really does make me angry, but it just shows up UEFA for the pathetic little cartel they have become.

All the previously big kids in the playground have gone running to Miss because an even bigger kid has turned up and threatened to start eating their sweats! What a stinking pile of shite this is!

 

[baldybouncer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8225941.stm

The BBC article on this. Scroll down and look at the picture of the £500 billion note representing us. Noticing anything about it? It would have been bad enough to use such a crap image last year but now? He owns another bloody premiership team! Does anyone show images of Gillet when they are talking about Aston Villa, or Randy Learner when discussing Man U? No, so why are they so incompitent regarding us.

-Yes I know he had links with our buy out, but that was last year and for a very short time-

I sent a message to the BBC via this page http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/3701180.stm maybe some others would like to let them know of their mistake!

I think your message must have worked there fellah. It looks as though they've replaced it with a picture of Lescott. Well done!

 

[IBlue]

No problem, sponsorship counts to income. They would just get Etihad to sponsor us for 150m per year !!

 

[Blustez]

I'm sure the Shiekh could just go in to the shop and but a couple of million jerseys that should balance the books nicely :-)

 

[OJ Blue]

Having thought this through, like some have alluded to, this new criteria could be challenged quite easily in the courts. It is simply anti competitve and goes against the capitalist world we live in.

in the unlikely event Platini wangled this, there would be some creative accountancy to keep us in the loop, failing that expect an Abu Dhabi invitation only competition in the near future. UEFA are fighting a losing battle either way.

 

[ono]

Absolute joke of a man. A plan to protect the current elite. It's to stop teams with big worldwide fanbases (liverpool, scum, Milan etc...) from being replaced in the Champions League with teams like us/Everton/Spurs/or any other similar club throughout the big euro leagues.

They think it's needed to keep the Champions League as lucrative as possible. What would happen to worldwide veiwing figures if one year Spurs and City replaced Liverpool and Scum, and Napoli and Sampdoria replaced Milan and Inter. Viewing figures would plummet...especially abroad. It would then take a few years of dominance from said teams to build up a new fan base consisiting of the next generation of supporters. That's why Twatini wants to nip it in the bud before it can happen. Afterall Spurs/Villa/Everton are only a Sheik away from being as big a threat as us. Now the gap between the top 4 and the rest of the league is getting smaller (not just in this country) Twatini is shitting himself.

It wouldn't affect us anyway. Etihad or one of Mansour's companies would sponsor us for a silly amount. Either that or Us and Madrid will fuck em off and play each other every wednesday. I'm up for that!