(UEFA) Football Thread - Football not Soccer

Discussion in 'Sports and Fitness' started by Jax, Apr 1, 2008.

  1. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Transfer deadline day is brilliant on Sky Sports News - they literally have reporters at all the grounds, and training grounds! :lol:
     
  2. { Emilia }

    { Emilia } Cute but deadly Moderator

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    Not surprising that match-day revenue is much higher. Even though I prefer the German model of full stadiums and low ticket prices.
    The problem is that Italian football totally didn't capitalize on the dominant period of the 1990's. They just wasted money on transfers and wages instead of improving the infrastructure. That's even more sad because the stadiums built for 1990 almost all had athletic tracks for whatever the hell reason.

    Way to completely screw up and lose the dominant position in Europe. Quality in the league has been recovering in the last years, though so there's some hope.
    Well, I'm curious to see if Platini's Financial Fair Play plan will have any impact. There's plenty of ways to bypass the rules but they can't be completely ignored. Next season will be the first season to be monitored.

    That's what you get for having the most stupid president in Serie A. They already lost Del Neri (who then ended up screwing up at Juve) last summer and then were stupid enough to sell both Cassano (to Milan for no money at all) and Pazzini (to Inter), their best players of the previous season.

    Way to go from 4th place to relegation.
     
  3. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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  4. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    Wenger still trying to hold onto Fabregas and Nasri, if they both leave I feel Arsenal could drop out the top 4. IMO I'd sell Fabregas for around £32 million + Bojan and a 2 year loan option for that youngster Thiago Alcantara. As for Nasri I would say to him right sign a 1 year extenstion and you can leave next summer for £15 million clause in contract and we will raise your wages for this season. I would then move Nasri into Fabregas former central position.

    Other buys Juan Mata for the left wing would be great and they could sell Arshavin. Buy that wizz kid from saints as backup for Walcott who really needs to play more central this season anyway (RVP/Bojan can play wide role at times like Nasri). Enrique from Newcastle would be a cheap solid buy for the LB role and for Cahill £15 million plus Ramsey loan (loan worked great for Wilshere when he was there). I was also surprised Wenger didn't make Given part of the Clichy deal with Man City.

    Sell the likes of Almunia, Fabianski, Mannone, Squillaci, Vela, Denilson, Bendtner, Traore, Fabregas, Arshavin + some youth and then loan out some too for the funds.
     
  5. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    ^ We'll find out later today just who Almunia and Bendtner are in talks with.

    Shame Swansea have brought in that goalkeeper from Benfica. I'd have loved to see Almunia go there.
     
  6. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    FIFA World Cup 2014 Q/F Draw this saturday and the pots have been announced...

    Worst case for ENG imo is...

    England
    France
    Switzerland
    Poland
    Finland
    Iceland

    However I personally hope to get this

    England
    Slovakia
    Bosnia-Herzegovina
    Scotland
    Moldova
    Wales

    ;)
     
  7. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    Pot Six. The shame of it. We are surely not that bad.

    Hopefully this is a blessing in disguiuse and we get some teams from pots 3-5 we can actuallly get results against and get ourselves back into the top 80 or something vaguely respectable.

    I'm getting very excited for the domestic season now though - the rebuild is complete and we're just a week and half away from kick-off!
     
  8. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    How about:
    Montenegro
    Ukraine
    Albania
    Azerbaijan
    Kazakhstan

    ? :D
     
  9. oojason

    oojason Commander Red Shirt

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    It could be the last World Cup (FIFA's -that is) - if the bigger European clubs get their way:-

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/27/european-clubs-breakaway-fifa-uefa

    "European clubs will break away from Fifa and Uefa and create their own super league unless the world governing body urgently addresses their growing concerns over international fixtures and finances. It would be the most radical development in the history of football since the first World Cup in 1930, ripping up the established world order of the game and seizing power from Sepp Blatter, Fifa's president.

    The Guardian can reveal the background to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's comments on Tuesday about a "revolution" for football: a European super league that would see the clubs seize control of their own affairs from the regulators. The European game is currently ordered through a memorandum of understanding between clubs and Uefa that was signed three and a half years ago. It runs until 2014, and when it expires the top European clubs will no longer be legally bound to play in Uefa's Champions League or, crucially, to release their players for international friendlies or tournaments, including the World Cup.

    In a reflection of their belief that Fifa lacks legitimacy – especially in the wake of the damaging bribery allegations currently surrounding the organisation – the clubs will not shrink from breaking away if they do not receive sufficient guarantees.

    A board member of the European Club Association of which Bayern Munich's Rummenigge is president told the Guardian on Wednesday: "The fact that Bayern Munich, who have always been close to the institutions, are being so vocal and loud about the situation is a clear sign we're very close to breaking point. We have a memorandum of understanding with Uefa that expires in 2014. After that time we can no longer be forced to respect Fifa statutes or Uefa regulations. And we won't be obliged to compete in their competitions."

    When asked what that would mean for clubs' finances if they were to withdraw from the Champions League, which generates tens of millions of pounds a year for his organisation's richest and most influential members, the ECA board member responded: "Don't be naive. Don't think there would be no alternative competition."

    Although the ECA has a broad constituency, representing 197 European clubs, it is the interests of nine in particular that will drive this agenda. They are Real Madrid, Milan, Liverpool, Internazionale, Manchester United, Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea and Rummenigge's Bayern. When the Guardian contacted the four English clubs for their views on the matter, all declined to comment. However, a director at one of the clubs said: "[Financially] there is a lot of unfulfilled potential in football as it stands."

    The English experience of the past 20 years, since a breakaway group of the leading clubs withdrew from the Football League to form the Premier League (albeit under the auspices of the Football Association), has been exceptionally lucrative for the game domestically and the hawks within the ECA are pushing for a replica at European level.

    The news will not come as a surprise at Uefa where in some quarters there is a long-held view that the clubs will seek to go their own way. This has arisen from a number of points of conflict with the world football authorities. As revealed by the Guardian last month there is considerable disquiet about perceived moves to expand the international calendar, forcing clubs to release their expensively remunerated players to national associations without any payback. Fifa denies there have been any discussions about the subject but the ECA source claimed that the matter will be ratified at a Fifa executive-committee meeting in the autumn. As is consistent with relations between Fifa and the clubs, the decision will have been taken without any formal negotiations with the clubs about how the additional fixtures would be accommodated.

    There is a further grievance, this time with Uefa about insurance. The ECA alleges Uefa has pulled back from its commitment to provide insurance for players who are called up for international duty. "Uefa said we would have our insurance after their presidential elections [in March]," the source said. "Now the elections have taken place and we're still waiting for talks." A spokesman for Uefa did not respond to the Guardian's call.

    Yet despite the details of the enduring dispute between the clubs and Fifa and Uefa, there is an overriding financial motive. "When you have every club losing money every year and the only winners the players and Fifa," the source said, "how can that be allowed to go on?"


    For the good of the game? - in that they no longer trust FIFA after it's corruption and attitude to openness and transparency - or the greed of the clubs?
     
  10. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    ^^
    It's against the board rules to quote full articles, next time just post the link and cut out some relevant parts.

    I don't really know what to think of this, the Guardian makes a big deal of it, but we've heard that in the past and nothing much has come of.

    Here's a goal by Neymar from yesterday, just wow:
    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yilmHgZntsM[/yt]
     
  11. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    Wonderful goal, sheer class

    As for a super league I am not a fan of the idea because imagine the costs of games especially away games to get to them. Euro and domestic should be left seperate but they could still make there own non UEFA/FIFA govering body.
     
  12. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    England
    Montenegro
    Poland
    Ukraine
    Moldova
    San Marino

    Could of been worse but also could of been a lot lot better. I have to admit I am puzzled how Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine are all in different pots.

    3 major tricky away games and ENG will not stroll through this group but should come out on top still as our 3 rivals should all take points off each other.
     
  13. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    I'm rooting hard for Montenegro, one of my favourite national teams and I think if England shows some weaknesses they have a chance to win this group.
     
  14. Angel4576

    Angel4576 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    England, even in transition, will walk through that group. Right at the end there was a 50/50 chance of England being drawn in France's group, but that honour went to Spain.

    Re the superleague idea, long been a fan of that prospect, but even that aside, anything that wrestles control of football away from FIFA, is IMO, a good thing.
     
  15. SPCTRE

    SPCTRE Badass Admiral

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    Hear hear! :techman:
     
  16. Roger Wilco

    Roger Wilco Admiral Admiral

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    Meh. Be careful what you wish for. UEFA and FIFA certainly have their flaws but they do occasionally concern themselves with what's good for the sport in general; especially since the smaller federations carry significant power. As a supporter of a club that's absolutely insignificant in the grand scheme of things in Europe I don't see how any good could come out of this for me. The English are just butthurt because they don't rule European football anymore imo and the big clubs are greedy to get a bigger slice of the pie as always
     
  17. SPCTRE

    SPCTRE Badass Admiral

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  18. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    The problem with the Super League breakaway is that it gives you, as an alternative to Blatter and co, the likes of the Glazers, Abramovich and the president of Real. The moneymen. You can forget any semblance of giving a shit about the fans then.

    How would such a league even work? Will it have relegation/promotion (I seriously doubt it - can you imagine United/Munich/Barca getting relegated?) Would it be mid-week? Would anyone other than the first clubs in be allowed to join somehow? What're the criteria for entry (money, probably).

    All this because of some shitty international friendlies no one cares about.
     
  19. Jax

    Jax Admiral Admiral

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    Speak for yourself ;) I love international football but that could be because my club is Notts Forest and theres nothing exciting about that :lol:
     
  20. HappyDayRiot

    HappyDayRiot Commodore Commodore

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    Your country is England and there's nothing exciting about their team either!