UEFA blast big spending Abramovich

[sebastien]

The UEFA is actually unhappy at Abramovich's spending, how interesting! The game is all about money these days, and I don't see anything wrong as that is what all the other clubs are doing. The players won't sit on the bench if they are good enough.

It is not that the clubs are not putting any resources or efforts into youth development (e.g. Carlton Cole & Terry from Chelsea's academy). There are talent scouts everywhere and clubs like Juventus make heaps of money by selling their youth players. It wont affect the grassroots as that is where all the players come from anyway.

from Soccernet
UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner has blasted Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for trying to buy his way to the Champions League title - the most lucrative club competition in the world.

Aigner has criticised the Russian oil tycoon for his attempts to accumulate a superstar side that could stifle the development of homegrown youngsters and has demanded action be taken to prevent it from happening elsewhere.

'We can now have a world select team and nobody can do anything about it,' Aigner said.

'Somebody can buy a team and suddenly they can be a candidate to win the Champions League. I don't think football should be about that.'

Abramovich, who yesterday sold his 50% share in Russian Aluminium (RusAl) for ?.8billion, has spent ?20million on players including England youngsters Joe Cole and Glenn Johnson but Aigner is unimpressed.

'At the moment potentially successful youngsters are bought to sit on the substitutes' bench or not played at all. If major clubs have them, others do not and competition is reduced.

'Remember the teams of Moenchengladbach, Malmo, Ipswich and others who emerged because they had a good school and others loved to play for them? That has been lost and it is severely damaging for football in the long run.'

'The biggest damage is not really being observed by those who make the decisions today. But it will destroy grass roots in the end.'

 

[Knowledge]

Real buy their way to the title yet no one gives a stuff

 

[Portmanteau]

What a crock... Chelski make the EPL interesting for a change and the UEFA has a cry. I think they've already shown that they're willing to loan out players that aren't getting the run they should, so I don't see what the whole fuss is about.

 

[TheNextBigThing]

CL

What a joke, i meen so what if we spend heaps on players, we arn't gonna win every game, just look Blackburn drew with us at home, i just hope we get a chance to play Real Madrid over 2 legs, home leg we will win 3-1, away 1-1

 

[muesli]

Real Madrid's been doing this for years.

 

[Karanicolas]

Originally posted by muesli
Real Madrid's been doing this for years.

Real is 'old money' though.

 

[muesli]

Whats the difference between old money & new money, its still money!

 

[Slax]

Please explain the difference between Chelsea and:
Real, AC Milan, Inter, Juve, Arsenal,

 

[Karanicolas]

Originally posted by Slax
Please explain the difference between Chelsea and:
Real, AC Milan, Inter, Juve, Arsenal,

Leaving out Aresenal, sucess in Europe.

 

[Shinboners]

'Remember the teams of Moenchengladbach, Malmo, Ipswich and others who emerged because they had a good school and others loved to play for them? That has been lost and it is severely damaging for football in the long run.'

A bit f*cking late for Aigner to complain about this. It was when the TV rights money swept through Europe (and the greed of Europe's biggest clubs) and the Bosman ruling that has done more to destroy the hopes of small clubs becoming the next Moechengladbach, Malmo, or Ipswich than the antics of Abramovich.

Oh, and in European terms, Chelsea has historically been small fry. In terms of what they've done in Europe, they've got more in common with Ipswich and Malmo than they do with Real Madrid and AC Milan.

 

[sebastien]

Originally posted by Slax
Please explain the difference between Chelsea and:
Real, AC Milan, Inter, Juve, Arsenal,

The only difference is Chelsea has a lot more money . Look at Real, money is the only reason why it has won the Champions League so many times. It is also why Milan won it last year!

Players bought in recent years:
Milan - Rivaldo, Tommason, Nesta, Inzaghi, Shevchenko, Kaka...
Real - Beckham, Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, etc etc.
Inter - Emre, Lamouchi, van der Meyde, Cruz, Cannavaro, Coco...
Juve - Thuram, Di Vaio, Nedved, Trezeguet, Salas...
Arsenal - Lehmann, Gilberto, Wiltord, Henry, Pires, Vieira...
Man Utd - Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Veron, Ferdinand, Forlan...

Chelsea - Veron, Mutu, Crespo, Duff, Makelele... not much difference!

 

[Unwritten_Law]

Why should UEFA care? Jealous they aren't getting a cut.

Abramovich has injected money that otherwise wouldn't be in football. You can't say that Blackburn (selling Duff) and United (selling Veron) haven't strengthened their squad in the long term. As far as I'm concerned everyone is a winner.

As other people have said it isn't as if it doesn't happen elsewhere.

 

[tribey]

Throw in FC Bayern who have changed their name to cash in on greater support and have monopolised the Bundesliga both on and off the field...

Kahn, Effenburg, Ballack, Deisler, Jeremies, Rau, Trochowski... All German talent purchased from other Bundesliga clubs...

Just splashed out a fortune on Dutchman Roy Makaay after taking Brazilian Ze Roberto from Leverkusen last season...

I'm not decrying free agency at all because I believe if you have the resources you should by all means employ them to the betterment of your club - rather than the Socialist bordering on Communist strait-jacket the AFL follows - but if Gerhard Aigner was so disappointed about football heading in this direction he'd do well to look in his own backyard first before criticising Chelsea.

 

[myee8]

Be careful Aigner, Roman being a wealthy businessman could have links to the Russian mafia so he might put out a hit on you! 75% of businesses in Russia are linked to organised crime.

 

[X_box_X]

I can't see why the UEFA is blasting Abramovich. Like Slax stated, there are other clubs like Real, Juventus, Arsenal, etc. who spend big money on new signings almost every year.

But Chelsea can't be considered one of the world's best teams. They have to take their anger out on the main cause for this - Abramovich.

Abramovich is the world's richest man under 40. If he is taking a risk in spending mega bucks on signings, then it's his problem. The more success Chelsea has, the more relieved he will be.

Anyway, this makes the EPL much more interesting, as Guey said. For the first time in a long time, Arsenal and Man. United aren't the favourites for the EPL this season. Chelsea is second favourite at $2.55, with Man. United at $2.35 and Arsenal somewhere around the $3.50 mark (which, mind you, is pretty good value).

 

[clucas91]

Arsenal haven't spent any money at all, I don't even know why people bother throwing their name around in this discussion.

Spurs have spent more money than Arsenal in recent times.

 

[sebastien]

Originally posted by clucas91
Arsenal haven't spent any money at all, I don't even know why people bother throwing their name around in this discussion.

Spurs have spent more money than Arsenal in recent times.

They did get Gilberto, Jeffers, Inamoto, Wright, Toure...
but yes not as much as some of the other big european clubs

 

[tribey]

Originally posted by sebastien
They did get Gilberto, Jeffers, Inamoto, Wright, Toure...
but yes not as much as some of the other big european clubs

Stocking stuffers

 

[muesli]

Originally posted by clucas91
Arsenal haven't spent any money at all, I don't even know why people bother throwing their name around in this discussion.

Spurs have spent more money than Arsenal in recent times.

Arsenal didn't spend much money over the off season because they are builing a new 80000 seat stadium & couldn't afford to.

 

[Paris75]

The Arsenal board have always been tight, if only I could say the same for Leeds.

 

[Marcel Proust]

 

[moomba]

So UEFA were a bunch of campaigners back then too.