FFP No Problem!

[johnny crossan]

Manchester City and Chelsea won't be banned from European over new financial rules, insists Barclays Premier League chief
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 9:26 AM on 18th January 2011

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore does not believe any English clubs will be banned from European competition for breaking UEFA's new financial rules.
However, he has likened the Financial Fair Play Initiative to a 'soft salary cap' which will see clubs start to tighten their belts.
UEFA's new rules are being introduced in a bid to ensure clubs do not spend more money than they earn. They will be introduced gradually, but in extreme cases teams could be banned from the Champions League and Europa League from 2014.

No worries: Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore insists clubs like Manchester City won't be held back by UEFA's new financial laws
There are concerns English clubs will be hit hard, particularly those backed by free-spending billionaires such as Manchester City and Chelsea.
However, Scudamore said: 'I don't see any circumstances where any of our clubs could get near to exclusion.
'UEFA is too sensible, and it's not in its interests to do so. It's more about taking the steam out of the system and acting as a speed bump rather than about barring clubs.'

High hopes: Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore
Scudamore insists the Premier League are backing the measures.
He said: 'In general we're supportive. It's very hard not to be. Break-even as a concept has got to be good in business.
'Manchester City are starting to plan and are disposing of some of their assets this transfer window.
'They're a very well-run club, they know what they have to do and I'm sure they'll do it.'
With the vast majority of clubs' outlay being spent on wages, Scudamore said: 'It is a "soft" salary cap in effect.
'By far the largest expense is in this area, so by definition it will have an impact on wages and squad sizes and that's great.
'No one in football is proud of the kind of wage inflation we've experienced, but equally we mustn't do anything that dampens the international appeal of our league.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z1BNenGorL

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... l?ITO=1490
bbc 5Live podcast - last half hour

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b0 ... 17_01_2011

[johnny crossan]

Listen to the last few minutes of this Radio 5 Live Monday Club programme

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b0 ... 17_01_2011

What have we done to Steve Claridge!?!

[Slim]

I was just reading the fair play rules for 2010 and it states that the club must be worth more than it owes. Not entirely sure the value of the scum, but aren't their debts closing in on £800M?

[CitizenYank]

This is absolute bullshit. Folks, trust me. There is no such thing as a 'soft salary cap.' It will only
help teams like Real Madrid, Barca, and the Scum manage their losses while keeping themselves competitive.

I saw the NFL do the same things about fifteen years ago, and it turned the quality of league play into shit
and the big teams just made more money.

[ryanmcfc]

I was just reading the fair play rules for 2010 and it states that the club must be worth more than it owes. Not entirely sure the value of the scum, but aren't their debts closing in on £800M?

I was listening to The Game podcast from The Times, and they said that UEFA have now said that debts won't count against clubs.

[Slim]

I was just reading the fair play rules for 2010 and it states that the club must be worth more than it owes. Not entirely sure the value of the scum, but aren't their debts closing in on £800M?

I was listening to The Game podcast from The Times, and they said that UEFA have now said that debts won't count against clubs.

In terms of actual debt amounts they won't in any other circumstance unless the club has a nett equity deficit. Unless that's being lifted and I am sure Barca, Real, Liverpool, Man Utd and Inter will all be jumping for joy if it does.

[lets all have a disco]

All the big teams us included will just fuck off and set up a European Superleague.

Two tiers.

Were not gonna get kicked out of the Premier league,The Fa will still play the carling and FA Cup and Uefa will be sat there scratching their heads.

IMHO.

[CitizenYank]

I was just reading the fair play rules for 2010 and it states that the club must be worth more than it owes. Not entirely sure the value of the scum, but aren't their debts closing in on £800M?

I was listening to The Game podcast from The Times, and they said that UEFA have now said that debts won't count against clubs.

In terms of actual debt amounts they won't in any other circumstance unless the club has a nett equity deficit. Unless that's being lifted and I am sure Barca, Real, Liverpool, Man Utd and Inter will all be jumping for joy if it does.

I see what your saying with net equity deficiency is, but I see that as a side issue, not the real problem. UEFA is protects the rich while strangling the smaller clubs even more.

Clubs like Real and Barca, which are run by politicians in some sort of wacko public trust get a large part of their income from their cable and satellite contracts, which they don't have to share with any La Liga team. And you can pretty much guarantee they will make the CL every year, even if they disbanded their Academies and shoot half of their reserves.

Smaller clubs, I am not saying City, because I believe we fall into more of a 'middle class' grouping, are hamstrung by these 'soft cap' break even requirements. The small-as-a mouse, big-as-a-bear, regulations insure a bad signing here, a brief run in the FA Cup, lower attendance, will kill them if they can't fiscally maneuver during the season. Oh and your shut out next year too, so sorry.

All I am saying is the major clubs have a leg up based upon their brand name and existing financial structures. The value of their debt is minimal when compared to their revenue and operating income. The regulations guarantee that the poor will now be starving and the good intentions just make the pyramid wider at the bottom.

Shit. I think some fans depend on soft cash injections from their owners after the season. Fiscal responsibility is the last thing on their mind!!

[johnny crossan]

Isn't it time for one of them Panorama exposes? Should just about put the tin hat on it for us!

[CitizenYank]

Isn't it time for one of them Panorama exposes? Should just about put the tin hat on it for us!

Sorry, pent up aggression. Just sick of hearing about this issue. Very similar to my friend's bitching about unemployment.

NM. Disregard the post.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

I have 100% confidence that our owners will have this sorted out and it will not be a problem for City.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Claridge ....another Twat I would dearly like to smack.

[JamieMCFC]

This is absolute bullshit. Folks, trust me. There is no such thing as a 'soft salary cap.' It will only
help teams like Real Madrid, Barca, and the Scum manage their losses while keeping themselves competitive.

I saw the NFL do the same things about fifteen years ago, and it turned the quality of league play into shit
and the big teams just made more money.

Bullshit the change in rules and expansion have harmed the league more than the salary cap.

[CitizenYank]

Either way, you have to admit the quality of play in the NFL has gone down. One of the reasons
I don't watch it anymore.

[JamieMCFC]

Either way, you have to admit the quality of play in the NFL has gone down. One of the reasons
I don't watch it anymore.

I agree completely that the league has changed. I have the complete 85 Bears season on DVD. With the rules that are in place today flags would have been thrown on every play.

[john@staustell]

All the big teams us included will just fuck off and set up a European Superleague.

Two tiers.

Were not gonna get kicked out of the Premier league,The Fa will still play the carling and FA Cup and Uefa will be sat there scratching their heads.

IMHO.

Me too.

And in any case as it seems acceptable we can just borrow the dosh of our Sheiky at 0%!

[john68]

UeFA are only as powerful as the clubs allow them to be. The Football league found that to their cost with the breakaway |Premier league and UeFA also caved in to clubs' demands with the restructuring and refinancing of the European Cup/Champions League.

Despite all the statements by Platini and the media hype that has followed, The wording of the new rules was considerably softer than we could have been led to believe.

Words like "WILL" became "SHOULD" and instead of "WILL BE" we were offered "COULD BE". It became apparent that EXCLUSION was only going to be considered as a last resort AFTER a number of other measures had been considered (including transfer bans). We were also informed that instead of "HAVING TO" meet the financial requirements, clubs only had to show they were moving in the right direction to meet the requirements.

Unless the old "G" group try another tactic, such as a Euro breakaway league, it looks like we're in. All we have to do is qualify.

[mcfc1632]

The only good news in all this is for a club like CITY where not only is the owner so incredibly rich but the investment has already been made.

We may have just got through the gate before the barriers are up - but we will be the last - and our success is still not certain - this squad needs to get and maintain CL with only the 'normal' type of future player acquitsion.

What all this shows is that it is fuck all to do with 'helping' or 'saving' clubs - clubs can invest and invest trying to get to the top and those that fail can / will go under - UeFA will not care or do anything at all - up to the point where they 'qualify' for CL or Europa(and thereby threaten the cartel) - then they will be excluded (becuase - have we have ably demonstrated - you cannot break in without a massive investment - of a size that will beyond existing revenues). Lets face it - who is going to kick off to support a Blackburn or a Birmingham - or a CITY if we were to be making our push in 2013 - 2017 rather than be almost there already

This is nakedly about protecting the old guard and CITY have been very much in mind when drawing up the rules - the problem for them has been the sheer weight of effort that has gone in from the Sheik and his team - we have just been too aggressive too quickly for them

The other good bit of news for us is the demise of Liverpool and possibly Chelsea - so there is a 'place at the table' - UeFA will probably be OK if one of those 2 drop out to be replaced by CITY - so long as then the security is there for the rest of the old guard into the future

In summary, we are(probably) alright jack (but CL is a absolute must) - but then the drawbridge is up and the rest of the teams are fucked