Club debts could lead to European ban Bollox
Leading English sides could be excluded from the Champions League if a Uefa proposal to limit overspending is successful LIVERPOOL and Manchester United would be banned from the Champions League if Michel Platini’s “Financial Fair Play” criteria for European club competitions were introduced, according to senior sources within Uefa. Manchester City and Chelsea would also be at risk, despite their owners having paid off their debts recently.
Rules governing the amount of debt clubs can accrue are being discussed within Uefa committees and though they are far from fixed, and at least three years away from being implemented, it is clear that many of Europe’s biggest clubs would fall foul of the criteria being proposed by Platini, the Uefa president. His guiding principle is that over a period of time clubs cannot spend more than they earn.
“Manchester United and Liverpool would be barred from the Champions League and the Europa Cup because they have debts piled directly on the club as a result of their owners’ takeovers,” a Uefa executive told The Sunday Times.
“Chelsea and Manchester City would fail to meet the requirements because we want to prevent a situation where you can overspend a great deal, then inject cash to balance the budget at the end of the season. Arsenal would qualify. They make more than they spend, including debt repayments. So do Tottenham.”
However, it is not just English clubs that would be affected. Some of Europe’s most celebrated clubs have built up huge debts and they too face exclusion from the Champions League. “As things stand, Real Madrid would fail and Inter Milan. But for now it’s all theory, based around a principle that needs to be made into something workable,” the source said.
Debt in English football has been highlighted again because United’s new financial figures, released last week, showed they made an annual profit of £48.2m only thanks to the £80m summer sale of Cristiano Ronaldo, inset. United paid £41.9m in interest in the year on debts that are now above £700m. Chelsea’s most recent figures showed a £44.4m loss, while City’s showed they lost £92m. Both those clubs’ owners have wiped out debts in excess of £300m to clean up their balance sheets. Liverpool’s debts are £240m-plus. Arsenal have £297m of debt, but this was acquired mainly for building Emirates stadium, now a cash cow that helps fuel profits. Arsenal’s repayments are easily serviced.
England’s Big Four plus City can take solace in that Uefa’s plans are far from complete. Even Uefa officials are uncertain whether rules will be applied retrospectively. “That might not be possible,” the source said. All clubs will have to meet requirements to balance income and spending, but grey areas and loopholes will remain.
Uefa’s only public statement on the subject so far is nebulous, saying there is an “obligation for clubs whose turnover is over a certain threshold, over a period of time, to balance their books or break even”.
The rules will be framed by an independent 11-man Club Financial Control Panel, chaired by the former prime minister of Belgium, Jean-Luc Dehaene. The aim is to introduce the rules in the 2013-14 season. Most of the CFCP, and Platini, accept that debt is not to be outlawed per se, but want it to be manageable if it is on a club’s books.
Uefa insiders are aware that if it banned most of the biggest clubs from its competition there would be a danger of a breakaway league. They also accept that its rules are susceptible to legal challenges. For now, there are three more years of work before proposals turn to rules.
THE BIG DEBTORS
£727m Manchester United
£609m Real Madrid* (Real claim only £296m)
£436m Barcelona*
£386m Internazionale*
£348m AC Milan*
£297.7m Arsenal
£240m approx Liverpool
£147m Juventus*
£136m Roma*
£96m Bayern Munich*
£0 Chelsea, after £340m write-off, announced Dec 2009
£0 Man City, after £305m debt-to-equity write-off, announced Jan 2010
* * * * * English data from Premier League club records or accounts * * * * *
Figures marked * from Prof Jose Maria Gay de Liebana, football finance specialist at the University of Barcelona
MANCHESTER CITY have been snubbed by Argentina winger Angel di Maria after making a £38million bid.
The Eastlands club agreed to meet his buyout clause at Benfica, which would trigger a record British transfer fee.
But Di Maria, 21, declined a move that would have beaten the previous record of £32.5m City paid Real Madrid for Robinho.
Undaunted, City are certain to be back in the summer for the player, who rejected a switch this month as he wants to help Benfica win the title. A source in Lisbon said: "City offered the amount required to trigger a release clause in Di Maria's contract but the boy is loyal to Benfica. "But everyone at Benfica accepts that he will move on sooner rather than later." Di Maria is keen to move to a higher level of football but wants to look at all options. He signed a new deal with Benfica last October which runs until 2015. Chelsea and Inter Milan are also interested in the South American sensation and Manchester United offered winger Nani and £10m but that was rejected. Di Maria has indicated he would prefer to join United, but the current financial climate at Old Trafford suggests they will not be able to compete when the summer auction starts.
Joe Cole set to quit Chelsea for Manchester City
Manchester City are expected to see off competition from Manchester United and Tottenham to secure the signing of Joe Cole on a free transfer from Chelsea in the summer.
The 28-year-old England midfielder is at odds with the Blues over a new contract. With his current deal due to expire on June 30, Cole is seeking a pay rise of about £50,000 a week to stay at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are prepared to offer him a rise of only £20,000 on his current £80,000-a-week salary. Talks between Cole’s advisers and Chelsea have been ongoing since the start of the season but have stalled in recent weeks with neither side apparently willing to back down. Although he is reluctant to leave London, Cole is aware he is still in a position of strength as he seeks parity with the club’s second tier earners like Michael Ballack, Nicolas Anelka and Michael Essien. City, United and Spurs are long-term admirers. But the Eastlands club, who failed in an audacious bid to land Chelsea and England captain John Terry last summer, are more confident that they can fulfil Cole’s current wage demands. In the current economic climate it seems both United and Tottenham will find it impossible to match a City offer that would include a £5m signing on fee and wages of about £150,000 a week. Those figures may seem incredible, but the fact the clubs would not have to pay Chelsea a fee, or any compensation, ensures Cole is the big winner from being a free agent. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made two approaches to West Ham in a bid to prise the player from their academy before Cole made his senior debut. Fergie openly rated Cole the most naturally gifted English player of his generation.
Harry Redknapp, the Hammers boss approached by Fergie back in the late 90s, turned down the Old Trafford overtures. Since then Redknapp has never disguised his admiration for Cole who he once claimed was the most skilful player he had ever come across.
He would relish having Cole in his squad again.
Sources close to Cole claim he’s unlikely to back down in talks with Chelsea and is well aware he retains a position of strength in negotiations.
He could already sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club if Chelsea laboured in negotiations and allowed him to reach the final months of his current deal.
They are unlikely to be impressed by City’s interest following the war of words that erupted after they tried to lure away Terry from the club by going public about their interest in the England captain.
Demento has no regrets
ALEX Ferguson insisted last night that he has “no regrets” about Carlos Tevez’s move from Manchester United to neighbours City.
The Argentina striker has been in stunning form for City and went into last night’s match at Everton as their 15-goal top scorer.
It follows his controversial move across Manchester, when Tevez elected not to remain at Old Trafford when his contract ran out. But United boss Ferguson said: “There is no issue – we made our pitch, he didn’t take it and he went to Manchester City. It’s no problem to us." “He’s done well – so be it. I’ve no regrets and we move on.” Fergie also claimed he was no longer bothered about the “Welcome to Manchester” poster erected by City when Tevez became a Blue.
He said: “That’s gone now. I thought it was petty. They say it was a bit tongue in cheek – I don’t think it was. You have to understand they have been trying to catch up with us for years.”
meanwhile the mind games bollox continue
SIR Alex Ferguson has turned the derby pressure on to rivals Manchester City by declaring: It’s a bigger game for you than us.
The Manchester United boss takes his side to Eastlands on Tuesday night for the first highly-charged leg of the Carling Cup semi- final. And Fergie insisted: “A semi-final against United, when they haven’t been to a final for so long, is the biggest motivation City could have so far this season. So it’s a bigger, more important game for them than us.” But the United boss also admitted he has to take into account the feelings of his club’s supporters and therefore will field a stronger side than originally planned.
Some of United’s bright youngsters, like striker Mame Biram Diouf, will be involved, but Fergie said: “I’ve got mixed views with regard to the team for this game, so the side will be a mixture and we’ll have enough experience out there."
“There is a definite chance that Diouf will be involved. We’ve been impressed with the boy – he’s quick, good in the air and we are trying to find out about him as quickly as we can.”
Diouf, 22, is from Senegal and has joined United from Molde in Norway. He has just returned to Old Trafford after being loaned back to the Scandinavian club. He eventually could cost United £5million and Ferguson wants to see as much of him as soon as he can.
Fergie said: “We took him to Birmingham last weekend but it was something of a wasted journey in terms of having a good look at him because the game changed when we had Darren Fletcher sent off.” Yet while Diouf looks set to taste the derby atmosphere, the United boss made it clear he won’t be sending out a team of kids and squad players.
Ferguson said: “It’s a game for the fans and their emotions. A grandad supports a team and that is passed on down the line and that club become the life of that family. We have to recognise that. You don’t underestimate these things and I’ll pay particular attention to it. And once you are in a semi-final, you want to be in the final. We want to be in a healthy position back at Old Trafford for the second leg. And our record is pretty good in derby matches.” Fergie admits that the spending power City have, following the takeover of the club by the Abu Dhabi United Group, makes “anything possible” for United’s
neighbours. The United boss said: “They could offer Barcelona a billion pounds for Lionel Messi and it wouldn’t affect them much."
“Their fans are happy, the club is happy and Roberto Mancini is happy after his start as manager. We are in a results-driven industry and questions are asked when they aren’t right. So there are no complaints from City’s fans at the moment."
“And anything is possible with the money they’ve got – but I’m quite happy and proud of our history. We can handle anything!”
Fergie, meanwhile, has given short shrift to talk there could be issues over a new contract for star striker Wayne Rooney. The United boss said tersely: “Nothing has been mentioned to me, so I assume that everything is okay.”
Steven Gerrard ready to quit Anfield: Skipper fed up as Liverpool struggle again under Rafa Benitez
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is ready to quit the club he joined as a nineyear- old two decades ago.
The England midfielder, who suffered a hamstring injury in the humiliating FA Cup defeat by Reading in midweek, looked a lonely and dejected figure as he sat in the stands at Stoke City yesterday and watched his team held to a 1-1 Premier League draw.
Red rage: Gerrard's patience with Liverpool's lack of success under Benitez appears to have snapped
The result did little to help under-pressure manager Rafael Benitez as he battles to convince critics his team can salvage their season by gaining what is looking an unlikely Champions League place next season.
And it will not have helped Gerrard's mood as he wrestles with the dilemma of whether to stay with his home-town club and accept the frustration of yet another campaign without a major honour, or cash in on the final years of his career with a �40million move this summer.
He will have no lack of suitors, with Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan and Premier League big spenders Manchester City believed to be interested in a deal.
Gerrard's discontent at Anfield has been obvious in a season when Benitez has again failed to mount a meaningful campaign for the championship and has struggled even to convince fans that a Champions League place is within Liverpool's reach.
That failure has left the manager open to speculation about his own future, and Gerrard ready to leave the club where he is held in such reverence by the Kop.
Sources close to City manager Roberto Mancini claimed last night that the Italian believes he can tempt Gerrard from Anfield to Eastlands after the World Cup in South Africa this summer.
Gerrard, always aware of feelings on Merseyside, could regard a move to another English club as problematic, in which case he could be more receptive to Mourinho's efforts to tempt him to Inter, although the former Chelsea manager has been linked with the Liverpool job should Benitez pay for his team's shortcomings.Spanish giants Real Madrid have also been monitoring Gerrard closely.
Gerrard's impending departure almost mirrors the situation at Anfield six years ago when he was on the point of making a �20m switch to Chelsea. Then, after manager Gerard Houllier left following a trophy-less season, a disgruntled Gerrard admitted his disappointment at the club's lack of progress, saying: 'For the first time in my career I've thought about the possibility of moving on.'
Gerrard's decision to stay was justified when Liverpool, under Houllier's successor Benitez, won the European Cup in the Spaniard's first season in charge, coming from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
Gerrard said afterwards: 'How can I leave after a night like this?'
But Gerrard almost did leave before suddenly deciding to sign a four-year contract following weeks of negotiations.
Gerrard's patience with Liverpool's lack of success under Benitez appears to have snapped with Wednesday's 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Anfield by struggling Championship club Reading.
Reports claimed Gerrard clashed with Benitez's assistant, Mauricio Pellegrino, over the hamstring strain which caused the midfielder's substitution, although Liverpool's manager yesterday denied any altercation. 'There was nothing,' said Benitez
WAG OF THE DAY
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OTHER TRANSFER BOLLOX
Tottenham have moved closer to sealing the biggest deal of the January transfer window by holding direct talks with Palermo about £11m defender Simon Kjaer. Daily Mail
Sunderland winger Kieran Richardson is wanted by Birmingham as part of Alex McLeish's Blues revolution.News of the World
Ruud van Nistelrooy will snub a move back to the Premier League and instead join Galatasaray in a £4m deal.Daily Mirror
Manchester United keeper Ben Foster will be sold as the Old Trafford club wait to see what happens with Schalke's Manuel Neuer. (Sunday Express)
Wolves have bid £6.5m for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson - but other clubs, including Chelsea, are monitoring the former England Under-21 star.Daily Mail
Newcastle are lining up a loan move for Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere for the remainder of the season.Daily Mirror
OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United could be in line for a £1.2bn takeover after efforts by the Glazers, United's owners, to attract Middle East investment. Sunday Express
However, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has been approached about a coaching role at Old Trafford for the next campaign before stepping into the hotseat to replace Sir Alex Ferguson the following season.
Guardiola's agent Jose Maria Orobigt said: "A club has contacted me but there have been no discussions over money or the sporting project. Anything like that is up to Pep."News of the World
The West Ham takeover saga is set to be resolved by Tuesday, with David Sullivan and David Gold now poised to seize control of the club. News of the World
Manchester United will decide on Monday whether striker Dimitar Berbatov needs an operation on his injured knee.
News of the World
FINAL BOLLOX
“There is no doubt that [Manchester] City treated us with little respect and broke rules in the summer [in the Joleon Lescott transfer]. I found it very difficult to accept that a club that had until recently had so many similarities to Everton should suddenly start acting with no class.” - David Moyes in the Everton-Manchester City programme notes.
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