Martin Samuel

[daveh1962]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2329745/Martin-Samuel-meets-Michel-Platini--read-FULL-transcript-interview-UEFA-president.html

An excellent piece by Martin Samuel who I think highlights how corrupt Platini is and how flawed FFP is

[Slim]

I am not sure if Martin is right or wrong on all these issues, but I do tend to see eye-to-eye on his views.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Some very 'fluffy' answers that don't really address the questions asked.

[Ted Hughes]

Excellent work by Martin Samuel.

There are lots of points & details on different subjects, which are all worthy of discussion but one thing which is clear is that Platini does not fully undrstand the details of FFP. So who is behind it ?

Then you read Platini's comments that people such as Berlusconi, yes BERLUSCONI, approached him & asking for a rule change because "I can't keep putting in 100 million every year, it's too expensive " & he doesn't see anything wrong with that.

It was perfectly ok for Berlusconi & Moratti to put in as much money as they liked to keep them ahead of John Wardle & Bill Kenwright, but now they can't afford to keep up with Sheikh Mansour,, something has to be done. And that's 'fair play'.

Interesting that, after much probing & discussions on different subjects, Samuel just slips a crafty FFP one back in at the end, & this has a lot of relevance for our case imo:

Samuel: Michel, I actually agree with financial fair play. I just don’t necessarily agree with your model of it. One thing I did forget to ask, if the wages are so important, why not link it to the wages as opposed to the transfers? Why not have a system whereby you had to be able to cover your wage bill, it didn’t matter what the owner spent on transfers, because that’s his own money. But obviously the problem is that if the owner suddenly walks away he leaves the club with a massive bill. This is the whole issue. So why not link financial fair play to the wage bill rather than to the transfers?

Platini: Hmm. We’d have to go into more detail in terms of that. We are working to find the good regulation for the financial fair play and I think that there will be a discussion and proposal to the Congress in Dubrovnik and all the national associations, to know what should be implemented for the financial fair play – finally.

Samuel: So it’s not totally rigid?

Platini: No, no, for the moment, we begin next year – the decision and it’s a matter for discussion. The administration have to find the good system – but it’s not finished this procedure because it is beginning in next year.

Farrelly: Next season. I think the important part regarding the transfers is that they are part of the club’s balance sheet. It’s like anything else, the price of floodlights, the price of the stadium, it’s part of the balance sheet, that’s why it’s being included. These are figures that are in the public domain. We are not making up the figures.

Samuel: I realise that.

Platini: Don’t forget one thing, it is the beginning of something. It’s not the end, it is the beginning and we can do all things. We can do many things.


So they still don't know what financial fair play is, let alone how they will enforce it or the scale of penalties.

This, imo, is why it hasn't been challenged yet. Because there is nothing concrete to actually challenge & it may end up that no challenge is neccessary.

[mcfc1632]

I think that to summarise Twatini simply confirms what a number of posters on here have been saying for ages:

1/ The changes to bring in Champs League, Europa League was UEFA caving into the G14 clubs

2/ That UeFA are really nothing more than administrators - the power sits with ECA (reconstituted G14)

3/ That UeFA and in particular Twatini will do nothing that requires facing up to the 'old guard' because a) he and UeFA have no backbone - and b) he is on a wonderful gravy train and would not upset that

4/ That the FFP has some 'moral objectives' - but do not ask Twatini the fuck to get involved in details

5/ That the outcome will indeed be the richer get richer and the door is forever clanged behind them

FFP will definitely work IMO because it will be made to by the 'Old Guard' - but it will not work to achieve 'moral objectives' but to protect the 'Old Guard' and it will be amended by them, administered by UeFA until it is 'just right'

Lets just be glad that we are through the door and long gone - and I think that having Soriano and his mate will help us secure acceptance - they will know how to interact with the 'real' power brokers

[craigmcfc]

Thanks for posting the link. I found that fascinating and I agreed with most of what Samuel had to say.

[carl_feedthegoat]

The best football journo out there , noone else comes close.

[Rag_hater]

Good job Twatini has assembled a legal team at least they will make a game of it cos he is hopless.

[patrickblue]

That was unbeliveable, Platini obviously either hasn't got a clue (which I don't believe for a minute), or he's just bullshitting rather than admitting what the true agenda is. What with him directly contradicting himself, and then claiming he can't explain in English because he's French, he has lost any credability that he ever had. First rule of politics, never answer the question. He certainly got that right.

[Rag_hater]

Be nice to know what a Judge will think when points like the following are put to him:

Samuel: So everything is different country to country. Bayern Munich get their stadium built for them, that doesn’t really happen here.

Samuel: What about two very human elements of financial fair play. That it will take the power away from football people, the manager, the coach, and place it in the hands of the accountants. Because it’s going to be about revenue streams and earnings, it’s going to be about numbers and do the numbers add up. And that takes it away from the guy that’s standing on the touchline saying, we need a central defender. And it puts it in the hands of a guy that’s got a load of numbers that nobody else understands other than him. Saying, no you don’t, because it says so on this piece of paper that you can’t do that.


Samuel: I’m thinking more of ticket prices, things like that. If they have to squeeze every bit of revenue out of the stadium to buy the players, to afford the transfers, to afford the wages, will it not.

pretty sure there would be more flaws in it but just as an example.

[zuricity]

Good job Twatini has assembled a legal team at least they will make a game of it cos he is hopless.

As long as the money for lawyers comes from Platinis pocket and not Uefa, that would be a waste.

[dazby]

Some artful dodging by Platini here. Some really poor answers.

[Blue Since 76]

Reading that, all you can see is how political the whole thing is - the clubs; UEFA; FIFA; the referees. When did football get itself in such a mess? And will there ever be a revolution? Unfortunately, I suspect not.

[Beefymcfc]

The truth is, and we all know it, that FIFA/UEFA/the FA don't actually make the rules, they are just a body formed for the soul purpose of keeping the teams happy. Afterall, without the clubs then there is no football. The problem is that certain teams have become so powerful that they don't just go with what is good for the game, they go for what is good for them and everybody else has to tow the line.

Platini basically says he has no control of what happens in the game but is merely a porn in an almighty game of chess.

[Dameerto]

Some artful dodging by Platini here. Some really poor answers.

I saw no art at all, he directly contradicted himself in two back to back paragraphs then spent most of the rest of the interview trying to hide behind language differences.

[john68]

I am amazed that some of you are surprised by some of this.

Platini's big face off with the G14 came some years ago and he lost. It was the time when KHR categorically told him that if he stood in the way of the big clubs and fought them, the G14 would "Shut the UeFA Shop."

UeFA have NEVER had any power themselves, Platini is only an administrator. The power within UeFA has always rested in the hands of the many and various committees. Those committees are loaded by representatives from the major clubs. It is where the like of Gill (the rags) and Gadzidis (Arsenal) get their power from.

On top of that...FIFA is similarily structured and controlled by committees and representatives from the continental bodies like UeFA. Funnily enough, the UeFA representatives at FIFA are loaded by the the G14 clubs or their acolytes.

Check out the construction of the ECA. Without checking, I don't believe that City have yet qualified for full membership.

Platini is and has been only a puppet for a very long time.

[Risby]

I am amazed that some of you are surprised by some of this.


UeFA have NEVER had any power themselves, Platini is only an administrator.

Platini is and has been only a puppet for a very long time.

I'm not surprised by most of this, only the fact he's admitting to it.

It's worrying when the people in charge aren't actually in charge. What's the betting that they soon move the goal posts on how to achieve full membership so clubs like city can't enforce any of their ideas and break up the clique.

Perhaps in places, the game is more corrupt than we anticipated.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

I am amazed that some of you are surprised by some of this.

Platini's big face off with the G14 came some years ago and he lost. It was the time when KHR categorically told him that if he stood in the way of the big clubs and fought them, the G14 would "Shut the UeFA Shop."

UeFA have NEVER had any power themselves, Platini is only an administrator. The power within UeFA has always rested in the hands of the many and various committees. Those committees are loaded by representatives from the major clubs. It is where the like of Gill (the rags) and Gadzidis (Arsenal) get their power from.

On top of that...FIFA is similarily structured and controlled by committees and representatives from the continental bodies like UeFA. Funnily enough, the UeFA representatives at FIFA are loaded by the the G14 clubs or their acolytes.

Check out the construction of the ECA. Without checking, I don't believe that City have yet qualified for full membership.

Platini is and has been only a puppet for a very long time.

I just had a look at ECA site. City are a member.

It seems to me that the real power in football in Europe is now with the ECA. I don't know too much about them apart from the references I see in these articles relating to FFP. Do you know how Rummenige became chairman, I assume he was democratically elected? If this is the case who got a vote?

[Beefymcfc]

And to confound it all, Gill is now off to UEFA to head the Rags charge there.

On another note, I wonder when Samuel will tackle the issue on Rags running away with the top jobs in English football and if there is a conflict of interest?

[daveh1962]

And to confound it all, Gill is now off to UEFA to head the Rags charge there.

On another note, I wonder when Samuel will tackle the issue on Rags running away with the top jobs in English football and if there is a conflict of interest?

I really wish this would be looked at as Utd and Arsenal have too much power and influence within the domestic game. My concern is that the English media will not dare tackle this issue for fear of alienating the fans of these clubs. I am sure you will see a few exclusives with Ferguson as payment to ensure that the media is kept on message about United