Uefa boss to scrutinise Manchester City's Etihad deal

[CityGer]

Manchester City's sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways will be analysed by Uefa's financial fair play (FFP) boss.

In a 10-year deal reportedly worth £400m, Etihad now sponsors both the club's shirt and the stadium.

But with City and Etihad sharing Abu Dhabi links, critics have claimed this is an attempt to circumvent European football's strict new financial rules.

City declined to reply, although the club have previously said speculation over the figures was "not accurate".

"I have some questions, yes," said Jean-Luc Dehaene, the chairman of Uefa's Club Financial Control Panel.

"But it would be dangerous for our authority if we take judgements without facts."

The 71-year-old former Prime Minister of Belgium confirmed his panel would "benchmark" all deals to make sure they were "fair value".

"If we see clubs that are looking for loopholes we will act," he said.

"It is not enough to say 'we've got a sponsorship contract and that's OK' if the contract is out of line."

As well as the shirt and stadium, Etihad also sponsors The Etihad Campus which is being developed around the ground. This will create an expanded academy, sports science centre and training ground, as well as office and retail space and a 7,000-seat stadium for youth games.

All of this investment is exempt from the FFP rules as it is not deemed football-related. Any income accrued, however, does count.

In an exclusive interview with BBC Sport on Monday, City's chief executive Gary Cook said the deal was "unique".

"The Ethihad Campus, which constitutes some 210 acres is unique in its breadth, depth and length of term," he said.

"It involves the tradition, which is shirt sponsorship, the naming rights of the stadium, but what we haven't seen in football is a campus, creating a place to be, to work.

"We've got a great relationship with Ethihad. It's a long-term programme and they are equally very excited by it."

Cook added that City's recent spending was "not sustainable" but was needed to quickly attain Champions League football.

Manchester City have been the focus of intense scrutiny ever since an Abu Dhabi-based consortium led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought the club in 2008.

The club made a loss of £93m in 2008-09, £121m in 2009-10 and last year's figures, due in September, are expected to be even worse, despite an increase in turnover partly due to a number of lucrative sponsorship deals with other Abu Dhabi-based companies.

Etihad Airways, for example, is owned by the Abu Dhabi government. The oil-rich state's ruler, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is Sheikh Mansour's half-brother.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14490740.stm

I'm sure the club will have structured this deal correctly.

[BobbyDazzler]

In a way, I'm relieved it's getting looked at (it was always going to be), so now when UEFA sign off on it and say it's entirely legit, Wenger et al have got fuck all to whinge about.

[ant london]

Simple fact is that the definition of "fair market value" is precisely what someone is prepared to pay

No two clubs are identical o capable of like for like comparison. Equally, each sponsoring company's motivations, needs and economic realities will differ from case to case.

UEFA have not got a prayer of being able to successfully maintain that this is "excessive". They have to go through the motions just so they are seen as having teeth but they haven't a hope in hell.

HOWEVER, if you want to look at any kind of similar "benchmark" then let's look at Barcelona and the Qatar Foundation. There is pretty much fuck all commercial benefit to said foundation in my view.....it's purely profile raising and they paid GBP 125million for 5 years of shirt sponsorship alone. Chuck in the stadium and the campus and for 10 years...and it's a proper business sponsoring us and show me the issue.

Cocksuckers

[Beefymcfc]

Eez no problem.

Barca - 125 mil for shirt sponsor.

Arsenal - 150 mil for stadium sponsor.

That's 275 mil without anything else on top. Chuck in the EDS set-up and development along with the rest of the infastructure development then I'm sure we'll be well within the regs.

Plus, we've got very clever people dealing with this, it's just a formality.

[Goaters 103]

Quick intesting fact of the day.

Last nights City starting 11 cost £149.6m, or £5.8m LESS than our noise hating neighbours starting XI against West Brom. I wonder if anyone from the media will bring this to the public's attention about spending in football?

[Beefymcfc]

Quick intesting fact of the day.

Last nights City starting 11 cost £149.6m, or £5.8m LESS than our noise hating neighbours starting XI against West Brom. I wonder if anyone from the media will bring this to the public's attention about spending in football?

That is interesting, any chance of a breakdown ;-)

I suppose when you look at their 30 mil signings like CG, GS and BBFlop then it's undestandable. Add the 20 mil signings of Wacko, Predator, De Fear et al and you then realise that this youth business that everyone spouts is all bullshit.

[ant london]

very interesting

[Chinners]

Quick intesting fact of the day.

Last nights City starting 11 cost £149.6m, or £5.8m LESS than our noise hating neighbours starting XI against West Brom. I wonder if anyone from the media will bring this to the public's attention about spending in football?

That is interesting, any chance of a breakdown ;-)

I suppose when you look at their 30 mil signings like CG, GS and BBFlop then it's undestandable. Add the 20 mil signings of Wacko, Predator, De Fear et al and you then realise that this youth business that everyone spouts is all bullshit.

Hmm, except Berbtov and Jones were not in their starting 11 .... if you compare the 11 at the end of the match the stats ain't that impressive in our favor ...

[Slim]

Hart £600K
Richards £0
Kompany £6M
Lescott £22M
Clichy £7M
Yaya £26M
De Jong £16M
Barry £12M
Silva £24M
Dzeko £27M
Johnson £7M
Total: £147.6M

De Gea £18.9M
Smalling £10M
Ferdinand £28M
Vidic £7M
Fabio Da Silva £0
Young £17M
Cleverley £0
Anderson £27M
Nani £25.5M
Rooney £25.6M
Welbeck £0
Total: £159M

[Beefymcfc]

Hart £600K
Richards £0
Kompany £6M
Lescott £22M
Clichy £7M
Yaya £26M
De Jong £16M
Barry £12M
Silva £24M
Dzeko £27M
Johnson £7M
Total: £147.6M

De Gea £18.9M
Smalling £10M
Ferdinand £28M
Vidic £7M
Fabio Da Silva £0
Young £17M
Cleverley £0
Anderson £27M
Nani £25.5M
Rooney £25.6M
Welbeck £0
Total: £159M

Nice one mate.

And the bench ;-)

[Beefymcfc]

Quick intesting fact of the day.

Last nights City starting 11 cost £149.6m, or £5.8m LESS than our noise hating neighbours starting XI against West Brom. I wonder if anyone from the media will bring this to the public's attention about spending in football?

That is interesting, any chance of a breakdown ;-)

I suppose when you look at their 30 mil signings like CG, GS and BBFlop then it's undestandable. Add the 20 mil signings of Wacko, Predator, De Fear et al and you then realise that this youth business that everyone spouts is all bullshit.

Hmm, except Berbtov and Jones were not in their starting 11 .... if you compare the 11 at the end of the match the stats ain't that impressive in our favor ...

Not much more though mate. They brought on Jones, BBFlop and Evans while we brought on Aguero, Savic and Milner.

How much are they worth?

[leewonpen]

What annoys me about ffp is that the people who own the rags bought it with someone elses money and now the rags must be in debt for 800 million(guess) How is that safeguarding football allowing this takeover to happen. What happens if the rag dont get into the champions league and there success stops. Remember football goes in cycles and there cycle is due to end(or when bacon face dies) Then there is Real Madrid and Barcelona how much are they in debt. Last summer Barcelona took £100 million loan out because they couldn't afford the wages. It seems to me FFP is designed to keep the elite at the top whilst keeping emerging clubs (like us back). If the sheik Mansour gaurantees the players contracts I cant see what the problem is. Also, as well as the bosman ruling it appears this is restraint of trade to me. If heinz baked beans want to charge £30 for a tin of beans who says they cant. On this basis if we say our club sponsorship is worth £400 million and someone wants to pay it who says we cant charge that much.

[Goaters 103]

Hart £600K
Richards £0
Kompany £6M
Lescott £22M
Clichy £7M
Yaya £26M
De Jong £16M
Barry £12M
Silva £24M
Dzeko £27M
Johnson £7M
Total: £147.6M

De Gea £18.9M
Smalling £10M
Ferdinand £28M
Vidic £7M
Fabio Da Silva £0
Young £17M
Cleverley £0
Anderson £27M
Nani £25.5M
Rooney £25.6M
Welbeck £0
Total: £159M

Good work Slim. Take a little bit off Nani's price but you get the picture. Sort of shatters the Utd "homegrown" myth dont you think?

[s1ty m]

£6 million for Kompany. Whoever did that deal deserves a Knighthood.

[Alioune DVToure]

Hart £600K
Richards £0
Kompany £6M
Lescott £22M
Clichy £7M
Yaya £26M
De Jong £16M
Barry £12M
Silva £24M
Dzeko £27M
Johnson £7M
Total: £147.6M

De Gea £18.9M
Smalling £10M
Ferdinand £28M
Vidic £7M
Fabio Da Silva £0
Young £17M
Cleverley £0
[highlight]Anderson £27M
Nani £25.5M[/highlight]
Rooney £25.6M
Welbeck £0
Total: £159M

I think you're way out with those two fees (I think they were about 16M each) but the principle still stands. I think Ferdinand actually cost a bit more. About 31M I think. Might be wrong though.

[Wooders]

time to call their bluff and say "fuck off then, try and ban us" in my opinion -

they seem to be "after" us specifically with these FFP rules which is the ridiculous thing, surely these rules should be brought in to protect clubs missing out on money after agreeing deals with clubs who can't afford to pay it

We've got the money, we should be allowed to spend it

[ronk]

Hart £600K
Richards £0
Kompany £6M
Lescott £22M
Clichy £7M
Yaya £26M
De Jong £16M
Barry £12M
Silva £24M
Dzeko £27M
Johnson £7M
Total: £147.6M

De Gea £18.9M
Smalling £10M
Ferdinand £28M
Vidic £7M
Fabio Da Silva £0
Young £17M
Cleverley £0
[highlight]Anderson £27M
Nani £25.5M[/highlight]
Rooney £25.6M
Welbeck £0
Total: £159M

I think you're way out with those two fees (I think they were about 16M each) but the principle still stands. I think Ferdinand actually cost a bit more. About 31M I think. Might be wrong though.

I read somewhere that the da Silva's were a million each.

[Slim]

Hart £600K
Richards £0
Kompany £6M
Lescott £22M
Clichy £7M
Yaya £26M
De Jong £16M
Barry £12M
Silva £24M
Dzeko £27M
Johnson £7M
Total: £147.6M

De Gea £18.9M
Smalling £10M
Ferdinand £28M
Vidic £7M
Fabio Da Silva £0
Young £17M
Cleverley £0
[highlight]Anderson £27M
Nani £25.5M[/highlight]
Rooney £25.6M
Welbeck £0
Total: £159M

I think you're way out with those two fees (I think they were about 16M each) but the principle still stands. I think Ferdinand actually cost a bit more. About 31M I think. Might be wrong though.

Took the prices from here, Fabio and Rafael prices weren't listed, so I put Fabio down as zero to err on the side of caution.

[Florida Blue]

Hart £600K
Richards £0
Kompany £6M
Lescott £22M
Clichy £7M
Yaya £26M
De Jong £16M
Barry £12M
Silva £24M
Dzeko £27M
Johnson £7M
Total: £147.6M

De Gea £18.9M
Smalling £10M
Ferdinand £28M
Vidic £7M
Fabio Da Silva £0
Young £17M
Cleverley £0
[highlight]Anderson £27M
Nani £25.5M[/highlight]
Rooney £25.6M
Welbeck £0
Total: £159M

I think you're way out with those two fees (I think they were about 16M each) but the principle still stands. I think Ferdinand actually cost a bit more. About 31M I think. Might be wrong though.

Take it a step further (and assume Fabio was £1M)...

City's aveage cost per player bought (leaving out homegrowns: i.e. Richards, Cleverly and Welback) is £14.7M for City and £17.8M for Un***d.

Now if we factor in the bench, and those players not playing.. umm not so close.


Took the prices from here, Fabio and Rafael prices weren't listed, so I put Fabio down as zero to err on the side of caution.

[Ted Hughes]

(Reuters) - Manchester United have agreed to sign Sporting winger Nani and Porto's Brazilian playmaker Anderson, the Premier League champions said on Wednesday.

United announced on their official Web site (http://www.manutd.com) that they had agreed "terms in principle" for both players with Porto and Sporting later confirming the deals.

Sporting said the transfer fee for Nani was 25.5 million euros (17.3 million pounds) and Portuguese media reported that Anderson would cost United a similar amount.

So it's about 34 mil for the pair but of course the exchange rate is different now so it would be more.

It would still leave their 11 in the same general ballpark as ours.