Who is Angel Di Maria and why does Manchester City think he's worth 35 million euros?
A perfect financial storm is about to overwhelm professional football, consider the evidence. Roman Abramovich has just under-written Chelsea's debt of 327 million euro's. Liverpool and Manchester United are a combined debt load of over 2.5 billion euros. The entire Primera Liga is in the red. And attendance is Seria A is in steep decline due to loutish supporters and dilapidated infrastructure. Since football clubs can no longer turn a profit, new investors cannot be found. In a year's time clubs like Valencia and Lazio may cease to exist.
Transfer fees (what did Chelsea pay for Mikel) and salaries are out of whack and yet big clubs continue to spend like retarded billionaires. Since they are the King's team and have access to Spain Treasury, Real Madrid is preparing to spend 160 million euros for Frank Ribery and Wayne Rooney - yet Spain has Western Europe's worst unemployment. Manchester United want Sebastien Frey to replace EVDS for next season - Fiorentina (who has already gone through bankruptcy) will drive a brutally hard bargain.
The irony all this is that the owner who started this madness, Silvio Berlusconi, may actually be in a position to benefit. He's been quite frugal with his spending recently, consequently his club financial ledger is beginning to look healthy. AC Milan will inevitably lose to ManU in the CL but they will get the last laugh. It is almost a lock that Nemanja Vidic will be wearing red and black next season.
A perfect financial storm is about to overwhelm professional football, consider the evidence. Roman Abramovich has just under-written Chelsea's debt of 327 million euro's. Liverpool and Manchester United are a combined debt load of over 2.5 billion euros. The entire Primera Liga is in the red. And attendance is Seria A is in steep decline due to loutish supporters and dilapidated infrastructure. Since football clubs can no longer turn a profit, new investors cannot be found. In a year's time clubs like Valencia and Lazio may cease to exist.
Transfer fees (what did Chelsea pay for Mikel) and salaries are out of whack and yet big clubs continue to spend like retarded billionaires. Since they are the King's team and have access to Spain Treasury, Real Madrid is preparing to spend 160 million euros for Frank Ribery and Wayne Rooney - yet Spain has Western Europe's worst unemployment. Manchester United want Sebastien Frey to replace EVDS for next season - Fiorentina (who has already gone through bankruptcy) will drive a brutally hard bargain.
The irony all this is that the owner who started this madness, Silvio Berlusconi, may actually be in a position to benefit. He's been quite frugal with his spending recently, consequently his club financial ledger is beginning to look healthy. AC Milan will inevitably lose to ManU in the CL but they will get the last laugh. It is almost a lock that Nemanja Vidic will be wearing red and black next season.