Is the problem specific to Premier League? Aside from PSG, are there many continental clubs with atrocious owners and their despicable notions?
1 Like
Ask Dutch
1 Like
I think there are two different forces in play. The obvious one is the outside dirty money skewing the game, but city are also the best example of the other force - turning local institutions into an arm of a global corporation. The city model is 10+ clubs in a global enterprise is an extreme example, but this is where the game appears to going the more VC types with corporate management experience come into the game. That turns football clubs, historic local institutions in many cases, as the same of brand to manage the way a Pepsi CEO might think about Quaker Oats…just a brand that can be sacrificed for the good of the corporation if needed. I think this more that the Abramovic style (possibly illegally funded) passion projects are the bigger threat to the integrity and authenticity of football
3 Likes
Taking only football matters into account, do MCFC benefit directly from the success and expansion of CFG around the world? I have been trying to think of any. The main benefit I see is that for all the domestic success they have in each country that they have a presence in, they are expanding the MCFC brand by association. Is there anything else?
By the way Boehly said they are looking to buy a Club in Portugal or Belgium to loan their players to in the near future.
I think this is a pretty good piece
2 Likes
…at the top level, try local footy…love it.
1 Like
yeah but its terrible in a beautiful kind of way
its touchable…quantifable…they arent perfect robots…
2 Likes
Scouting and preferential transfer dealings.
Classic expamle would be Aaron Mooy. Was playing at West Sydney Wanderers, got released and was picked up by Melbourne City, then had a free transfer to Man City a couple of years later, then signed for Huddersfield for £10M.
This was allowed as A-League doesn’t allow standard football transfers, but insist no cash changes hands, it is merely the transfer of the players’ registration. So by owning both Melbourne City and Man City, they were able to pick up one of the top talents in Aus for free and then flipped him and made £10M in the proccess.
If they follow a similar proccess with all of the other clubs, they suddenly are able to snap up any hot talent in any area, and through their network of clubs move them to anywhere they think they can get the best money from the player
5 Likes
Thanks. I do recall Chelsea blatantly using other part-owned clubs for shady transfer and loan deals, but wasn’t sure how often it happened with City.
Chelsea are perfectly horrible
1 Like
So the football version money laundering then.
1 Like
or human trafficking, or slave trade…
1 Like
It depends what you’re measuring it against. I quite often take Mrs CDO and some of our Grandkids to Tranmere.
Are they terrible?
Yes, but for a little bit above the price of a ticket at Anfield 2,3 or 4 of us get to watch a game and cheer our local team on.
Back at the beginning of the 89/90 season I made a deal with CDO Jnr. He’s a Bluenose. He wasn’t coming to Anfield with me and I was fecked if I was taking him to Woodison. We compromised and both went along to Tranmere. We went regularly to home games, he loved it. At that level in those days the players would come over while warming up and sign programmes, shirts, posters or anything you put in front of them.
We followed them for several seasons and went to Wembley 4 or 5 times in play offs and smaller cup finals.
By chance in 1997 on FA Cup 3rd round weekend with Rovers out of the competition we were scratching round for a game to watch. We were in our way to Crewe to watch them play Halifax when I spotted the Poulton Victoria team bus ( a VERY lower league local team. We changed route and followed the coach.
When we pulled into the car park my Nephew got off the coach. He was playing for the Vics.
Long story short we started following Bics. That season they reached Wembley in the Carlsberg Pub and Club Final. They beat Corby Caledonia 3-1.
It was near enough 20 years after my first trip to Wembley with that very same Nephew.
It still remains my ever favourite trip to Wembley. I was at the FA Cup Final last year and can safely say that even if we were to win the Champs League there to complete a quadruple that day in 97 would still be my favourite. 
11 Likes
2 Likes
That lad should call Overmars and see if he can get him a job with Antwerp
Agreed such swift action should be applauded.
4 Likes
Does this beat Jen Chang for days in post before committing career suicide?
Beats the dog shit out of it.
1 Like