So the debtors final has fuelled UEFA‘s fires to eradicate debt financing at football clubs.
The issue was aired in Manchester at a meeting of UEFA’s Professional Football Strategy Council, a body bringing together clubs, leagues, federations and players.
The plan is that only clubs with balanced books will be licensed to play in the European competitions which could mean that Abramovich writes off £575m and the Glazers repay the American banks. Whether Arsenal’s stadium debt enters the picture is a matter of conjecture – but the spirit of the move is to stop debt funding of players and because Arsenal virtually balance the books on the playing staff side, then there would be strong legal arguments in their favour, particulary as the Emirates Stadium serves the community and not owners in distant lands.
The move will be challenged in the courts, of course, with the best commercial lawyers, including what to do with holding company and trust payments from outside the club. And there will never be a totally level playing field. But UEFA is an organisation, with entry requirements, with backing from European politcians who have the power to legislate and with that leverage will try and even out the imbalances, as best it can.
UEFA president Platini says he will work alongside the European politicians: ”We will need laws, regular laws, to become transparent and honest. But you can be sure we have the courage to see this through. Licensing will come and, when it does, no longer will clubs be able to win through debt. No doubt we will give them two or three years to get their affairs in order – we cannot just cut off their heads, because football has lived without rules and laws for a long time and they must be allowed to adjust – but licensing will come and maybe, when the politicians can see we have clear and clean competition, they won’t come knocking on our door every day.”
In an accompanying report, Platini, said: “It is important to preserve the integrity and balance to ensure that everyone is subjected fairly to the same rules. There should be no question, for example, of allowing a club to get into debt just to transfer in the best players, or… of allowing it to neglect its organisation.”
It would mean a limit to the amount of money any club can borrow – either from the market or a sugar daddy.
UEFA believes leading clubs’ willingness to assume debt in its many forms is distorting competitiveness. Having failed in its attempts to introduce salary caps and any form of ‘home grown’ rule (both defeated by EU law), in its club licensing initiative, it believes it has found the ideal way to level football’s financial playing field.
Platini adds: “The problem occurs when the clubs who run up huge debts always win – and that we must stop. Some clubs, and some leagues, have asked us to. We are preparing a plan that will encourage clubs to reduce their debts and give us clear, clean competition.”
Now England wants Arsenal personnel
The last thing Arsene Wenger wanted with an already heavy workload, but we hear that England want the Arsenal club doctor and physio Gary Lewin, full time.
According to the Independent, the favourite for the job is Arsenal’s club doctor Ian Beasley with Gary Lewin, the Gunners’ long-serving head physiotherapist, also weighing up whether to take a full-time post with England.
Hleb
Hleb’s agent, Uli Ferber says: “For any player in the world it is always a great honour that a club like Real Madrid is interested in him. This confirms the good work that Hleb has been doing in these last few years that he is being recognised by one of the greatest clubs in the world. Nobody should have any doubts that the interest from Madrid is a privilege for the player.”
With Flamini gone and doubts over Hleb and Adebyaor, it does drive a coach and horses through Wenger’s philosophy of building up a team spirit, trying to keep everyone together and with an emphasis on youth. Maybe it will work better, when licensing comes in and there’ll be a far less inflationary market.
Hleb’ s current last act in an Arsenal shirt was to whack a Reading full back and get himself three games off. If reports are to be believed, he isn’t trying for a buy out clause, because he wants Arsenal to get a fee.
However, when you compare his farewell to that of Patrick Vieira’s exit – a winning penalty that won a cup, the last trophy before Hleb’s arrival, enough said.
Nasri, and Ben Arfa
Talking about wage inflation, on Thursday the London press reported that ‘Samir Nasri arrives in London today for his medical ahead of signing a £12m, four-year deal with Arsenal’.
They also said Clement Chantome, another midfielder with Paris Saint Germain who put in a heavy workload and some tasty tackles in the French Cup Final, is understood to have already met Arsene Wenger while Laval teenager Francis Coquelin is also close to a contract.
But then the wires reported Jean-Pierre Bernes, Nasri’s agent saying: “It is true, we are looking at an offer from Arsenal which interests Samir from a sporting point of view. But other offers have also come through to me. Outside of England, there are those from Spain and even Italy. He must not dismiss any offer.”
Subsequently reports in the Mirror and Telegraph said he’s signed, with Wenger saying it is likely – and could be presentedin the next few days, after the French international training camp.
And Ben Arfa could go to Marseilles as a replacement for Nasri. Lyon chairman Jean Michel Aulas said: “I am not opposed to Hatem’s transfer to Marseille. My idea is very clear: I will prefer my player to join a French club than a foreign club. However, I have not been contacted by Marseille yet. There is also interest from two English clubs, notably Arsenal.” Arfa looked peeved on the touchline in the French Cup Final and looked like he’ll leave Lyon.
One paper mischevously suggested Nasri and Ben Arfa could do a swap, which would leave Arsenal empty handed. Unless of course they’ll both be revealed at an Emirates press conference next week.
Adams looks to stay at Portsmouth
Seems like stories of Tony Adams coming to Arsenal, in the short term at least, are wide of the mark. “I’ve done two great years down here and it’s been brilliant. We’ll talk about the future but I’ve got no other offers whatsoever. Now there is the Uefa Cup to think about. I’ve never been a No.2 in that competition and that’s another dimension. If they offered me a position as No.2 again I think I would definitely consider it.
‘If I want to go to Arsenal in five or ten years’ time, if I ever wanted to be manager of Manchester United, if I ever wanted to be England manager, I want to get that experience where you are taking a team to play another team in another country.”
Jibril
Arsenal are reported to be ready to hand a trial to Ghanaian midfielder Tawrick Jibril, 16, who will join up with them in July in a bid to seal a permanent move from Hearts of Oak (Express/Star).