As for FFP, I think the Austrian would be, were it a policy question, rather than the rule of a pseudo-private institution, opposed to it. FFP is a clear barrier to competition. It’s largely going to cement the current top teams at the expense of those trying to rise to the top. Sure, it will reduce the number of clubs taking on crazy loans to finance pushes for European football, but the current top clubs will now have much less competition for players, monetarily. As for nouveau-riche clubs like Machester City or Chelsea[, who I might remind you were actually a fairly good club(, unlike, say, City), just in need of a more sane owner than Ken Bates, before Roman bought the club], the Austrian perspective would see them as upstarts challenging the established order. [It's also not as if the "old guard" got to where they were without a decently wealthy owner at some point, anyway.] It’s also not as if they keep spending and spending either, most “sugar daddies” tend to offer a short-term burst of cash, spent on players and infrastructure, then spend less and less until the club is self-sufficient. Right now, for instance, Chelsea is surprisingly close to being self-reliant, and it’s mainly the much lower stadium revenues compared to other top clubs which is keeping them from being able to live without Roman, and they’re working on getting a new stadium.

My point may have been a little lost there in my defence of my club, but basically, I think the Austrian position would be that FFP is largely curtailing competition by preventing clubs from acquiring the capital necessary to compete successfully.

Estamos melhorando? Estamos… mas porque nossos políticos seguem se involvendo com assuntos que não deveriam ser seus? (A Italia não serve de modelo para nada nem ninguém). O Itaquera será o estádio da Copa porque o Lula é corinthiano e o R. Teixeira, brigado com o SPFC. O Neymar fica porque a Dilma facilitou um empréstimo. Confesso que fiquei muito, muito feliz com a permanencia dele, mas não deveria ter sido desse modo.

Santos is nowadays one of the 5 best football teams in the world, and anyone would be surprise if they beat Barcelona at the World Championship. And even tough european sport – and football – is better organizated than brazilian’s, the level is not superior. In Spain, for example, any team would be easily beaten by Santos (or Vasco da Gama, or Peñarol) except for Madrid and Barça. The same in Italy, but with Milan and Inter. And yet the same in England, except for Manchester City and United and Chelsea. And these are the best one’s… french, portuguese, dutch and ever german leagues/teams can’t face the brazilian league. It may not be the richest, neither the most beatiful, but is, for sure, the most competitive in the world. 4 rounds to the end, the 8 first ones has 4 poins amongs them… where else can this happen?

So, i just think Europe should pay more attention to South America’s football – not just the players you want to buy, but also the teams and the leagues.

–
An aside:
Are you routinely involved in sports personally? Do you play? Or is it the fan mags and the TV and pub gossip for you?

Interesting to hear more.

Sione

Sione

Sorry abouy my spelling im texting from my mobile
and made a phew mistakes.

And, I don’t know what weight FIFA gives to the Brazilian league — I didn’t know that FIFA issued coefficients (I can’t find them, either). I know that some Brazilian teams are ranked highly by other ranking systems, but if you look at the top 25 in most rankings the teams are overwhelmingly European, with the rest being South American (Argentine or Brazilian)… but with this “rest” being in the majority.

Brazil sucks so bad that, this post, where I especifically refer to her being a huge cunt is actually a crime in Brazil*

* it’s a form of lèse majesté which applies to all public employees

Edit: Dilma is a cunt

Real Madrid?
Associated with General Franco; heavily in debt with connected Spanish banks underwriting their massive deficits.
Like Real MAdrid = Fascism

Barcelona?
Catalan, rebellious, club is owned by fans but still a heavily in-debt club.
Like Barcelona = Anarchism

Without loans from banks, you think Real Madrid and Barcelona will survive in a Laisezz Faire Capitalist World, living within their means?

Or Real madrid and Barcelona survive with massive “stae-injected funds” like a Corporatist State via all those Spanish banks giving them generous borrowing facilities?