@jarkko: More likely to be the USA ..... (no doubt after a short holiday to recharge the batteries, play a little golf etc).
As far as club statements go, then this one from Newcastle has got be up there...
“Newcastle United is kindly asking supporters to refrain from wearing traditional Arabic clothing or Middle East-inspired head coverings at matches if they would not ordinarily wear such attire.”
Though not sure if that covers those fans who regularly attend matches in Arab fancy dress - still, the optics of the players taking the knee while half the crowd are dressed like Arabs could be tricky to explain...
As to if Financial Fair Play actually keeps it a level playing field is something that appears to be edging into the grey murky world of accountancy and lucrative sponsorship deals. No wonder Steve Gibson is keen for the EFL to enforce their rules - without them Boro would struggle to compete even in the Championship let alone the billionaire's playground that the PL has become!
I understand you concerns. In Germany and in Spain (?) I think the clubs must be owned by members - e.g. supporters - in some form.
Haven't Financial Fair Play rules worked better over those countries as shown by the sale of Messi to the Arabs in Paris? Of course France have similar issues to the Premier League that money rules. PSG have won the league for ages now.
We all love Steve Gibson. Up the Boro!
FFP certainly does not appear to have worked in Spain Jarkko as both Barcelona and Real Madrid have enormous debts and Barcelona were forced to let Messi go as they could not afford to pay his wages and would have preferred he stayed and played for nothing. The Super League continues to bubble away as it is the only way in which the two Spanish clubs can address their debt problems. 😎
Messi had actually agreed a huge (50%?) pay cut to stay at Barcelona but the Spanish FA wouldn't allow it as their wage bill still broke the rules. So there are some sort of financial restrictions on Spanish clubs but as you say, it hasn't worked very well.
Messi had actually agreed a huge (50%?) pay cut to stay at Barcelona but the Spanish FA wouldn't allow it as their wage bill still broke the rules. So there are some sort of financial restrictions on Spanish clubs but as you say, it hasn't worked very well.
Yes Andy, a huge pay cut it may have been, but he would still have been paid more ($85m a year) than the entire MFC work force and as as for the crocodile tears as he was oh so reluctantly forced to have to leave...
Had he really loved the club so much, he could have played for them as an amateur and taken no wages at all. The wealth he has already, let alone what would be ongoing sponsorship and other commercial deals that no doubt exist, he certainly didn't need any wages from Barcelona.
I am not saying he was greedy, nor that he doesn't have the right to expect to be paid for practising his profession, but he did make a bit of a show about it and just because you are entitled to be paid a fair(?) wage for a fair day's work, doesn't mean to say you can't offer to work for free if you can afford to do so. I would like to think that when I win the Euromillions lottery I will offer my services as a volunteer to organisations that are close to my heart for one reason or another.
I seem to recall he did in fact offer to take an even greater pay cut but that wasn’t permitted either.
There were some rules about the scale of pay cut that’s allowed - I think the maximum is 50%. Not sure why, maybe there’s a concern that players could end up being paid illegally by other means to mask a club’s true spending.
btw Messi deserves to be paid ten times the whole Boro squad!
Interesting to note that for the Boro v Derby game on Saturday the FA have appointed a Premiership referee to officiate the game. Mike Dean will be taking charge and I hope all authorities are also prepared for a potentially tense occasion.
OFB
Derby have sold out their away allocation although it is only 2100, apparently on Police recommendation. They are also having a live showing at Pride Park. I hope they have asked Mr. Morris's permission.