Really that is rich from a Chelsea fan. made me laugh. When you consider how much your owner has spent.
Tbf, this whole Champions League drop down thing is complete and utter ****, designed to draw bigger viewing figures as disgruntled fans begrudgingly watch their disgraced teams compete in a lesser competition.
Not only is that really crappy for the teams that have actually worked their ***** off to be there, it also makes the whole competition a farce. It's meant to be the tournament where you see the less appreciated teams in Europe, the Napolis, the Bilbaos, the Lverkusens and the Gladbachs duke it out. These are clubs that are still exciting, still worth watching, but most of them lack the insane squads/consistency needed to make the CL. In my mind atleast, it's the real cup competition, even if there is a ****** group stage that shouldn't be there. The competition would be eminently enjoyable if it was all 2 headed elimination games, but that would make less revenue for the TV companies and so Platini will continue to snivel and smirk in his European palace.
I just remembered why I don't ever talk about this stuff: it's because money really is ruining football. Not in the sense of teams having too much money, although that is a problem that needs to be curtailed before it can become too ridiculous, but in the sense that everyone at the top of the game is prioritising profitability over entertainment. For me, football is an everyday part of life, like water and trains. I chose those two examples because they're both things that have gone to **** because of greed. Football is meant to be like them- something for the people- but people will **** you over continuously just to make more money. It's the same with the press, the banks pretty much everything. Pretty much everything in your life is used as a way to generate even more money for some shity, smug ******, with his oxford blue shirt and his **** eating grin, even football. If our tickets were a reasonable price, I would be at the Bridge every game. I don't care that I'm ridiculously tired after work, I would be there. I care about the club, but I can't afford to go regularly. I remember the look of sheer disdain myself and a few other fans got in the FA cup final vs Everton a few years back when we sung Celery. They were all there by invitation, or as part of business. The woman next to me didn't know who Lampard was. And yet, they were all given tickets because they were important. Why are they important? Because they pump money into the game, or they work for someone who does. It doesn't matter that they have no passion. It doesn't matter that they are entirely indifferent to what's going on in front of them. It doesn't matter that that game, a highlight in every fan's calendar, was reduced to a networking meeting, with a bothersome 2 hour interval in the middle. All that matters is money. The Europa is the perfect example of this: it could easily be as thrilling, if not more thrilling, as the CL but because that model isn't as profitable, a vastly inferior one is adopted instead.
I just remembered why I don't ever talk about this stuff: it's because money really is ruining football. Not in the sense of teams having too much money, although that is a problem that needs to be curtailed before it can become too ridiculous
Running football like a business, where profit comes first everytime, is very different from sinking **** loads of money into the club. If anything, it's pretty much the opposite.
Thanks for taking the time to actually read my post properly before seeing the phrase "money is ruining football" and going: 'but youre a chelsea fan lolololol" though.
Chelsea fans can say that now though... as they have been owned by a billionaire for years and years and it has won them many trophies.
Do you think fans from a club who doesn't have the money Chelsea do, for example Everton would not want to be taken over by some billionaire to get them like Chelsea are? I bet they would.
I get the basic point but fans want success over business and I can see why NOW Chelsea fans would want it as they have already benefited off a rich owner.
But football clubs these days need to be run as businesses. Or you get the opposite: pure unsustainable entertainment before going bust (see Leeds/Portsmouth i could go on).
What is needed is a balance. Money isn't ruining football. Those who dictate how the money is used are.
Chelsea fans can say that now though... as they have been owned by a billionaire for years and years and it has won them many trophies.
Do you think fans from a club who doesn't have the money Chelsea do, for example Everton would not want to be taken over by some billionaire to get them like Chelsea are? I bet they would.
I get the basic point but fans want success over business and I can see why NOW Chelsea fans would want it as they have already benefited off a rich owner.
This doesn't make sense at all. There wasnt a choice for Chelsea. It was Roman or Administration. And that doesnt stop fans wanting sustainable spending. There are lots of fans who actually with he didnt constant throw money, and that he took a more long term approach.
How doesn't it make sense?
I find it rich how Chelsea fans want rules to make clubs sustainable NOW when they have already had all the pumping of money from a rich owner.
Its gets treated like one because UEFA itself treats it like one. Cut the group stage and replace it with a couple more knocks out ( so you can have even more euro teams), ramp up the prize money, play it on alternate tuesdays and wedensdays to the CL, kick out the CL drop outs and give the winner a CL place.
How doesn't it make sense?
I find it rich how Chelsea fans want rules to make clubs sustainable NOW when they have already had all the pumping of money from a rich owner.
I know some fans actually would want a long-term approach, but lets be realistic here and say if a club who didn't have the money to compete at the top suddenly got took over and pumped with millions to let them, most fans would be in dream land. Everton was probably not the best example as they are doing pretty well without all the money, but if you go to a lower league team like Coventry City, it becomes more relevant.
The basic point is Chelsea fans can say this now because they have benfitted off success from money and now they need some kind of sustainability anyway incase Roman did ever decide to leave.
Clubs like Arsenal are running themselves on a model which is all about taking money out of the club, regardless of the effect on the team.
Wrong. Money doesn't leave Arsenal, or at least hasn't yet left. ( Except some fee's which are paid to board members ) We wouldn't have over 100m cash balance with almost 20m debt repayment every year if owners would take dividents of profits we make. Money just sits on accounts unused which is also pretty stupid.
Wrong. Money doesn't leave Arsenal, or at least hasn't yet left. ( Except some fee's which are paid to board members ) We wouldn't have over 100m cash balance with almost 20m debt repayment every year if owners would take dividents of profits we make. Money just sits on accounts unused which is also pretty stupid.
Because you are somehow trying write off Chelsea fans. You do realise by your incorrect logic, that they would want to OPPOSE any such sensibilities.
Its not rich at all, you are just twisting it to have a pop at Chelsea.
They wanted sustainability BEFORE he even showed up!
Well I disagree there, are you telling me Chelsea fans wouldn't take the current situation and the success of the last decade.
That's still nothing to do with what I was talking about. I think that's what Mike means by taking a pop at Chelsea fans: you took my point and twisted it into something that could be attacked for being hypocritical.
You were on about sustainability for clubs, the structure and how it is all for money.
Did you hear the spurs fans chanting at last nights game?
"Champions of europe, you're not anymore"
Money just sits on accounts unused which is also pretty stupid.