Financial Unfair Play (Fup)

[VinjayV4]

Decided its about time we have a thread on this. If one already exists this title is more appropriate. This way I won't need to get my point across by putting FUP in big bold capitals on other threads LOL. So any FUP news or general opinions (about any team as well as Rovers) should be posted here! I'm not going to keep dragging this thread up (as with takeover threads in the past) so its up to others as well to keep it active!

Lets start with Guus Hiddink commenting on Chelsea's FUP problems ahead of next season.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/feb/12/guus-hiddink-chelsea-newcastle-united-premier-league

Also Cardiff to publish their financial accounts on Monday following Tan's recent debt waiver.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cardiff-city-publish-financial-accounts-10885330

Edited February 13, 2016 by VinjayV4

[VinjayV4]

No wonder the Chinese clubs are investing so much seems obvious they have taken advantage of UEFA's moronic rules. Galatasaray recently had to sell their top scoring striker to Bejiing to stay within FUP regulations.

http://www.todayszaman.com/sports_canaries-lions-gear-up-for-europa-but-are-they-ready_412108.html

Edited February 14, 2016 by VinjayV4

[BlueMonday]

Vinja, do you ever sleep?. You regularly post in the early hours of the morning. Do work night shift?

[blondie]

Vinja, do you ever sleep?. You regularly post in the early hours of the morning. Do work night shift?

A Troll, perhaps?

[Stuart]

Vinja, do you ever sleep?. You regularly post in the early hours of the morning. Do work night shift?

Vinbot.

[VinjayV4]

Vinja, do you ever sleep?.

Don't sleep well at all. Anyway to quote the late Mike Dickin "my health is not in question".

So back to FUP if you don't mind!

[VinjayV4]

Suspended Uefa president Michel Platini arrived at his appeal hearing on Monday saying that he is fighting not for his future but "against injustice".

Even if it does turn out to be an "injustice" at least he will know how we feel. Oh wait I forgot he's a sociopath so he won't.

More on whether the spending from Chinese clubs will put FUP under even more pressure.

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/david-owen/18856-david-owen-will-chinese-transfer-splurge-be-the-death-of-ffp-in-europe

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Pretty undecided on...FFP (*ducks*) myself.

On the one hand I can totally understand the primary reason it was brought in. To stop irresponsible owners/boards from spending money they don't have and subsequently ruining clubs.

On the other hand, I feel as though it spells disaster for football long-term at the highest level. By basically removing the ability of owners to do a Jack Walker/Ibramovich/Sheikh Mansour, there'll be no future way to shake up the established order. Man Utd have by far the most fans, so can generate the most revenue, so can buy the most success, so get even more fans and so on. Same in Spain with Barca/Madrid and Germany with Bayern. I mean imagine the PL in the last 15 years if Chelsea/City had never had takeovers. Man Utd win it every season, Arsenal finish 2nd every season, and on and on into the future.

The rule should be different, if owners/clubs don't have the money then they can't spend it, if they do then they can.

[roverandout]

When the hell are Chinese clubs going to be pulled up on this ridiculous shopping spree spending by FIFA? Its pathetic

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

When the hell are Chinese clubs going to be pulled up on this ridiculous shopping spree spending by FIFA? Its pathetic

Why should they be? There's no difference between China luring the world's best players over there with money and European clubs luring South America's best players over here with money. English clubs in particular have dominated global spending in the last 15 years. It says something when clubs like Newcastle and Everton can outbid the likes of Inter Milan and Athletico Madrid for players.

We've enjoyed global financial supremacy in football for a while now in this country, just as we enjoy it in rugby. But there's been a new kid on the block in cricket in the form of India and the IPL, and now China is getting into football. Fair play to them in my opinion, at the end of the day tv/sponsorship revenue is driven by fan interest. There's clearly a growing passion for football in China and if enough punters over there are prepared to pay good money then why shouldn't they get to watch the best.

[Lancaster Rover]

China will just tell FIFA to go and whistle if they start trying to impose sanctions

[roversoutsider]

I don't think FIFA will have any power over them. What do you expect them to do? And, wasn't the FFP an initiative of the UEFA?

A lot of people think this is bad for Football, but frankly I think this is the start of something exciting for the game in itself. The PL big boys and their Champions League chums will sit up and start taking notice once their starlets start getting prized away and this would make for an even greater level playing field. They will in turn pressurize UEFA to scrap the FFP.

Football, in general, has been commercialised to the extreme in the last two decades or so. And this in turn has created a ripple effect. What does it tell you when players like Iturbe and Inler who played for clubs which play regularly in the CL, sit on the bench at Bournemouth and Watford? What does it tell you when a non league club's chairman(forget the name) went on record to say he'd rather get Manu away in the FA cup rather than any number of plumb fixtures which might have given his team chance to win? The game is all about money these days, and that is particularly true in the case of the PL. Yes you get to watch the best footballers of the world in your backyard but when your national team hasn't won anything for yonks, there's something seriously wrong. Why is it that even second division clubs in Germany and Spain consistently produce top talent be it from the Academy or through scouting? The PL teams are all too lazy to even setup a decent scouting network. Need a player? Let's go buy a player from overseas! They never look to promote their youth or look to recruit from the lower leagues.

The PL is way too money-driven and is run like a business. The owners all treat it like a business and the clubs they own are mere cashcows to them. On the other hand, clubs in Germany, with their fan-based ownership models invest heavily on grassroots and are more concerned about creating footballers than making money. Yes the league might not be the greatest and the football on offer might be "slow" but time and again those clubs comfortably beat English clubs and their fancy fast-paced football.

I predict this might be start of the shift in power towards emerging markets like India, China and the US. England cannot sustain its top league without backing from its foreign owners and these same owners won't think twice to now go own a club in China considering the potential for revenue is enormous given their population. Those countries on the other hand, have significant financial power to invest in Football.

And, if ever there was any doubt that Footballers care about money and money alone, this mass exodus to China should put that to rest. Players like Teixeira and Lavezzi consistently play in the CL and have promising careers ahead of them, but they still chose to move to a footballing backwater where they can't even access Facebook and Instagram! They will literally be isolated from the rest of the footballing world and good luck getting selected for the national team.

[BlueMonday]

When the European big boys start missing out on marquee signings they will start throwing their toys out of the pram.

https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/reports-ezequiel-lavezzis-move-to-china-has-made-him-the-highest-paid-player-in-history/

Not a marquee signing at 30, but you can imagine if Messi, Naymar and the likes started getting lured away there will be trouble.

There's one thing for sure, China might be able to offer top wages, but they have not got the football prestige.

Edited February 17, 2016 by BlueMonday

[VinjayV4]

Platini should find out later this week whether his suspension will stand. So will Blatter (and people can say what they like about him) but as long as Platini gets suspended I don't really care what happens to Blatter.

Unfortunately the FA appear to be backing this piece of garbage for the FIFA presidency. That's not mentioned in this particular article more his FUP views.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/596/exclusive/2014/12/30/7513542/uefa-doesnt-want-a-level-playing-field-infantino

Edited February 17, 2016 by VinjayV4

[roverandout]

Its wrong because china is trying to lure these players with no infrastructure in place with the league, the owners are paying these silly wages and over priced fees like a kid in a toyshop, its like trying to build a mansion on quicksand. when these owners get bored then Chinese football will be in bigger financial turmoil than the rest of the world put together, the premiership can sustain it as it has solid foundations and passion for football, I for one hope it goes tits up for the Chinese super league

[BlueMonday]

We are in danger of a Chinese Takeaway if the major players are wanton away for more money. Modern players are nothing but money grabbing lychees at the best of times, but the money on offer is prawn crackers and It certainly leaves a sweet & sour taste in the mouth.

[roverandout]

It's all Wong

[VinjayV4]

It's all Wong

Ka-Ching!

[roverandout]

I will cost Chinese clubs a fortune (cookie)

[yoda]

Platini should find out later this week whether his suspension will stand. So will Blatter (and people can say what they like about him) but as long as Platini gets suspended I don't really care what happens to Blatter.

Unfortunately the FA appear to be backing this piece of garbage for the FIFA presidency. That's not mentioned in this particular article more his FUP views.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/596/exclusive/2014/12/30/7513542/uefa-doesnt-want-a-level-playing-field-infantino

No they are not backing him

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35593444

[bluebruce]

I will cost Chinese clubs a fortune (cookie)

You're not very good then if that's all you sell for with all this money flying about.

[Baz]

FFP should only be limited to say that a clubs owners can invest what they want into a club, as long as it is cash, not loans, or debts, including leveraged buyouts, with a secondary rule that any players wages that would put a club above a 100% wage to turnover % should also be funded directly by the owners.

After that, if someone is stupid enough to want to sign James Milner and pay him 1/2 a million a month, that's their own problem.

[VinjayV4]

FFP should only be limited to say that a clubs owners can invest what they want into a club, as long as it is cash, not loans, or debts, including leveraged buyouts, with a secondary rule that any players wages that would put a club above a 100% wage to turnover % should also be funded directly by the owners.

After that, if someone is stupid enough to want to sign James Milner and pay him 1/2 a million a month, that's their own problem.

Well at least anyone who signs Milner will get effort and versatility. I could argue Liverpool would have been stupid not to sign him.

Shame people like Sheikh Mansour and Abramovich haven't teamed up and assembled a dream team of lawyers to crush FUP once and for all. I won't be happy until its gone completely simply "relaxing" it isn't good enough. Perhaps the likes of Villa fans can stage a protest outside UEFA HQ as well since FUP is a major reason nobodies bought them in the first place.

Edited February 19, 2016 by VinjayV4

[Stuart]

FFP should only be limited to say that a clubs owners can invest what they want into a club, as long as it is cash, not loans, or debts, including leveraged buyouts, with a secondary rule that any players wages that would put a club above a 100% wage to turnover % should also be funded directly by the owners.

After that, if someone is stupid enough to want to sign James Milner and pay him 1/2 a million a month, that's their own problem.

Agreed. It appears that FUP rules are tackling annual club losses rather than overall debt. Probably to avoid upsetting Manchester United. I expect that leveraged buy-outs are perfectly legal so it would be difficult to outlaw.

I certainly agree that if a rich owner wants to pump his own money into a club, and not issue loans or mortgage any player contracts against future income then they should be allowed to. It's every football fan's dream that a Jack Walker rocks up - probably why everyone hates us.

[VinjayV4]

Some thoughts here from Charlton's unpopular owner...

http://www.southlondon-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=116220&headline=Exclusive:%20Charlton%20owner%20Roland%20Duchatelet%20-%20Financial%20Fair%20Play%20spending%20change%20is%20a%20disaster&sectionIs=sport&searchyear=2016