Re: Random footie
Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:18 am
Indeed Yuppie. Florentino Perez has the audacity to come out today and say he's saving football because these big sides can no longer operate with their current revenue streams; this coming from a man who has broken the world transfer record about 15 times in his years as Real Madrid President. Frankly Senor Perez none of us are stupid enough to buy these claims, and your insinuation in the counter that I am a sort of future fearing luddite who is just attacking change is past the point of insult. If there is anyone to blame for footballing finances becoming out of control, then it was you alone that can be blamed; it wasnt us fans who decided to buy Figo, Beckham, Zidane, Anelka, Ramos, Ronaldo and god knows who else, all at prices that shattered existing records. And then again, with Ronaldo, James, Bale and the like later. We didnt give them ridiculous contracts either. It was you Mr Perez. You alone. You even bragged about it.
This is what is most galling. The quest for money in football leaves no one winning, and its the fans that pay the price. If Real Madrid have revenues of 700 million Euros a year, they spend all of it, regardless. More money has been proven just to expand wage bills and hype transfer fees. The more money clubs have, the more debt they have, its been proven since the millennium. The great win for clubs of the modern agee with hyped tv money was to see transfer fees go from 15 million records to 200 million records in 15 odd years. Wages for the highest players has hyped 30 fold, and the average has skyrocketed.
Barcelona posted record revenues in the last 10 years. In that space of time they also went from debt free, to 1.2 billion in debt. 88% percent of their revenues are player wages. They still owe an apparent 150 million Euros in the immediate short term for players they signed and havent paid for; Malcom, who they bought from Bordeaux for 40 million, are still owed 25 million of it - and yet, Barcelona sold Malcom one year later to Zenit for the same price they paid, and did not pay of the debt, they just bought Pjanic instead. Who they still owe 40 million to Juventus for. If they are in debt and in trouble, then there are immediate things they could do to cut costs. They just choose not to. You cant simultaneously complain there is not enough money, while trying to negotiate a new 200 million contract with your top player. Let him go, and 20% of the debt is cleared. Sell players.
But it doesnt matter does it? Man City recently had a wage bill of 140% of their yearly revenue. I took my Norwegian nephew to watch them as he supports them about 2 years ago; the 500ml bottle of Coke at half time cost me 5 quid. The match ticket was 48 each plus a mysterious booking fee of 5 quid, then a credit card fee of a couple of quid even though there is no other way to pay. The program was a tenner. The inedible filth they sold to eat was another tenner each. The scarf was 30 quid, the bobble hat was the same. He had a jersey thankfully, but that would have been a 100 quid. And if you want to get a player autograph, then rather than sit with your pen hoping someone warming up comes over, you have to buy a match day package. The players arent allowed to give freebies anymore, a signature and a photo is reserved only for those that pay.
That's what extra money brings. The match day experience for fans costs treble of what it was only 15 years ago, all so the price of Sergio Aguero transfer jumps from 40 million euros to 100 million, and his wage can be 300k a week instead of 100k a week. But it is the fans who pay. This money doesnt magically appear.
So when Perez sits there smiling about how much extra cash Real Madrid can earn, what he really means is the ticket price at the gate will go up double. That they will whack another 2 euros on the price of a beer or coke, the match day program will be 13 quid, the jersey will go to 150, and your sky package that already rose up from 15 to 100 quid a month in a decade wont even buy you the top level of football, and will require another ESL sub at 30 quid a month or whatever it is.
Its gone too far. Its a never-ending nuclear arms race at the top. Everyone wants more money to spunk on the best players, paying ever more high wages to attract the talent, and it never stops. ITs reached a spot now where live football at the top is no longer for the working class, these proposals will make it even out of reach of the middle class.
But thye dont care. The matches will be moved to New York, or Beijing, or Dubai. Mancheter United wont play in Manchester anymore.
This is what is most galling. The quest for money in football leaves no one winning, and its the fans that pay the price. If Real Madrid have revenues of 700 million Euros a year, they spend all of it, regardless. More money has been proven just to expand wage bills and hype transfer fees. The more money clubs have, the more debt they have, its been proven since the millennium. The great win for clubs of the modern agee with hyped tv money was to see transfer fees go from 15 million records to 200 million records in 15 odd years. Wages for the highest players has hyped 30 fold, and the average has skyrocketed.
Barcelona posted record revenues in the last 10 years. In that space of time they also went from debt free, to 1.2 billion in debt. 88% percent of their revenues are player wages. They still owe an apparent 150 million Euros in the immediate short term for players they signed and havent paid for; Malcom, who they bought from Bordeaux for 40 million, are still owed 25 million of it - and yet, Barcelona sold Malcom one year later to Zenit for the same price they paid, and did not pay of the debt, they just bought Pjanic instead. Who they still owe 40 million to Juventus for. If they are in debt and in trouble, then there are immediate things they could do to cut costs. They just choose not to. You cant simultaneously complain there is not enough money, while trying to negotiate a new 200 million contract with your top player. Let him go, and 20% of the debt is cleared. Sell players.
But it doesnt matter does it? Man City recently had a wage bill of 140% of their yearly revenue. I took my Norwegian nephew to watch them as he supports them about 2 years ago; the 500ml bottle of Coke at half time cost me 5 quid. The match ticket was 48 each plus a mysterious booking fee of 5 quid, then a credit card fee of a couple of quid even though there is no other way to pay. The program was a tenner. The inedible filth they sold to eat was another tenner each. The scarf was 30 quid, the bobble hat was the same. He had a jersey thankfully, but that would have been a 100 quid. And if you want to get a player autograph, then rather than sit with your pen hoping someone warming up comes over, you have to buy a match day package. The players arent allowed to give freebies anymore, a signature and a photo is reserved only for those that pay.
That's what extra money brings. The match day experience for fans costs treble of what it was only 15 years ago, all so the price of Sergio Aguero transfer jumps from 40 million euros to 100 million, and his wage can be 300k a week instead of 100k a week. But it is the fans who pay. This money doesnt magically appear.
So when Perez sits there smiling about how much extra cash Real Madrid can earn, what he really means is the ticket price at the gate will go up double. That they will whack another 2 euros on the price of a beer or coke, the match day program will be 13 quid, the jersey will go to 150, and your sky package that already rose up from 15 to 100 quid a month in a decade wont even buy you the top level of football, and will require another ESL sub at 30 quid a month or whatever it is.
Its gone too far. Its a never-ending nuclear arms race at the top. Everyone wants more money to spunk on the best players, paying ever more high wages to attract the talent, and it never stops. ITs reached a spot now where live football at the top is no longer for the working class, these proposals will make it even out of reach of the middle class.
But thye dont care. The matches will be moved to New York, or Beijing, or Dubai. Mancheter United wont play in Manchester anymore.