Paz on 31/8/2006 at 12:42
Well, I expect West Ham fans are quite chuffed! Although if this becomes a precedent and they turn into a Chelsea feeder-club, they may eventually be less jovial.
The signings are still unconfirmed at this point, it must be said. Also, although this is obviously dubious as fuck ... does it actually break any rules, yet?
D'Arcy on 31/8/2006 at 14:06
Although morally one can condemn this kind of attitude, I don't think it's that different from buying a young prospect which you have no intention of fielding in the first team, and loaning him out to another club. In this case the only difference is the value of the players in question.
SD on 31/8/2006 at 15:08
D'Arcy, it is a lot different. Clubs in South America and Eastern Europe are at risk of having their identities eroded and being turned into nothing more than farms for Chelsea. Then there's the potential conflict of interest if two of these clubs that Abramovich has an interest in - at the last count: Chelsea, Corinthians, PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow, Porto (and these are just the ones we know about or suspect) - meet in competition.
Deals like this make a mockery of everything we believe in about football.
Paz on 31/8/2006 at 15:37
The South American (and, more recently, African) leagues have been farms for large European clubs for years. They're both football economies based on heavy exports.
Something like 800+ players left Brazilian and Argentinian sides last year to move to other locations. Their whole ethos is bringing through extremely talented young players and then flogging them abroad (this is linked to the slightly dodgy way in which contracts are part-owned by large agency firms, etc, who want a quick profit). Often this means potentially brilliant players move far too soon - though at least with the Tevez and Mascherano deal (if confirmed) they're probably moving at the right time.
I'm not sure how fans of Brazilian/Argentinian clubs view this. I expect they're not thrilled, but (like a lower league fan in England) accept that better players will inevitably be poached by the rich and famous. It's a fact of life at present, but I don't think it's "eroding the identity" of any clubs. Last time I saw any of the Copa Libertadores, the teams and fans involved were as vibrant and full of life (ie; bordering on the dangerously insane) as before.
Actually, Corinthians won't be bothered at all because both players have been in a strop for weeks - and the new manager hates Argentinians. Obviously not getting any kind of fee won't ease their financial problems, but I don't think the club will ultimately see any cash from future transfer deals anyway (due to the aforementioned dubious way that players in South America aren't really "owned" by their clubs).
All of the above is unrelated to Roman Abramovich being a highly dodgy character with fingers in a great many football pies. It occured before he arrived on the scene and it will continue to occur after he leaves, unless the footballing economy dramatically shifts in the mean time. When he eventually gets bored or busted, Chelsea will be left with an impossible wage structure and will rapidly collapse. At which point everyone can have a good laugh and the FA will vow that THIS MUST NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN BY GOD. Just like with Leeds ... oh, hang on.
SD on 31/8/2006 at 16:03
Quote Posted by Paz
The South American (and, more recently, African) leagues have been farms for large European clubs for years.
Club
s. Not
a club.
I know how South American football works, but it works on market principles. What Abramovich is doing is cornering the market in South American talent, something which would be illegal in just about any field of industry you could care to mention.
And imagining for one minute that Abramovich will bail on Chelsea is just wishful thinking. Like all gangsters, he enjoys the cachet that rubbing shoulders with the great and the good gives him. Not to mention the protection his high profile gives him from criminal charges.
Paz on 31/8/2006 at 16:40
Oh right, I thought you were bothered by large European teams exploiting their market position to poach South American talent. But actually you're only bothered if Chelsea get a monopoly on doing that ;)
Which is fair enough, I suppose.
However, it's possible the wrong man is being fingered in all of this (from the WSC boards): According to some guy over at 40%football (who seems very sure), the people who owned Tevez and Mascherano's contracts are actually nothing to do with Abramovich. In fact, it's Berezhoskiy, who is no fan of Roman. And who maybe is about to launch into competition with Abramovich via his own London base?
Intrigue! Excitement!
Congrats to West Ham for making the Premiership seem interesting again for ten minutes or so.
SD on 31/8/2006 at 17:09
Well. Maybe you are right Paz, about West Ham having A.N.Other as their mystery backer, because they've only gone and signed Mascherano and Tevez on permanent deals :wot:
For once I am actually speechless.
D'Arcy on 31/8/2006 at 23:00
Wait a minute... Porto? How come I live in Portugal and never heard any rumour about any connection between Abramovich and Porto? They did some shady deals with Dynamo Moscow, but their president is Fedorychev, whom I don't think has any connections to Abramovich.
D'Juhn Keep on 2/9/2006 at 10:39
Would someone be kind enough to send me the code for the league so I can fortify my position at the foot of the table, please :D
Shevers on 2/9/2006 at 11:10
I can't help but notice that while the site couldn't get up the Gallas/Cole transfers quickly enough, they still haven't bothered to put Petrov up for selection.
I hearby blame my inevitable coming failures on that.
