The Z Machine
Footballguy
Joao Felix loaned to Chelsea for the remainder of the season. This means that a) Puli might be done for the season, and b) Atleti is writing off this season altogether.
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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (4 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ramsay Hunt Experience
- Start date
prefontaine
Footballguy
I think Atletico Madrid has financial problems and has to sell. Yet Atleti somehow finagled an €11m loan fee plus 100% of his wages. That's outrageous and there is no buy option for Chelsea so it's just 11m for a 6-month loan.
They also somehow got Wolves to pay €50m for Cunha, a striker that has 0 goals on the season. Right now, they seem to be masters of the business side of things.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
They also got Griezmann for a relatively low transfer fee after Atleti and Grizzy had Barça backed into a corner.
I kinda wish they sucked more at the financial side and were better on the field.
Lehigh98
Footballguy
Tickets purchased to Arsenal @ Tottenham! Flying in on Saturday crashing at the London Marriott Hotel Kensington then heading up to the game from there on Sunday!
Any advice on things not to miss at the game or in the area in London while I'm there Sat/Sun?
(Heading out to Dartford after the game for meetings through Weds)
The Z Machine
Footballguy
NLD! That's amazing. How'd you get the tickets? How much did you pay? Who are you going with or are you rolling solo?
Lehigh98
Footballguy
Travelling with my boss / company owner who purchased through Stubhub, still not sure if we're paying out of pocket or maybe expensing.
Not sure where exactly but I think he had said lower row of one of the higher sections (500s), maybe in / around a corner. Prices seemed to be around $300+ each.
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CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
A massive Spring/Summer for him. Maybe time for him to bust out the wallet and hire a real agent. Whether he re-ups at Chelsea or moves to a different club, different league, its a huge decision that he's got to get right.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
lol Felix is starting for Chelsea today. This team is in trouble. Needs to get healthy and soon.
McBokonon
Footballguy
Welp, who’s gonna replace Joao while he’s suspended?
prefontaine
Footballguy
Not to worry, Boehly has a few more hundred million to spend this window.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
lmao - deserved red but this team is snakebit this season
The Z Machine
Footballguy
LOL @ red card on your debut. Whoops!
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
He actually looked great right up until getting the red card. Couple times offside but he was constantly in dangerous positions, several good chances.
B Maverick
Footballguy
Wait, am I in the game day thread right now?
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
More like Ciao Felix amirite.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Owww, Felix!
Desert_Power
Footballguy
Needs to find a place where he can develop and get playing time. For whatever reason, it doesn't seem like Chelsea has been that place. Worried it may be more about the player and who is advising him.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I am following a new twitter feed that focuses on great saves in soccer history. I have never seen this one before but my word!!!!!
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Here is a twitter thread for all 11 Puskas Award Nominees. (scroll to see them all in individual posts)
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
A lot of chaff mixed into those 11 -- and a bunch of goals (that I don't remember) that were left off the list.
The Iraqi kid's goal is probably the best of the bunch, but I bet they give it to Richarlson's.
The Iraqi kid's goal is probably the best of the bunch, but I bet they give it to Richarlson's.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I think FIFA would be better served to create a Mia Hamm Award (or whom ever) for women and keep the two separated. It would allow for double the nominees for both men and women and more promotion of the womens game imo.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
I know the latest rage is to pretend there's just one game, but it's a mistake IMO.
The gulf in quality is just so enormous and the highlights, well, highlight that.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
LFC peeps...
Good article in the Athletic on how Liverpool's counter-pressing has fallen off. Matches the eye test that the midfield is just way too easy to pass or dribble through.
Nice viz too -- check out the dropoff from 20/21 and 21/22 to this year.
Elliott is a defensive passenger. Henderson has fallen off the pace. Either Fabinho's form is off or he's aging even faster then Henderson. Thiago's still doing things, but if he's the best defender in the center of the park your team is going to have trouble.
And there's no obvious answers either -- Keita, even if he could stay healthy, is a front foot mid. Curtis Jones isn't that guy. Milner's 37(!). Ox... well, a decade into his career and he still doesn't seem to have a natural home anywhere on the field. Score one for the Tweeters who said all offseason that the midfield just wasn't going to be good enough.
Sacrilege, but Bajcetic reminds me Gerrard when he first moved to midfield from right back -- everywhere all the time and really tough in the tackle. I'd like to see him get more minutes. Maybe in a dual-6 with Fab, and Thiago in front of them.
Good article in the Athletic on how Liverpool's counter-pressing has fallen off. Matches the eye test that the midfield is just way too easy to pass or dribble through.
Nice viz too -- check out the dropoff from 20/21 and 21/22 to this year.
Elliott is a defensive passenger. Henderson has fallen off the pace. Either Fabinho's form is off or he's aging even faster then Henderson. Thiago's still doing things, but if he's the best defender in the center of the park your team is going to have trouble.
And there's no obvious answers either -- Keita, even if he could stay healthy, is a front foot mid. Curtis Jones isn't that guy. Milner's 37(!). Ox... well, a decade into his career and he still doesn't seem to have a natural home anywhere on the field. Score one for the Tweeters who said all offseason that the midfield just wasn't going to be good enough.
Sacrilege, but Bajcetic reminds me Gerrard when he first moved to midfield from right back -- everywhere all the time and really tough in the tackle. I'd like to see him get more minutes. Maybe in a dual-6 with Fab, and Thiago in front of them.
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AAABatteries
Footballguy
Posted this in the game thread but thought it deserved more attention:
Everton board of directors told to not attend todays match. Credible threat has been uncovered. That’s crazy.
Everton board of directors told to not attend todays match. Credible threat has been uncovered. That’s crazy.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Club statement
Everton’s Board of Directors have been instructed not to attend today’s Premier League fixture against Southampton because of a “real and credible threat to their safety and security".
Chairman Bill Kenwright, CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Finance & Strategy Officer Grant Ingles and Non-Executive Director Graeme Sharp have reluctantly accepted the outcome of the safety assessment carried out by security advisors.
The Board members received the instruction following malicious and unacceptably threatening correspondence received by the Club and increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour – including targeted physical aggression - at recent home matches.
A Security & Safety Advisor said: “Following a thorough risk assessment, and in response to tangible threats received by the Club and intelligence we have gathered, the Club’s Board members have been told they must not attend today’s fixture.”
A Club spokesperson added: “This is an unprecedented decision for Everton Football Club – never before has our entire Board of Directors been ordered not to attend a match on safety grounds. It is a profoundly sad day for Everton and Evertonians.”
Everton’s Board of Directors have been instructed not to attend today’s Premier League fixture against Southampton because of a “real and credible threat to their safety and security".
Chairman Bill Kenwright, CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, Chief Finance & Strategy Officer Grant Ingles and Non-Executive Director Graeme Sharp have reluctantly accepted the outcome of the safety assessment carried out by security advisors.
The Board members received the instruction following malicious and unacceptably threatening correspondence received by the Club and increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour – including targeted physical aggression - at recent home matches.
A Security & Safety Advisor said: “Following a thorough risk assessment, and in response to tangible threats received by the Club and intelligence we have gathered, the Club’s Board members have been told they must not attend today’s fixture.”
A Club spokesperson added: “This is an unprecedented decision for Everton Football Club – never before has our entire Board of Directors been ordered not to attend a match on safety grounds. It is a profoundly sad day for Everton and Evertonians.”
Desert_Power
Footballguy
Out of these, I'd give it to Alou Kuol. Both of the WC goals that are there are pretty special, but I feel like Messi's goal vs Argentina belongs on there. The backheel women's goal and the one legged bicycle are honorable mentions.
encaitar
Footballguy
I'm gonna need some of you more informed soccer experts to help me out here. With news of Chelsea buying Mudryk for $100M today, that means they've spent over $400M since Boehly bought the club on transfers. I thought FFP was a thing. How is this possible? Is it just because Roman forgave the debt the club owed, meaning Chelsea had no debt at the beginning of summer to be included in the FFP calculations?
prefontaine
Footballguy
I don't totally understand the rules but I think you amortize the transfer fee across the life of the initial contract which is why you are seeing them sign crazy long contracts (7-years for Mudryk). So the $100m hit is only 1/7th this season.
The problem with this is obvious. They are mortgaging their future because 1/7th will also be taken next year and the next. And, if they don't make UCL, their revenue is going to be way down. They will likely be in a position where they have to sell just to pass regulations if they miss Europe.
On the other hand, there's always money in Roman's banana stand as the loan army can be cashed in to offset. But at the rate Boehly is going, he's going to have to sell a lot next summer and it might look a bit like Barca this past summer with ugliness as players refuse moves because they don't want to take wage cuts.
titusbramble
Footballguy
Not after the oil clubs worked out that they have better lawyers than UEFA it hasn't been
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Mudryk's deal ends up being a lot more reasonable unless Chelsea win the league and Champions League multiple times over the course of the year. Only 62 million is guaranteed. The rest are all in team performance clauses. Still think it's pretty steep for a guy who pretty much has less than a season's worth of senior appearances at 22, but what do I know?
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
I can't speak to the specifics of Chelsea, but FFP seems pretty toothless.
If I'm, say, a sheikh with a sovereign wealth fund and I want to pay you $50MM for the right to have my heir's name on Pep Guardiola's (just to pick a name at random) coffee mug during press conferences, who can say whether that's a fair price or not? I put a very high value on Dictator Jr's succession after all.
Per chat GPT...
There are several ways that teams may circumvent Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. Some of these include:
- Inflating the value of sponsorship deals: Clubs may artificially inflate the value of sponsorship deals with companies that are closely linked to the club or its owners, in order to boost their revenues and meet FFP requirements. [see above]
- Using creative accounting practices: Clubs may use accounting practices that allow them to reduce the amount of money they report as spending, in order to make it appear that they are meeting FFP requirements. [hey, look at that! I own several people on the court that ultimately decides where "creative accounting" ends and "fraud" begins]
- Selling naming rights to stadiums or training facilities: Clubs may sell the naming rights to their stadiums or training facilities in order to bring in additional revenue that can be used to offset spending on players and other expenses. [see above]
- Partnering with other teams: Some teams may form partnerships with other teams, in which they share resources and costs, in order to reduce their overall spending and meet FFP requirements. [i.e. here, eat these costs for me junior partner]
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encaitar
Footballguy
Thanks.
I'm guessing this is idea behind the City Group and the RB structure? Also probably why Clearlake and Chelsea is looking into doing a multi-club model as well?
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
I believe City engages in all four of these practices and was convicted [ETA: of items related to overstating the value of sponsorship values] and theoretically punished, but the Court of Arbitration (CAS) overturned the most serious consequences.
Details are fuzzy though.
[ETA: In July 2021, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned the decision made by UEFA to ban Manchester City from participating in European competitions for two seasons. CAS found that while there were some breaches of financial fair play regulations, they were not significant enough to warrant such a severe punishment. The club was however fined 30 million euros. This decision allowed Manchester City to participate in the UEFA Champions League and other European competitions.]
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
City and PSG were each sanctioned a few years ago for over-market sponsorship deals. I believe in both cases the penalties were severely reduced on appeal to CAS.
These types of deals are pretty commonly contested and reviewed in tax situations - primarily international transfer pricing situations - where its just a battle of beancounters opinions as to what the FMV price should be. But there will always be some wiggle room so if they price insider deals close enough to the top of the market its hard to get it to hold up when the clubs are willing to spend whatever it takes on appeal. I don't think FFP is completely "toothless" as is commonly claimed. It has worked in its essentially goal of preventing or limiting football club insolvencies. One of the problems is the optics are bad because so many people think the goal of FFP was to curb spending - like an American-style salary cap - but that was never really the goal.
Desert_Power
Footballguy
Xavi gets his first Barcelona title as a coach in a Supercopa Clasico.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Big money for the Fire...
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Tom Bogert
@tombogert
Aston Villa have announced an agreement to acquire wonderkid Jhon Duran from the Chicago Fire. Deal pending medical and personal terms. Deal is $18m + $4m add-ons, per source. Duran, 19, is already a senior Colombia int'l and had 8g/3a in 1,363 minutes for the Fire.
=====================
Tom Bogert
@tombogert
Aston Villa have announced an agreement to acquire wonderkid Jhon Duran from the Chicago Fire. Deal pending medical and personal terms. Deal is $18m + $4m add-ons, per source. Duran, 19, is already a senior Colombia int'l and had 8g/3a in 1,363 minutes for the Fire.
encaitar
Footballguy
That's big for MLS. Might make a lot of other young South Americans look to MLS as the stepping stone to big football, which would inject a ton of money and talent into the system.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
potentially tied for second largest of all time for MLS
Tom Bogert
@tombogert
Most expensive outbound transfers in MLS history:
1. Miguel Almiron, ATL to Newcastle, $26m
T-2. Alphonso Davies, VAN to Bayern, $22m
T-2. Jhon Duran, CHI to Aston Villa*, up to $22m
4. Ricardo Pepi, DAL to Augsburg, $20m
5. Pity Martinez, ATL to Al-Nassr, $18m
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
Billy Cairns
@Billytheyid70
Apparently Spurs have asked the fan that kicked Ramsdale to hand himself in so they can issue a lifetime ban. 627 fans have come forward to say it was them.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
titusbramble
Footballguy
None of which actually change any rules (although #1 I assume to be applied by someone other than the ref), just their application. Enforce stuff as it should be and it's not a problem.
If you want to make a rule change that would make a difference, just give the ref the power to indicate that, when they perceive a team hanging onto a lead is time wasting, to signal time off, and that for each second you waste until the ball is back in play, I'm adding on five
If you want to make a rule change that would make a difference, just give the ref the power to indicate that, when they perceive a team hanging onto a lead is time wasting, to signal time off, and that for each second you waste until the ball is back in play, I'm adding on five
AAABatteries
Footballguy
I know it’s been discussed but glad to see Miggy coming good on his transfer fee. His stats are odd - he was underperforming expected before and now somewhat bigly over performing but no matter what I think he had more than justified his cost.
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B Maverick
Footballguy
The sad part is #3 should be what they are already doing. That's obvious and an easy thing to do. Stop letting keepers catch the ball and lay on the floor for 30 seconds when noone is around them, then taking another 30 to get rid of the ball. Stop letting throwins take 60 seconds while they walk 10 yards up field.... So many things already on the books they can enforce.Tomorrow IFAB will discuss 3 options for increasing ball-in-play time:
1) Start-stop clock
2) Extended additional time like we saw in the World Cup
3) Stricter application of existing time-wasting rules
Then go to #2.
And in no circumstances should they ever consider #1. Never.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
===================================
Ken Bensinger
@kenbensinger
Remember the FIFA corruption case from years ago? It's not over. Tomorrow the second trial begins in Brooklyn, and this time we could learn whether Fox got the TV rights for the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups through bribes.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
:narrator:
B Maverick
Footballguy
That is impressive and extremely hard to do.
