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I'm gathering that utter twat Berlusconi is looking for investment because FFP has not pushed Milan into the position of power he was hoping for.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/745/fifa/20 ... ID=HP_TS_4

Dec 29, 2014 08:31:00

The Italian discussed the impact of the regulation on the game and stressed that the current rules are prohibitive for prospective new owners
By Paul Macdonald at the Dubai International Sports Conference

AC Milan sporting director Umberto Gandini believes that current Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations prevent new investment in football clubs.

Speaking at the International Sports Conference in Dubai, the Italian stated his belief that FFP maintains the status quo of the established European sides and doesn’t provide equal conditions of competition.

Gandini is also the vice-chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), an independent body that represents the interests of teams in European competitions, one that is also heavily involved in the decision-making process when implementing new directives.

FFP has been the subject of intense scrutiny recently, with Jose Mourinho branding the current set-up a "contradiction", and Gandini feels that the situation requires reassessment.

The Italian said: "Financial Fair Play has brought some control and common sense into the administration of football clubs in Europe.

"It has been a success in terms of producing a reduction in the overall losses in European football.

"On the other hand, there is a crystallisation [of the top clubs] and we now have significant investors waiting to come into the game but they are prevented from doing so by FFP.

"There are currently five or six major clubs in Europe but what Uefa should be aiming for is to have 20 major clubs."

Also speaking at the conference, Uefa General Secretary Gianni Infantino defended FFP, countering: "It is important to look to the future. What FFP has done is make sure that when you manage a club you have to do so in a certain way.

"There was a period of austerity and now we should look to the next stage - and that is growth. There can still be 20 major clubs and not just in England but major European clubs too. We just have to be brave."

Ted Hughes wrote:I'm gathering that utter twat Berlusconi is looking for investment because FFP has not pushed Milan into the position of power he was hoping for.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/745/fifa/20 ... ID=HP_TS_4

Dec 29, 2014 08:31:00

The Italian discussed the impact of the regulation on the game and stressed that the current rules are prohibitive for prospective new owners
By Paul Macdonald at the Dubai International Sports Conference

AC Milan sporting director Umberto Gandini believes that current Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations prevent new investment in football clubs.

Speaking at the International Sports Conference in Dubai, the Italian stated his belief that FFP maintains the status quo of the established European sides and doesn’t provide equal conditions of competition.

Gandini is also the vice-chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), an independent body that represents the interests of teams in European competitions, one that is also heavily involved in the decision-making process when implementing new directives.

FFP has been the subject of intense scrutiny recently, with Jose Mourinho branding the current set-up a "contradiction", and Gandini feels that the situation requires reassessment.

The Italian said: "Financial Fair Play has brought some control and common sense into the administration of football clubs in Europe.

"It has been a success in terms of producing a reduction in the overall losses in European football.

"On the other hand, there is a crystallisation [of the top clubs] and we now have significant investors waiting to come into the game but they are prevented from doing so by FFP.

"There are currently five or six major clubs in Europe but what Uefa should be aiming for is to have 20 major clubs."

Also speaking at the conference, Uefa General Secretary Gianni Infantino defended FFP, countering: "It is important to look to the future. What FFP has done is make sure that when you manage a club you have to do so in a certain way.

"There was a period of austerity and now we should look to the next stage - and that is growth. There can still be 20 major clubs and not just in England but major European clubs too. We just have to be brave."

So he wants now that super league of 20clubs who can invest whatever they want. Or am I reading too much into this?

I think he means that he has realised that Utd etc have benefitted big style from FFP, but AC Milan haven't, & the only way they can ever even hope to compete long term with the small number of top clubs, is by investment, which they wouldn't be able to spend, so therefore, it is now bad, because just a 'few' clubs benefit.

I imagine he will look to introduce some kind of backdated system wher we are not allowed to invest any more, but AC Milan are allowed to have the same investment we have already had, but brought forward to compensate for modern transfer fees & wages.

I would like to think I'm being cynical there, but I bet I'm fucking spot on, & that's exactly what he's asked for, even if he doesn't get it.

Didn't the idea that certain clubs, "with history", should always be in the Champions League?

I watch with interest and very little concern about FFP these days. If it stays, we benefit as one of the clubs with the highest turnover in Europe. If it goes, we benefit as a club with owners of almost unlimited wealth that can be used if felt necessary.
It's very funny listening to the bleatings of former champions of this farce.
I suspect the days of FFP are nearing an end anyway. The ground seems to be getting prepared for it.

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:I watch with interest and very little concern about FFP these days. If it stays, we benefit as one of the clubs with the highest turnover in Europe. If it goes, we benefit as a club with owners of almost unlimited wealth that can be used if felt necessary.
It's very funny listening to the bleatings of former champions of this farce.
I suspect the days of FFP are nearing an end anyway. The ground seems to be getting prepared for it.

Yep. Infantino's 'next stage' sounds like a massive backtrack is pending.

Shame Milan didnt get their CL place based on 'status' like they asked for. Hahahahahahah.

So FFP did not create a fair competition but crystalised the top teams positions.. who could have seen this coming?!

Oh, thats right. Absolutely everybody.

If FFP were to be, in the near future, so changed to render it down to the status of a defunct mechanism, would City have grounds for a legal challenge against The Fat Frenchman's Gang, in several areas ?? :-

(i) A claim to recover the 'fine' that we've already had to pay and which has been indecently distributed amongst our [wealthy] competitors

(ii) A claim for compensation of what, 'de facto' amounted to a restraint of trade (and which may have affected our right to defend, by all transfer means at our disposal, our League title, in this current season)

(iii) A claim for compensation relating to the defamation of City's name, which sprang from the way in which FFP was the vehicle by which we were unfairly targeted, by all and sundry.

In other news the Court of Arbitration for Sport has upheld Barcelona's transfer ban. Barca are shocked and furious.

I'm no expert but I imagine it will be difficult to succeed with legal action.

But I would warn that I'm sure these fuckers will try to find a way of allowing investment for them, but not for us. If they can possibly do it. Rather than just kicking the whole thing out.

What we should do, is hold an historical grudge about this & make it known, year in year out, how these people have demonised us & cheated us whilst using their friends in the media to portray us as the cheats.

We should never let this lie. Every time we play the rags, Arse etc, we should remind people about how they penalised us unfairly so that they could spend money & just how bad that is. These characters have accused us of cheating, got together & shafted us. If it is now shown that what we have done is in fact perfectly ok, so much so that clubs ask for it to be allowed, then we should never ever let it go.

What we should have done, is just carried on spending what we liked, whilst building up the business & increasing sponsorship at the same time, like PSG did.

We would have Hazard & possibly DiMaria & Sanchez in our squad now & be running away with the league.

Fesan wrote:So FFP did not create a fair competition but crystalised the top teams positions.. who could have seen this coming?!

Oh, thats right. Absolutely everybody.

In a nutshell! Unfortunately for certain football clubs, the mentality that leads to them backing FFP (borne out of greed, selfishness and malice) also leads to unforeseen 'collateral' damage to their own clubs. Chortle.

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:

Fesan wrote:So FFP did not create a fair competition but crystalised the top teams positions.. who could have seen this coming?!

Oh, thats right. Absolutely everybody.

In a nutshell! Unfortunately for certain football clubs, the mentality that leads to them backing FFP (borne out of greed, selfishness and malice) also leads to unforeseen 'collateral' damage to their own clubs. Chortle.

Imo, what has happened is two lots of self interest meeting together.

You have clubs who don't want to lose their elite position, but then you have club owners who like being club owners. It could easily be the case, that someone like Qatar would have bought AC Milan, but Berlusconi probably loves being the big 'I am' at AC Milan. Can't afford to bankroll them enough to compete with City, so joins in with the others & gets the rules changed to stop us, rather than look for investment.

Same over here; new TV deal on the way, all the owners/chairmen of the smaller or middling clubs join in with the rags to vote for FFP, so they stay in charge rather than trying to find a new, richer , owner, then get the extra tv money.

The porno goblins at West Ham, get that, then a new ground. Chances are they will become anti ffp, once they fancy selling, same with many others.

Most of them don't care if Utd win the league every year, so long as they have their bit.

Ted Hughes wrote:

Peter Doherty (AGAIG) wrote:

Fesan wrote:So FFP did not create a fair competition but crystalised the top teams positions.. who could have seen this coming?!

Oh, thats right. Absolutely everybody.

In a nutshell! Unfortunately for certain football clubs, the mentality that leads to them backing FFP (borne out of greed, selfishness and malice) also leads to unforeseen 'collateral' damage to their own clubs. Chortle.

Imo, what has happened is two lots of self interest meeting together.

You have clubs who don't want to lose their elite position, but then you have club owners who like being club owners. It could easily be the case, that someone like Qatar would have bought AC Milan, but Berlusconi probably loves being the big 'I am' at AC Milan. Can't afford to bankroll them enough to compete with City, so joins in with the others & gets the rules changed to stop us, rather than look for investment.

Same over here; new TV deal on the way, all the owners/chairmen of the smaller or middling clubs join in with the rags to vote for FFP, so they stay in charge rather than trying to find a new, richer , owner, then get the extra tv money.
The porno goblins at West Ham, get that, then a new ground. Chances are they will become anti ffp, once they fancy selling, same with many others.

Most of them don't care if Utd win the league every year, so long as they have their bit.

Most fans don't seem to appreciate that if money had not come into Chelsea and ourselves the rags would win the league every year. It beggars belief. Who in their right mind (other than a plastic cockney) wants to live in a world where that shower of shit win the league every year?

Peter,
Not one bit of any of this has anything to do with football. "The playing of football, is merely coincidental to the business of Manchester United" (direst quote from Roland Smith, the then head of the Rags pre Glazer parent company.

None of the new owners (including our own) bought clubs because of their love for football. They bought their clubs for their own reasons. We just happened to get very lucky in that our new owners had a different motive other than short term greed.

Please forget footballl, or what happens on the pitch. none of any of it applies. It is solely about money, global branding, greed and profiteering.

The only reason that the likes of the rags and Arsenal have spent big recently, is because their position at the trough has been challenged.

[quote="Moonchesteri"][quote="Ted Hughes"]I'm gathering that utter twat Berlusconi is looking for investment because FFP has not pushed Milan into the position of power he was hoping for.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/745/fifa/20 ... ID=HP_TS_4

Dec 29, 2014 08:31:00

The Italian discussed the impact of the regulation on the game and stressed that the current rules are prohibitive for prospective new owners
By Paul Macdonald at the Dubai International Sports Conference

AC Milan sporting director Umberto Gandini believes that current Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations prevent new investment in football clubs.

Speaking at the International Sports Conference in Dubai, the Italian stated his belief that FFP maintains the status quo of the established European sides and doesn’t provide equal conditions of competition.

Gandini is also the vice-chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), an independent body that represents the interests of teams in European competitions, one that is also heavily involved in the decision-making process when implementing new directives.

FFP has been the subject of intense scrutiny recently, with Jose Mourinho branding the current set-up a "contradiction", and Gandini feels that the situation requires reassessment.

The Italian said: "Financial Fair Play has brought some control and common sense into the administration of football clubs in Europe.

"It has been a success in terms of producing a reduction in the overall losses in European football.

"On the other hand, there is a crystallisation [of the top clubs] and we now have significant investors waiting to come into the game but they are prevented from doing so by FFP.

"There are currently five or six major clubs in Europe but what Uefa should be aiming for is to have 20 major clubs."

Also speaking at the conference, Uefa General Secretary Gianni Infantino defended FFP, countering: "It is important to look to the future. What FFP has done is make sure that when you manage a club you have to do so in a certain way.

"There was a period of austerity and now we should look to the next stage - and that is growth. There can still be 20 major clubs and not just in England but major European clubs too. We just have to be brave."[/quote]

So he wants now that super league of 20clubs who can invest whatever they want. Or am I reading too much into this?[/quote]


I think that you are the one poster that is perhaps spot on.

Rummenigge, Perez and the other heads of the old guard were commenting a couple of years ago that the world 'deserved' to see the top 20 clubs with 'history' competing against each other in a league. Of course this was driven my a determination to see all the revenue locked in for them with no risk of having their noses pushed out of the trough.

I think that FFPR may have been UeFA's attempt to secure their position whilst retaining control. If a few of them lose out I can see a push for a break-away league again. We should all be wary of the break-away league in the next few years!!

Hope I am just paranoid - would love to see the Sheik get some control of the media companies that would be needed to support a break-away league

If it was to come about, would you want City to play in a 20 team Euro Superleague?
Genuine question open to anybody who cares to offer an opinion

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:If it was to come about, would you want City to play in a 20 team Euro Superleague?
Genuine question open to anybody who cares to offer an opinion

If we were still in the PL then yes. As a league with no domestic competition, fuck it.

If it was to come about, would you want City to play in a 20 team Euro Superleague?
Genuine question open to anybody who cares to offer an opinion

I think so but I don't think I would be an avid watcher anymore. I don't think I'd be as an avid watcher if they created the league and we weren't included either. I think both decisions would kill the game a bit for me, although I would of course still support City and so on.

Piccsnumberoneblue wrote:If it was to come about, would you want City to play in a 20 team Euro Superleague?
Genuine question open to anybody who cares to offer an opinion

Instead of the Prem? No not for me. The teams in the bottom half of that league would quickly lose interest. I don't enjoy Euro type football either. If they did do it then I hope we can have a beer at the ground.

Just goes to show that the only aim was to prevent certain clubs from breaking the status quo and keeping those at the top, cemented in their position.

They should be furthering this cause and start targeting debt but it looks like it will go the other way and start looking after those jst outside the top 8 (6 mentioned there) of European football. In fact, now it achieved its aim for one season, I woudn't be surprised to see it kicked into touch completely so the Rags can spend another 250 million.