United/chelsea, A Money Thing.

[redrus]

GREED IS GOOD

26 April 2006

Gekkoism rules.

Joseph Harker in the Guardian:

This weekend sees what is likely to be the climax of the domestic football season, as Chelsea, the wealthiest club in Britain, take on Manchester United, the biggest, and almost certainly clinch their second successive league title.

Nothing better encapsulates this money-dominated football era: the combined salaries of the two squads would probably be enough to finance the average eastern European country. But the crucial difference between the two clubs has been lost because, in their routes to wealth, United and Chelsea are at opposite ends of the morality spectrum.

United have earned the right to be the highest spenders. They became the nation's best-supported club because their dramatic history captured the public imagination: a manager who moulded a title-winning team, the "Busby Babes", but lost most of them in a tragic plane crash, then built another team, which within 10 years became the first English club to win the European Cup.

United's support swelled, so when money did enter the game they could make the most of this support in gate receipts, merchandising and TV money.

Chelsea had none of this, but had just qualified for Europe's Champions League when Russian oil company Sibneft paid out billions of pounds in dividends to its major shareholders, one of whom was Roman Abramovich. It was relatively easy then for a tiny group of well-connected businessmen to exploit their links with the post-communist regime of Boris Yeltsin, and persuade ordinary Russian workers into giving up their individual share vouchers, unaware of their real value.

The obscenity of this is borne out by figures out last week which show that the 100 richest Russians are worth more than a quarter of Russia's GDP. There is vast inequality in Britain, but Russia is another universe: 18% of its people live below the poverty line; the average wage is the equivalent of £2,000. Yet last year Abramovich sold off his last Russian business interest for £7bn, bringing his total wealth, as estimated in this week's Sunday Times Rich List, to £10.8bn.

At Chelsea they all know where the money has come from. Football agents, of course, don't give a ###### about its source. And football pundits and commentators talk about the quality of the players, or the tactics, or the managers' quotes, turning a blind eye towards the mass poverty left behind.

The fact is, Chelsea now stands for nothing but greed; the club has become a moral stain on the face of the sport. The more these injustices are tolerated, the more we are all corrupted.

[such Chelsea bashing is all well and good of course, but what goes unmentioned is that in the current day the Glazer (wibble, wibble) regime is every bit as reprehensible as that of Abramovich.]

redrus

[redrus]

Ballack signs on for a reported, £121000 a week, after tax.......!

See greed must be good.

redrus

[LaoPo]

Ballack signs on for a reported, £121000 a week, after tax.......!

See greed must be good.

redrus

That would be some Euro 180.000.00/week or 9,360.000.00/year US $ 230,000.00/week or some

US $ 12,000,000.00/year.

Is that inclusive a Christmas bonus to buy presents for wifie+kids (if he has any)?

LaoPo

[ThaiPauly]

Its an obscene amount of money.

I suppose that at least he HAS to pay tax and that will probably be 60 grand a week, so his real wage will be around 180 grand a week so that goes to the nation, unless he has tax loopholes as a foreigner..but I doubt it

[PREM-R]

The Ballack situation is different to most football transfers. He moved from Bayern Munich for FREE, there was no transfer fee, therefore he, or his agent, was in a very strong position when negotiating a wage deal. Had Ballack been in contract at Bayern then he would surely have cost Chelsea at least 20 million quid plus wages (and probably alot more) therefore, they actually got him "cheap".

I doubt that Ballack will pay huge taxes either, I am sure that he will have a large chunk of his earnings paid into "pension" plans that are tax deductable. I believe many of the "superstar" footballers do this.

Good luck to him, and Rooney, Beckham and the others, if people are prepared to pay crazy money its up to them, I doubt if any of us would turn it down, on 'ethical' grounds

[PREM-R]

BTW redrus (OP) Joseph Harker writes in the Guardian which was origionally called "The Manchester Guardian" which perhaps explains his pro United, Anti Chelsea views.

[bendix]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

Situations like Chelsea, while good for them (although it can't be that much fun winning titles when you know it's done purely because of their spending power) is taking the fun out of football

The sooner football follows many other sports and adopts a wage cap, the better. Sure . by all means . .pay millions for a player and have stars on a huge income, but if each team fielded had to be salary-capped, football will once again become interesting and a true competition.

[lampard10]

So this guy runs down clubs that are mega wealthy. Or is he just trying to get his name in lights by writing crap like that. He probably knows a lot will say "DUUUUUUUUUR he's right"

What is wrong by assembling a team made up of the best players in the world?

Has he attacked "The Harlem Globetrotters" I doubt it.

Who is this Harker bufoon?

I thought Portsmouth were owned by another mega-rich Russian, and Fulham of course were owned by someone richer tham Roman.

To say that Chelsea's team is made up of players bought with the suffering of peasants in Russia is crap.

Still, it's probably music to some other fans ears.

[Old Croc]

Why is all this crap in the World Cup forum?

[lampard10]

Why is all this crap in the World Cup forum?

Good question.......sorry, I didn't notice. It's called blind rage.

[Old Croc]

OK then, and happy birthday you old bastard!

[lampard10]

OK then, and happy birthday you old bastard!

Cheers mate

[redrus]

Why is all this crap in the World Cup forum?

Thalpauly was trying to get a dedicated Football forum, not just for the World Cup. I mean, does this forum just get left till the next WC after this one..........?

redrus

[lampard10]

Why is all this crap in the World Cup forum?

Thalpauly was trying to get a dedicated Football forum, not just for the World Cup. I mean, does this forum just get left till the next WC after this one..........?

redrus

Check it out mate.....it's there. Pinned, British football.

[redrus]

Why is all this crap in the World Cup forum?

Thalpauly was trying to get a dedicated Football forum, not just for the World Cup. I mean, does this forum just get left till the next WC after this one..........?

redrus

Check it out mate.....it's there. Pinned, British football.

Thats just a thread.

redrus