Comments on: UEFA – is there a chance of reform?

By: goddy ochei-uzo

goddy ochei-uzo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:02:40 +0000

Well spoken Tony. However, my main area of concern is how to stop Mr Platini from using any misguided oportunity he can find to attack Prof Arsene over his youth policy which so far is a subject of envy by all the clubs in the world. Perhaps he should use his time in office to change most things that is wrong in UEFA. Amazing to know that Messey of Barca was recruited as an underage from south America and Platini did not see any thing wrong in that or is he expressing a personal difference. If this be the case it is an abuse of office and should be taken up by all Arsenal supporters. I honestly need a responce to this as I remain a gunner 4 life.

By: LRV

LRV — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:53:42 +0000

Tony, This is a very excellent piece. In the beginning, I had thought that Platini, because of his playing days reputation, could do some good for European football if he could get past the hatred against the English that is sadly still consuming him. Alas instead, he added envy/Jealousy, of anything and everything to do with the English Premiership in general, and Arsene Wenger in particular, to the hatred. We all know what effect this may have. He lost all senses of value and acquired a taste for the ridiculous. He pitted his tent squarely in the round hole of mediocrity.

So Yes, there is a chance of reform! But we need to get rid of Platini and his coteries first and foremost to have any chance of said reform.

By: Jonny

Jonny — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:20:53 +0000

Tony, I wouldn’t worry about losing readers, I think that was one of the best and most interesting pieces you have written. Given the general standard – this is high praise indeed.

By: walter

walter — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:47:49 +0000

And again off topic but just to let you know that Vermaelen looked OK after yesterdays game with Belgium. He didn’t score this time.

By: walter

walter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:53:35 +0000

To give you the off topic answer Tony,
Bruges is really a nice town. In fact I believe the whole old town is somewhat protected and should be kept in the original state as much as possible. A part of my family lives there.
Indeed 2 clubs for not a big city. The origins lies in the foundings. Cercle, the smallest club, was founded by the richer catholics (the noble French speaking elite). Cercle is the French for circle in the meaning of a group of persons. Club was more the common people club. Club is the more succesfull of the 2 by far. My father in law, who comes from Ypres also in West Flanders – very well known in Engeland I guess these days, supports them but not fanatical.
The spelling in Flemish is Brugge and we speak it with a short “u” and in English the “u” is pronounced longer. To make it even more difficult in Brugge the people pronounce it as “Bruhhe”. For some reason the people in West Flanders pronounce their G as an H and vice versa.
Now this goes way off topic I’m affraid. Sorry for this.

By: Tony Attwood

Tony Attwood — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:23:19 +0000

Back to the story – about ownership of clubs which UEFA just shrug big shoulders at…

Grandtop own Birmingham City (I know the papers and TV say it is Mr Yeung but that is not true – on this one I am going to stick my neck out and say they are quite wrong).

The question is who owns Grandtop. Not Mr Yeung. Grandtop is mostly owned by Winning Top International Overseas and another company called Genuine Ocean International Trading.

And guess where Winning Top and Genuine Ocean are registered.

Not Bruges.

But the Virgin Islands – the country where no details of any financial ownership of any company is ever revealed. So now we have Leeds, and Birmingham both owned there, we have Notts County that could be owned by anyone under the sun, ditto Portsmouth.

For once the chant, “Who are you” when directed at clubs, is going to be meaningful.

By: Tony Attwood

Tony Attwood — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:14:36 +0000

Meandering off topic Walter (and I wrote the article so I am allowed) how come a town as small as Bruges seems to have 2 teams – if I am right it has Club Brugge and Circle Brugge – or are they different places and I am confused?

I went to Bruges (now I am getting confused on spelling) for 3 days about 4 years ago and found it one of the most wonderful places I have ever been. Everything was brilliant from the canal to the restaurants, the horse drawn carriage (I know, just a tourist thing but we loved it) to simply walking around/… the museum and art gallary – the only place in the world I have found a shop selling a t-shirt of Guernica which sadly I then got a mark on and can’t really wear any more but I keep…..

Oh, and I should be writing about football.

Gibbs is crocked.

By: walter

walter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:34:44 +0000

The only hope I do have about JL Dehaene is that he is a very passionate fan of Club Brugge (one of the top teams in Belgium) and if he could get the financial rules applied strictly it will mean that Belgium clubs like Club Brugge hava more chance to have succes in Europe like some 20 years ago.

By: walter

walter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:27:39 +0000

And let me ad to your excellent article Tony the following thougths on that committee that should apply those financial fair rules.
The president would be JL Dehaene, our former prime minister for many years in my country. When I heard his name I was disgusted. He was a man who always said: we dont anticipate up on problems, we just try to arrange something when we are faced with a problem. After a few years as prime minister he got nicknamed: the plumber because he always was running behind the problems and putting a finger on a leak and closing it and then found out that there was another leak, and another, and another…
His governement was renown for always complicating solutions who never pleased everybody but it was a solution and regarded as better then no solution.
So when his name was mentionned my first reaction was: how can this plumber change anything as he never changed anything in a country for all these years as prime minister ? He was a man with no spine and in my opninion you need someone who will not be affraid to say: team X, you’re out. No he will be trying to find a way to let them participate anyway by bending the rules.
If the rules are clear at the start within one year the rules will be bended to the likings of the biggest shouters.
So I have no hope that things are going to change.

If it happens like I said above, I will be gladly to write an article and slice him to peaces.

By: Paul C.

Paul C. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:55:51 +0000

Simple answer – Yes, there is but ONE chance of reform.

That single chance is if the top clubs themselves get pissed off enough at UEFA and their dictatorial outlook on things and actually push through a Euro Super League, in the same way that the Premiere League circumvented the FA in the 90’s. Only then would the top clubs be able to hold UEFA over a barrel and say “now, we are going to start doing things right”. Unfortunately there are a few big clubs such as Real Madrid and Chelsea that will fight tooth and nail against a Euro Super League (it would be properly regulated and revenues would be shared, thereby decreasing those clubs competitive advantage) and most fans of non-”BIG” clubs hate the idea of a Super League, since it would lessen the importance of international football, which is far more important to fans of Oxford and Norwich than it is to fans of Arsenal and Manchester United.

Because of that, I think it will still be a while until there is any chance of reform.

By: don't believe the hype

don't believe the hype — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:34:13 +0000

Really interesting article Tony, once again exposing the hypocrisy of UEFA. It’s all lip service, nothing will come of it.