Platini At It Again

[Nebraska Red]

This guy really hates the English. He is trying to alter the CL to ensure fewer places go to Englishclubs, and now this.

 

Je deteste les club de foot Anglais

 

 

 

Michael Platini has launched a surprising attack on the foreign ownership of English football clubs.

 

 

 

Platini, the president of Uefa, has revealed his dislike for the increasing foreign investment in the Premier League.

 

 

Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa are among a number of top flight clubs who have been taken over by owners from abroad and Platini insists that something must be done.

 

 

"I can't understand how so many English clubs are owned by foreign people," Platini told Sky Sports News.

 

 

 

Identity

 

 

"I think we can do something. I don't know why Americans come to buy some clubs. You need your identity.

 

 

"I can't understand why some English clubs are owned by Americans because they do not come for the beauty of the game, for the romance of the football in England.

 

 

"They come because they want to make money. We need to defend that.

 

 

"If you have Manchester against Liverpool it is part of the population of the cities.

 

 

"But now if you have an owner from America against an owner from Russia, I don't like it."

 

Has he asked himself if the fans give a toss?

[Guest JV]

f*** him french c***

[Nebraska Red]

f*** him french c***

 

[CarraLegend]

See an interview with him the other day saying he'd love to hand Juve the CL one day. c***.

[CarraLegend]

 

He's French and a cu*t.

[philippe]

Ultimately... Who gives a toss about what this muppet says???

[Nebraska Red]

As he is the President of UEFA, there will be many on the continent who listen to his words of "wisdom"

 

His ramblings will be taken for what they are in England, another example of his obsessive dislike of English football.

 

On a separate note, did anything ever happen to that UEFA d1ck who blamed all the CL cup final troubles on Liverpool FC and its supporters?

[Knox_Harrington]

Remains a very valid point whatever your opinions on Platini.

[meepins]

How so?

Football is part of an entertainment industry. It has become big business with shares in clubs for sale on the stock exchange. It has a massive viewership base and from TV revenue and merchandising it generates large incomes, why wouldn't investors around the world become involved in it?

This is just a transparent rant from a corrupt douchebag. Think he gives a damn about anything other than his own interests? One only need to look at the disgrace in Athens for an answer.

[Rimbeux]

Of course he has an issue with England. He can rely on the Italians to eat themselves every so often, and the Spanish to remain somewhere near fan owned and somewhere near the ground. But the English, with their premier league brining in so much money and business moving in looking to push the show onto a new level, there will come a time when they start making waves about more money from the CL, guaranteed places, more seeding protection or the threat of setting up their own.

 

It's something the likes of Parry and Dein wouldn't persue, with their knowledge of how reliant football ultimately is on it's pyramid and promotion/relegation, but these new guys come from a tradition of elite closed shops at the top of sport, and wont see the long term harm.

[mally]

f*** him french c***

 

post of the day

[Cobs]

i wonder did Michel leave St. Etienne back in '82 for the romance of Italian football or to make a stack of cash.....

 

[Cunny]

I don't really have a problem with what he says. I'm sure not every foreign owner is in it for the good of the game. they are in it for a return on their investment. As the head of football in europe he is within his rights to voice his concerns. I think he is wrong to use us in an example as it seems that our owners are fully aware of our history/values and are looking to protect them.

 

As for wanting to hand Juve the CL, well he should remain neutral. However, if Kenny was president of UEFA and said the same about us, we wouldn't bat an eyelid. Mind you I don't think Kenny would say anyhting like that.

Is there a link to him saying that about Juve?

Edited August 29, 2007 by Cunny

[Knox_Harrington]

How so?

Football is part of an entertainment industry. It has become big business with shares in clubs for sale on the stock exchange. It has a massive viewership base and from TV revenue and merchandising it generates large incomes, why wouldn't investors around the world become involved in it?

This is just a transparent rant from a corrupt douchebag. Think he gives a damn about anything other than his own interests? One only need to look at the disgrace in Athens for an answer.

Platini may or may not be a "corrupt douchebag" but there's a man who owns Manchester City - a significant English club - who has major questions hanging over his human rights record while running a country. Shouldn't the President of UEFA have something to say about that? Hang on, shouldn't our FA have had something to say about that?

 

As for your first main paragraph, football is culture you see football as being equivalent to TV, I see it as part of our national heritage that happens to do very well on TV which is not the same thing, and just as I wouldn't want individuals with significantly questionable motives owning Speke Hall or any number of National Trust sites (and then using them to make profit for individuals) which are rightly protected by the law, I don't want them owning football clubs either.

 

In a not unrelated point, I think Ridsdale should have been disbarred from having anything to do with any other football club let alone get his hands on Cardiff City.

[Knox_Harrington]

Of course he has an issue with England. He can rely on the Italians to eat themselves every so often, and the Spanish to remain somewhere near fan owned and somewhere near the ground. But the English, with their premier league brining in so much money and business moving in looking to push the show onto a new level, there will come a time when they start making waves about more money from the CL, guaranteed places, more seeding protection or the threat of setting up their own.

 

It's something the likes of Parry and Dein wouldn't persue, with their knowledge of how reliant football ultimately is on it's pyramid and promotion/relegation, but these new guys come from a tradition of elite closed shops at the top of sport, and wont see the long term harm.

Good post.

[Stevie H]

he's right.

[meepins]

...but that wasn't his argument Knox. He didn't mention the Thai scumbag, nor Abramovich the gangster. He doesn't care about dirty money in the game.

He specifically mentioned 'Americans' and was supposedly concerned about foreign people owning a club.

"I think we can do something. I don't know why Americans come to buy some clubs. You need your identity".

What has who owns the club got to do with the clubs identity?

If owners go about significant changes they will be held accountable by their fans ultimately, who vote with their pound.

[Knox_Harrington]

...but that wasn't his argument Knox. He didn't mention the Thai scumbag, nor Abramovich the gangster. He doesn't care about dirty money in the game.

He specifically mentioned 'Americans' and was supposedly concerned about foreign people owning a club.

"I think we can do something. I don't know why Americans come to buy some clubs. You need your identity".

What has who owns the club got to do with the clubs identity?

If owners go about significant changes they will be held accountable by their fans ultimately, who vote with their pound.

You don't know the question he was asked. Foreign ownership of English clubs is either a big issue or it isn't. Platini's right, it is. As for fans voting ultimately by their pound, how often is the point made the demand far outstrips supply and that football isn't like other businesses? I feel his reference to Americans and the fact he doesn't know is socratic. Hadn't we all agreed what the Glazers were after? Have we changed our minds on that now? Now they are in it for the good of the sport, yes?

 

If the FA won't speak out for fans or at least ask prospective owners the occasional difficult question, if the Government seem reluctant to do likewise, if 95% of the football media is so bloody stupid in this country to perhaps pose a couple of these then just perhaps, perhaps, we should be thankful that Platini could at least get a debate going. However, he'll be referred to essentially as a meddling French c*** and we'll all carry on as before.

 

As for what has who owns the club got to do with the clubs identity, you go and ask a Barcelona supporter. Would you prefer Liverpool to be owned by the supporters or by two remarkably wealthy individuals who have no ties to the area?

[Cunny]

You don't know the question he was asked. Foreign ownership of English clubs is either a big issue or it isn't. Platini's right, it is. As for fans voting ultimately by their pound, how often is the point made the demand far outstrips supply and that football isn't like other businesses? I feel his reference to Americans and the fact he doesn't know is socratic. Hadn't we all agreed what the Glazers were after? Have we changed our minds on that now? Now they are in it for the good of the sport, yes?

 

If the FA won't speak out for fans or at least ask prospective owners the occasional difficult question, if the Government seem reluctant to do likewise, if 95% of the football media is so bloody stupid in this country to perhaps pose a couple of these then just perhaps, perhaps, we should be thankful that Platini could at least get a debate going. However, he'll be referred to essentially as a meddling French c*** and we'll all carry on as before.

 

As for what has who owns the club got to do with the clubs identity, you go and ask a Barcelona supporter. Would you prefer Liverpool to be owned by the supporters or by two remarkably wealthy individuals who have no ties to the area?

 

spot on

[meepins]

If the people of Liverpool had a more tangible connection to the club, I'm sure for them they would feel that connection deeper on an individual level but I don't think things would be anymore different then they are now.

I'll concede the same can't be said for a host of other clubs. Maybe they would benefit from fan owned clubs.. or maybe not. There does need to be a debate about the issue but I don't particularly care for the way Platini has voiced his 'concerns'.

Edited August 29, 2007 by lfc-dub

[Jarg Armani]

However, he'll be referred to essentially as a meddling French c*** and we'll all carry on as before.

 

well that's because his track record of being a meddling french c*** matches shinawatra's record of being an internationally approved badman. he should have got someone with credibility to say this for him. in fact that should be UEFA policy.

 

i'll show him greedy. i'll greedily eat his sick heart and mind with my greedy english pie hole.

[Knox_Harrington]

well that's because his track record of being a meddling french c*** matches shinawatra's record of being an internationally approved badman. he should have got someone with credibility to say this for him. in fact that should be UEFA policy.

 

i'll show him greedy. i'll greedily eat his sick heart and mind with my greedy english pie hole.

That UEFA is a hothouse of s***houses and c**** is neither here nor there in the greater issue though and it comes to something when a hothouse of s***houses and c**** is asking the questions that none of the three estates with a public stake in British football (Footballing authorities, Government, Media) seems capable of asking which in turn begs further questions.

[Guest efcrmagic]

I like his FA Cup idea.

 

That would be interesting, although what if the 2 teams in the final had already qualified for the Champions League?

[Cobs]

That UEFA is a hothouse of s***houses and c**** is neither here nor there in the greater issue though and it comes to something when a hothouse of s***houses and c**** is asking the questions that none of the three estates with a public stake in British football (Footballing authorities, Government, Media) seems capable of asking which in turn begs further questions.

If we don't have a problem with most of the players being foreigners, the manager & his backroom staff being foreign, huge amounts of fans from overseas then why worry who the shareholders of the club are?

 

They want to make money, sure. I'm guessing they know the best way to do that is to be succesful on the pitch.

 

Where's the problem? - apart from English clubs starting to look really strong in Europe for the 1st time since the late 70s/early 80s...

[Herbie von Smalls]

can't say there's been any noticable dilution of 'identity' in any of the clubs that have been taken over by americans. G&H, lerner & even the glazers have done little to dent the heritage of the clubs they've bought. in villa's case, they appear to be less of a one-man show than they were under doug ellis, while our stadium plans appear to uphold and, dare i say, even enhance the identity of LFC.

 

strange how he omitted to make any reference to london clubs and russian owners