[Crackedpleasures]

I really start to love Platini His latest interview with the French press was sensational and spot on!

Platini has declared that he thinks the CL is currently being dominated by cheaters. He didn't use those words but it was clear he intended this. Basically he says it's not right that clubs who make lot of debts and keep on making debts despite constant money influx from their international successes, still dominate European football. Platini said the fact teams can dominate the CL while having problems paying off debts, is a serious unfairness to clubs without debts and that it is not a right situation when clubs need their European successes to pay off debts. "When a defeat is causing a financial disaster for a club, something is not right"




Finally someone with a major role in football dares to speak of problems that have been ongoing for too long. Johansson turned a blind eye to it and didn't dare to go against the will of the big clubs, but finally a man with the balls to say the truth even when it hurts is standing up. It is a pity Platini cannot just reform the tournament on his own without regular UEFA procedures, because I really like his ideas and how he dares to tackle problems. But step by step he is cleaning up the mess left behind by the previous UEFA leaders :thumbsup:

So do you agree with Platini or would you say he is talking nonsense here?

 

[Newton Gold]

Platini's making it sound like clubs are going in to debt in order to buy success i.e.: Leeds.

That's not the case.

United and Liverpool for example have gone in to debt because their respective owners bought the clubs with borrowed money.

Massive difference.

 

[numerodix]

What countries are we talking about? I suspect the major leagues already have regulations in place that outlaw a state of debt. I recall reading that this has always been the case in France, while Italy introduced these regulations after the Lazio (and others) disaster, although they also introduced a bizzarre regulation that would allow temporary planned debt to be mitigated over time (one can hope that was just a transitional measure).

 

[Gabriella]

I think the new term for this is financial doping

I am all for balancing the books unless the club's debt comes from building a new stadium

 

[Newton Gold]

Num, who do you think he's talking about? England.

He says teams dominating the CL are in debt. three of this year's semi-finalists, United, Liverpool and Chelsea, are all in debt.

 

[numerodix]

Num, who do you think he's talking about? England.

He says teams dominating the CL are in debt. three of this year's semi-finalists, United, Liverpool and Chelsea, are all in debt.

My bad, I didn't know that's what he meant.

 

[Crackedpleasures]

He also said he finds it worrying that foreign businessmen buy clubs far away (probably he refers to Man U, Liverpool and Chelsea in particular here) because he fears that they see the club as a product or economical good.
But the main concern in his interview was that he deems it unfair that clubs making debts win the European trophies while the vicious circle continues as they need their gained money mainly to pay of debts.

Respect to Platini. I know an interview won't change anything and he still doesn't have veto right within UEFA, but at least he has the intention to bring change. Johansson was just making a huge mess out of European football but luckily Platini is willing to clean up that mess step by step. I would never imagine Johansson would dare to make the plans and statements Platini has.

 

[Crackedpleasures]

My bad, I didn't know that's what he meant.

He also meant that clubs make debts but the debts don't even disappear with the money the win with the CL victories. Their success doesn't improve anything and they just keep on making more debts untill there is a vicious circle and a bottomless pit.

 

[Filipe Reis]

Respect to Platini. I know an interview won't change anything and he still doesn't have veto right within UEFA, but at least he has the intention to bring change. Johansson was just making a huge mess out of European football but luckily Platini is willing to clean up that mess step by step. I would never imagine Johansson would dare to make the plans and statements Platini has.

I completely agree with you. What seemed to be his agenda before being elected to UEFA's presidency is actually what he is trying to implement. It will take time and I am sure he is facing more obstacles than he expected but he is getting there.

A great footballer that goes on doing great things for the game.

 

[Nacka]

Respect to Platini. I know an interview won't change anything and he still doesn't have veto right within UEFA, but at least he has the intention to bring change. Johansson was just making a huge mess out of European football but luckily Platini is willing to clean up that mess step by step. I would never imagine Johansson would dare to make the plans and statements Platini has.

It's not so much that he wouldn't dare as it is that he didn't want to. It's not as if Johansson was afraid to make changes, but he simply had a different agenda. To his credit he did manage to pull UEFA's finances out of the crapper.

Make no mistake, Johansson is not a coward. So if he had wanted to he would have taken the fight with the big clubs of Europe.

Please note that I am certainly no fan of the guy as he is a semi-stupid, semi-racist, semi-sexist muppet. But he does deserve some credit for his work.

 

[Nacka]

I completely agree with you. What seemed to be his agenda before being elected to UEFA's presidency is actually what he is trying to implement. It will take time and I am sure he is facing more obstacles than he expected but he is getting there.

A great footballer that goes on doing great things for the game.

If that is true he's even more clueless than I thought. If he thought that going up against the powerhouses of European football in general and the EU in particular would be a smooth ride he's one deluded fellow. :undecide:

 

[Westy]

Platini is a ******.

 

[Abz]

I can see Liverpool doing a Leeds type collapse (losing there better players) if they finish out of the top 4, 2 seasons running. Throw in the fact that they are about to build a new stadium and its costs are increasing almost daily, the new owners bitching constantly and the fans preying that the DIC's come along to save them.

Agree with Platini, but 'cheating' is abit off target, Man U for example have been very well run and make good profits. Had the previous owners not sold to somebody taking out a 'mortgage' they would not be in any debt. Infact they are probably the best financially managed club before the Glaziers took over.

Chelsea would have been totally screwed had Roman not bought the club. But then again it does make you wonder how long this romance will last?
So yes, it is very important for a club to not be constantly running at huge losses.

 

[Pretty Boy]

Platini is a French prick.

 

[The Green One]

Platini's making it sound like clubs are going in to debt in order to buy success i.e.: Leeds.

That's not the case.

United and Liverpool for example have gone in to debt because their respective owners bought the clubs with borrowed money.

Massive difference.

Maybe Platini wants the FAs or UEFA to stop such practices from occuring? There aren't rules in place to stop this kind of thing. Maybe he can create one within UEFA.

BTW, Newton, do you read When Saturday Comes? Theres an interesting article about the Glazers in there.

 

[Che]

debit is only bad when you do not have the revenue to meet your creditors....

I would be shocked in any of the big 4 EPl dont have a healthy cash flow

 

[Koppite]

Platini just has it out for English clubs.....maybe he should worry about other countries and the real problems going on.

Funny how all these comments keep coming out now that the EPL is dominating Europe.:rollani:

 

[ASR83]

Platini must of wanted the english to be in the center of attention for a day or two...not like anyone is gonna be able to talk about there boring hyped NT since they are not playing.

But really...how can Platini do anything about stuff like this....If the team has a lot of debt and it is no longer able to generate enough money or does not have an owner who can afford to pay it then the club with be forced to fold...but if it can generate money all the time and they can continue with the debt in place then good for the club.

Regardless of how Man Utd become stuck with debt they run the club very well....Promote the club around the world...buy great players...have a great youth system....debt or no debt these are what successful clubs do so as long as the banks continue to see these things the debt is not a problem

 

[ToniSamp]

Probably Platini perceived the danger that the semifinals of the Champions League could look like the semifinals of the FA Cup in the next seasons and did not like it.

 

[VBI]

There is a difference between a club who run up massive debt by going far beyond their level to cope, and clubs who run on a manageable debt like TONS of businesses do all over the world. As long as clubs can continue to make the payments as most big clubs obviously do (or they would have already shut down a long time ago), then it's not really Platini's or anyone else's business, is it? If clubs can make their payments, in REAL terms the debt effectively doesn't exist.

Just another "I don't like big clubs, so I'll whine about some shit" rant from this clown shoe.