WENGER WELCOMES UEFA PROBE

• zocoss

  29 Aug 08, 23:00

  WENGER WELCOMES UEFA PROBE

  

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  Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has welcomed UEFA's investigation into the finances of football - and called for those clubs who run at a deficit to be "kicked out of Europe".

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  New UEFA president Michel Platini, the former France international, is concerned at the high level of debt carried by some clubs - maintaining they are "cheating" by purchasing players they cannot afford.

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  Many of the leading English teams operate with a significant amount of debt - including Premier League champions Manchester United and also Chelsea, although the Blues are in a unique position of being bankrolled by Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and do not carry any external debt.

  Arsenal themselves have a long-term repayment commitment, of around £250million, following the move to the Emirates Stadium.

  Nevertheless, there is a growing feeling of a need to guard against clubs heading towards financial meltdown, such as the path taken by former Champions League challengers Leeds, who are now in League One, and some Spanish sides like financially-stricken Celta Vigo, who could go into liquidation. Valencia are also reported to have debts of more than £500m.

  Wenger said of UEFA's investigation: "It is very welcome. I think teams who have a deficit should be kicked out of Europe. "The only way to go is that there is a control over all of Europe, and I think it will go that way whether you like it or not.

  "UEFA will bring in a control of the management of every individual club and every individual club will be controlled. "It is very important for the fans of the competition first, and it is very important that every club lives with the resources they have available - clubs should not speculate and then after one year they cannot pay the salaries for the next seasons.

  "Every transfer nowadays in Europe is paid over two or three years, and it is compulsory that UEFA controls that the commitment of the club is right, because if that does not happen, it can all collapse very quickly."

  Wenger, though, accepts certain clubs are currently in a league of their own when it comes to spending power. "I would prefer transfers fees paid straight away," he said, "but when you look at the numbers involved right now, nobody can do that anymore.

  "Who is a club in Europe who can pay £30million cash? I know one, but only one."

   

• Saltiga

  30 Aug 08, 10:16

  paying more then what you can afford is no cheat... so long as you have a plan to repay the debts there shouldn't be an issue, all big MNC goes into OD to finance their big investment but to say that it is "cheating" in whatever senses is far to strong a word and worst if its coming from a UEFA chief who happens to be a french, french are known to have a thing with their english counterpart hence its just going to make such comments taken with a different light regardless of what his real intention is..

• reyes

  30 Aug 08, 10:53

  the main issue AW and platini in my opinion is trying to push across if that clubs should be more prudent in their spending and within their means. to avoid being liquidated. and to keep the players salary under cap.

   

  Of coz, banks should play their role too, given that some clubs finances their pruchase through loans.

   

  However such a  move do have its disadvantages. such as the small clubs can never become a big clubs if they fail to find a sugar daddy.

   

   

   

• zocoss

  30 Aug 08, 12:46

  This thing would be very difficult to implement... If they base just on debt alone, teams like Real, the 4 English clubs and maybe a few more won't be able to take part. And without them... The champions league would not be interesting anymore...

  The way I see it, they can only punish those clubs whose yearly profits are much lesser than the amount they spend in the transfer market... For those whose profits exceed their expenses should be left alone...

  Clubs like Leeds, Celta Vigo, Valencia... all gone bankrupt cos of over spending and lack of income... These are clubs to take note off and not to follow in their ways.

• Saltiga

  30 Aug 08, 22:56

  there wouldn't be a thing they can do to all these clubs.. things can never goes back to the past where being in the game and playing means more then the salary, it had already come to a point where there is no turning back regardless of what UEFA chief try to do, said if teams like Real, Barca, Arsenal, ManU, Chelsea, Liverpool, Valencia, Milan, Inter and so on are being bar from playing in the Champion league they might just go ahead with that G7 agreement they had a couple of years back and do a breakaway league.. and let Platini watch this breakaway league from his TV at home while dreaming what would have been if....????

• reyes

  31 Aug 08, 11:38

  If there are more clubs especially famous clubs are being liquidated, then i bet UEFA or all domestic league will tighten the rules and regulations to prevent more clubs spending or investing in players beyond their revenue.  that is what happening in the american credit crisis. when things fail, the authorities will implementing rules and regulation to prevent further failure.

   

  what good will be serve to the tops clubs that play against only the top7 clubs in the world.will fans like us feel beneficial? what will happen to the european cup?