Can Michel Platini Save Football?
By: Daryl | February 18th, 2009
I’m starting to quite like Michel Platini as president of UEFA. You can take issue with his various ideas and the way he goes about his business, but seems to me that the guy is determined to take some action and end football’s financial madness.
The English press paint Platini as the enemy, mostly because when he talks about football’s financial ills he uses the Premier League as his example. But seems to me he’s the man most likely to get something done.
Today he gave a big big speech to the European parliament, basically telling them not to interfere with the possible European Club Association proposal to limit team spending to a percentage of income.
The plan for football teams to only spend what they make (meaning no more endless spending from sugar daddies) might go against EU rules about free markets. So Platini’s 90 minute speech (with a 15 minute break at half time?) was basically asking the EU to grant UEFA an exemption and let this plan go through.
“During this year’s festive season, one club which had suddenly become very rich made various astronomical bids in the transfer market,” said Platini. “Of course, there was a tremendous outcry in the football family, people called it outrageous and scandalous.
“Is it morally acceptable to offer such sums of money for a single player? We are currently looking at the idea of limiting, to a certain degree, a club’s expenditure on staff – salary and transfer fees combined – to an as yet undecided percentage of its direct and indirect sporting revenue.”
We’ve already posted about the pros and cons of this proposal here, and certainly it’s not perfect.
But it is an attempt to change the face of football and put an end (or at least slow down) the neverending upward spending spiral. So if you think that there’s too much money being tossed around the football world right now, and want to see something change, then seems to me that Michel Platini is our best bet. What do you think?
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Comments
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Seems reasonable to me. Of course the big clubs will have more money but it wont be a matter of a corrupt billionaire taking over a club like at Man City and then overnight start bidding on the greatest players in the universe at astronomically inflated fees.
It needs to be dealt with, and this is a step in the right direction.
Posted from
United States
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I could see some pretty nasty scenarios occurring with bottom level clubs, i.e. a small team plays poorly, resulting in poor attendance/ticket sales/merch sales, has to cut player salaries in accordance with the limit…
Then again, all of those players would suddenly be faced with a scenario in which their performance on the field could directly influence their paychecks. Might inspire some more spirited play, though that’s not really what happened at Levante.
Posted from
United States -
So when did capitalism become a bad thing?
I expect this from Platini but this is plan is a idiotic idea that only a fool can’t see the financial problems it will create.
Posted from
United States -
“So when did capitalism become a bad thing?”
Is capitalism about racking up huge losses each year, never breaking even and asking Mr. Sugar Daddy to pay the bill?
Posted from
Germany -
I’m personally less concerned about limiting spending based on income, and more concerned about limiting participation based on debt. Debt is a bigger issue than player salaries, and the Platini idea that I like the most is making it impossible to compete in European competitions with a mountain of debt burying the future of the club. Not looking at anyone in particular …
Posted from
United States -
i. I really hate that I’m starting to like Platini as prez too, although he still finds spectacular ways to insert his head into his own rectum.
ii. *.*, I’m curious, how does one pronounce your name?
Posted from
United States -
I hope some of his ideas are accepted.
There is one thing I dont understand though. When FIFA put forward the 6+5 rule,EU said it wont happen because Europe is a free market,and players cant be restricted from moving.I still dont get it how the rule stops a player from moving. If say a big club wants a foreign player and its already filled its quota,all it has to do is sell 1 of its foreign players and sign the new guy.
Can someone elaborate on the EU rule?Posted from
United States -
Ranjeet: The 6+5 rule means that there needs to be at least 6 home grown (i.e. from the nation the club is in) players in the starting XI, plus 5 foreign players. The sticking point for the EU is that it comes directly up against the Schengen agreement, which is the law that allows EU citizens to work and live freely in other EU nations regardless of nationality. So the 6+5 rule, which in my opinion isn’t totally misguided but unworkable, directly breaks the law because it creates a direct impediment for EU citizens to take a job solely based on nationality. It is such a slippery slope to create an exemption to this that the EU will probably never allow this to go through.
While I still think Platini harbors an irrational bias against all things English (he is French after all) and can come off at times sounding like a slightly less barmy Sepp Blatter, on this particular point I have to agree with him–there needs to be some sort of financial structure in place. Football, especially in England, but at the highest levels everywhere, is characterized by a wild west mentality that can create magic on the pitch but can also all too often create a disaster for supporters if things go wrong (Leeds, Fiorentina in the 90’s, and Chelsea in the 80’s are the poster children for this). While recovery can and does happen, it often takes years to recover (much like economies) and sometimes, these clubs never recover at all. I think there is some legal wiggle room to institute a financial structure that allows clubs to spend lavishly but ensures that they remain within certain bounds–perhaps scrapping the transfer system or significantly altering it to ensure greater player power in negotiations may be the way to go. Baseball has all sorts of problems dealing with the legacy of the steroid era, but what they have got right is the basic financial structure upon which it is based–it is as financially sound as any professional sport in the world, including the NFL–and perhaps can be looked at as an example. Obviously, there are problems insofar as scale is concerned–with football, we’re speaking of thousands upon thousands of clubs, but perhaps a luxury tax of sorts and player trades could be looked at as possibilities.
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United States -
Ranjeet, I’m not an expert but, the EU law basically states that the right to work in any EU country for an EU citizen is unconditional (i.e. there is TOTAL freedom to move): yes, under 6+5 a club can still sign anyone they want, but it’s under the proviso that they first get rid of someone else filling that quota slot.
Platini is well meaning, but most of his arguments are short-sighted, and they’ll cause more problems than they’ll solve, at least in their present forms. You can’t turn the clocks back: as long as the sport is popular, then it will always be flooded with money. Platini should simply accept this and try to channel his efforts into making sure that the grassroots game gets to see some of that money. Either that or start a revolution. Oh, and also getting rid of some of that corruption in the governing bodies would be nice.
Posted from
United States -
Oh Ok. Thanks a lot.
Posted from
United States -
I think that
Posted from
United States -
I like his 4plus4 plan, and I think his penalty box referee idea is great. Not surprising that a Juve legend is coming up with all the great ideas!
Posted from
Spain -
According to Wikipedia:
It is believed that most such ideas that go through Platini’s mind are aimed against the Premier League, fueled by his hatred for English football because of Heysel.
Posted from
United States -
Why is everyone so up in arms about the salary cap?
If you want change, make tapping-up and other transfer violation laws stricter and (actually) applicable for large clubs.
That will save football.
Posted from
United States -
SHOULD SALARY CAPS BE INTRODUCED IN SOCCER?
http://malawi.worldcupblog.org/team-news/should-salary-caps-be-introduced-in-soccer.htmlPosted from
United States -
Won’t work. Rich owners could surely just have their private company sponsor the team for vast sums of money to boost revenue, and therefore their spending limit??
This would also prevent small, struggling clubs being saved by new owners.
Just a straight-up bad idea.Posted from
United Kingdom -
According to Platini football has all of a sudden become immoral. Is there no end to this man’s hypocrisy – last year he openly endorsed Real Madrid’s tapping up and £80m bid for Man Utd’s Ronaldo. And isn’t it UEFA’s own Champions League format that has distorted European football? If there are moral issues in European football then might I suggest Platini gets his priorities right – racism, corruption and match fixing, hooliganism – three areas noticeable for their virtual absence from the English game. And if its finances Michel is interested in – then why not start with Real Madrid’s accounts…
Posted from
United Kingdom
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