Cash-Happy Fans: Would you care if Saddam owned your club?

“Football fans don’t care. The players don’t care. Saddam Hussein could own your football club and, if he’s putting millions into it, they’ll be quite happy. They’ll be singing: ‘There’s only one Saddam’”.

- Harry Redknapp when asked about Manchester City

Let’s just address the elephant(s) in the room.

First:  This is a quote from Harry Redknapp on ethical money transactions.  This is a quote from a man allegedly being tried for tax evasion this Fall mocking fans for choosing money over ethics.  I can assure you, the irony is not lost on me.

Second:  Besides this comment being (clearly) racially-loaded, it reeks of bias.  I doubt it is just a mere coincidence that Redknapp happened to choose a man who is reputed (allegedly) to have committed every crime under the sun to achieve victory to compare the owners of the club nipping at the Spur’s heels for the EPL’s 4th place Europe spot.  And while the origins of Saddam Huessin and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al Nahyan aren’t exactly identical- United Arab Emirates and Iraq are in fact two very different countries- these cultural distinctions may be lost on some….

Alright, now that we’ve got those two disclaimers (and necessary slapping of the wrists) out of the way, we can actually get into the meat of the discussion.  Because, despite Redknapp’s complete lack of self-awareness and cultural sensitivity here, he brings up a question worth discussing:  What lengths are (us) fans willing to support to win?  And if we win, are we willing to ask questions?

Clearly, as a fan of Olympique de Marseille, I’m no stranger to clubs ditching fair, ethical tactics in favor of corruption to win (if this doesn’t ring a bell, google Bernard Tapie).  And though FIFA insists they are cracking down on corruption and UEFA is contemplating putting financial regulations in place to reduce financial irregularities- I think most clubs probably bend the rules of how a club should conduct their business (legal or not).

To get the conversation started, here are just a few examples that fall in to a “grey area” where clubs have arguably not broken the law or regulations of football’s governing body- but are clearly intended to subvert fair play.

So, would you support your club if they were willing to stoop this low to win?

Example 1: Barcelona are stepping dangerously close to the edge of tapping up regarding Cesc Fabregas (or perhaps have crossed it according to some)- perhaps even using their own players as pawns to persuade or pressure Cesc into moving to Barcelona;

Example 2: A family connection between two Ligue 1 clubs (Lille Chairman Michel Seydoux and Lyon stockholder Jerome Seydoux are brothers) have helped the two clubs not only solidify transfer between each other but block transfers elsewhere;

Example 3: A number of clubs across many leagues have flirted with economic disaster by taking on enormous debts and loans to cover the cost of huge transfer fees and enormous payrolls.  (Portsmouth, Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona have all either been suspected or admitted to financial strains and questionable economic decisions.  The future of a number of these clubs is now in question as they may face financial regulations from UEFA or worse- bankrupcy;

Example 4: On the end of the spectrum, a number of privately owned clubs such as Chelsea or Manchester City have engaged in the same type of spending- but have the luxury of having their debts wiped clean by their wealthy owners.  With this priviledge, clubs are unlikely to develop financial sustainable practices for the long-term future and clearly advantage teams with such resources.

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Category: England, English Premier League, Europe, French Ligue 1, Leagues, Spain La Liga, World Football