Money speaks loud in language everyone understands
Little wonder the pair this week provided the loudest voices clamouring for an English equivalent of UEFA’s rather oddly named ‘Financial Fair Play’ scheme.
UEFA’s plans — which will never work, of course, since there is no known way of detaining a rich man from what he wants — would tie clubs’ spending to their natural earning power.
But is there anything inherently more meritorious about Arsenal’s ability to capitalise financially on its prime location in one of the world’s richest cities that should forever protect its place towards the top of English football? And ought Manchester United’s first-mover advantage in the thrilling world of commercialism be forever cast in stone by capping others who didn’t match their foresight? What’s so terrible anyway about Middle Eastern businessmen pumping silly money into local economies via the careless pockets of young footballers?
More power to any football administrator which can devise a financial framework that will flatten playing fields as much as NFL chiefs have managed in their wide-open competition.
But we might be wary of interested parties plotting a racket to guard older money.
