| Paul Trimboli's preview: R9 Fox Sports football commentator Paul Trimboli brings you his thoughts and predictions for round nine of A-League action. Read on for his full preview. foxsports.com.au |
Lavish City spend threatened by Uefa With Uefa's directive on financial fair play kicking off in 2011, clubs such as Manchester City cannot spend, spend, spendThroughout Manchester City's remarkable transformation from habitual underachievers to the world's richest club, there have been constant murmurs that it is too odd to be true, that a "typical City" booby trap must be lurking, even for a club now backed by Sheikh Mansour's formidable billions.Yet the squad Mansour's £500m has assembled, featuring Nigel de Jong's steel, Carlos Tevez's fervour and six England internationals, does not look prone to the yips that the former manager Joe Royle used to call "City-itis". Mansour himself reaffirmed his commitment in a personal letter published with today's annual report, and he is certain to invest further to absorb this year's £121m loss and those of future years.Mansour, the chairman, Khaldoon al‑Mubarak, and the chief executive, Garry Cook, repeatedly stress their purpose is to rebuild City, with huge money, yet without draining the club of its soul.There is, though, a danger for the Mansour project. It is City's misfortune that this benefactor has arrived just as Uefa was passing its financial fair‑play rules, aimed at restraining rich patrons from lavishing money on clubs.The rules, passed unanimously by Europe's football associations, state that clubs cannot make huge losses, even if they are supported by an owner of huge wealth, who is not going to walk away. The intention, propounded by the Uefa president, Michel Platini, is to calm down wage inflation across Europe, encouraging clubs to live within their means. If football can become financially sustainable, Uefa believes more responsible investors can be attracted to clubs than the self-seeking, incompetent or Walter Mitty breed of chairman to which fans have too often become accustomed.The rules begin next year, 2011-12, allowing clubs to make only €45m (£39m) total losses in the three years to 2013-14. City, with their all-star team, mostly packed stadium and revivalist buzz, are sprinting into this restrained environment bearing a loss of £121m, set to rise again next year.Uefa's rules allow for discussion, stating that if a club can show it has a viable plan, is moving towards breaking even, and its debts are not excessive, it can be given more time. However, it insists it did not do all the grinding work of introducing the 85 pages of rules, then to wave through clubs in flagrant breach of them. Gianni Infantino, Uefa's general secretary, said: "There may be intermediate measures; we would have to ask why, maybe there would be a warning, but we would bar clubs in breach of the rules from playing in the Champions League or the Europa League. Otherwise, we lose all credibility."Cook, publishing the annual report, stressed City's positive investment in 106 new non-playing staff, improved "supporter experience" and the community focus, but he accepted that meeting the financial fair‑play rules is a major challenge. The aim is for the spending on players to produce success, including qualification for the Champions League this season, which will generate substantially more income. A major emphasis on the academy is intended to produce graduates of sufficient quality to supplant older stars such as Patrick Vieira and Yaya Touré, on significantly less than their galactic wages."The plan is to grow the financial revenues further, control costs, and have young players come through eventually to replace some senior players," Cook said. "We want to be sustainable, and intend to comply with financial fair play."City are also certain to inspect the fair‑play rules forensically, examining whether there are accounting measures they can take, backed by Mansour's money, which will enable them to meet the criteria. Currently players' transfer fees are "amortised" – depreciated – over the course of their contracts, and City could decide to pay the fees off in full, so not having to feature signings as a continual, annual expense.Talks with Uefa have already begun, with Victoria Kloss, City's chief communications officer, meeting Uefa officials in Geneva yesterday to discuss the financial report and explain the all-round nature of Mansour's investment.Mubarak, Cook and Mansour's other executives must ensure that the sheikh has not spent more than £500m to be told in four years' time that his club cannot play in the Champions League. That would be a typical City moment to end them all, and this regime, while paying respectful homage to City's history, is determined to erase City-itis in all areas.Manchester CityUefaBusinessSheikh MansourDavid Connguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Bolton Wanderers 2 Stoke City 1: match report Bolton record first home win of the season as Ivan Klasnic scores winner against Stoke and is then sent off. telegraph.co.uk |
Marathon soccer game raised cancer funds The Kick for the Cure breast cancer fundraiser in Dartmouth, N.S., lasted for 17 hours before players had to end their bid for the longest soccer match in history. cbc.ca |
Blackpool 2-3 Manchester City In financial terms this was football's equivalent of David versus Goliath, and though we probably know enough about Blackpool by now to realise their artillery is far more advanced than a mere sling and stone, Manchester City found this is a difficult assignment before they finally demonstrated the imbalance of talent that exists between the richest club in the Premier League and its poorest.Moving to within two points of Chelsea at the top of the league, with a loud chorus of "we're going to win the league" emanating from the away end, it was ultimately a day of great satisfaction for Roberto Mancini's side, even it was a slightly unorthodox victory.There were long periods when City lacked creativity and penetration and when Carlos Tevez turned in the substitute David Silva's cross midway through the second half it was in the midst of Blackpool's most dangerous spell of the match.Tevez retains an unerring knack for delivering goals accompanied with an enduring sense of drama. His second, after 79 minutes came within 60 seconds of the Blackpool substitute Marlon Harewood flicking a header beyond Joe Hart for an equaliser that Ian Holloway's side had merited.In stoppage time Silva produced his most exhilarating moment since signing from Valencia for £25m in the summer, beating two defenders before curling a measured shot past Matthew Gilks to make it 3-1 but, even then, there was another twist, with Gary Taylor-Fletcher prodding in Blackpool's second goal.Premier LeagueBlackpoolManchester CityDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |