Galaxy
10-13-2005, 12:56 AM
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/4985278
Blatter slams wealthy owners and greed
LONDON (AP) - Soccer is in danger of being destroyed by wealthy club owners pouring "pornographic amounts of money" into the game, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.
"What we are faced with today is a football society of haves and have nots," the head of world soccer's governing body wrote in a column in Wednesday's Financial Times. "This cannot be the future of our game. FIFA cannot sit back and see greed rule the football world. Nor shall we."
Blatter said a new FIFA task force would seek to curb the "misguided, wild-west style of capitalism" which threatens to "suffocate" the game.
"I am confident that this new initiative will bear fruit quickly and decisively," he said, without giving any specific solutions.
Blatter singled out the emergence of "individuals with little or no history of interest in the game, who have happened upon football as a means of serving some hidden agenda."
"Having set foot in the sport seemingly out of nowhere, they proceed to throw pornographic amounts of money at it," he said.
Blatter did not name any owners, clubs or leagues, but his attack appeared largely aimed at England's Premier League and Chelsea.
Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea two years ago and has spent about US$500 million buying players for the club, which captured the English league title last season and has won all its games so far this year to hold a nine-point lead in the standings.
Manchester United was bought out earlier this year by American businessman Malcolm Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Unlimited cash has given a handful of club owners the wherewithal to control the global game by splashing unimaginable sums on a tiny group of elite players," Blatter said. "More than ever before, the majority is fighting with spears, while the greedy few have the financial equivalent of nuclear warheads."
Blatter also lamented practices that "at best expose the ugly side of club football and, at worst, threaten its very existence."
He described as "slavery" the system whereby agents purchase the commercial rights to young players, mainly Brazilians, and cash in when they are sold to clubs.
"To FIFA such transactions fall well short of minimum standards of decency," Blatter said. "We can no longer merely accept them. Nor shall we."
The FIFA chief also cited salary negotiations which produce "semi-educated, sometimes foul-mouthed players on 100,000 pounds (US$174,000; €145,000) a week holding clubs to ransom until they get, say 120,000 pounds (US$210,000; €174,000)."
"More often than not, these players are guided in their endeavors by unsavory agents whose income is a percentage of the deal they cut for their client," he said. "It is simply insane for any player to 'earn' 6 million-8 million pounds (US$10.4 million-US$13.9 million; €8.7 million-€11.6 million) a year when the annual budget of even a club competing in Europe's Champions League may be less than half that."
In another apparent reference to England, Blatter said it was no surprise the game has suffered from a drop in attendance and saturation of live television coverage. In a clear shot at Chelsea's domination, he said, "What is interesting about a league whose champions can be predicted with confidence after about five games?"
Blatter slams wealthy owners and greed
LONDON (AP) - Soccer is in danger of being destroyed by wealthy club owners pouring "pornographic amounts of money" into the game, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said.
"What we are faced with today is a football society of haves and have nots," the head of world soccer's governing body wrote in a column in Wednesday's Financial Times. "This cannot be the future of our game. FIFA cannot sit back and see greed rule the football world. Nor shall we."
Blatter said a new FIFA task force would seek to curb the "misguided, wild-west style of capitalism" which threatens to "suffocate" the game.
"I am confident that this new initiative will bear fruit quickly and decisively," he said, without giving any specific solutions.
Blatter singled out the emergence of "individuals with little or no history of interest in the game, who have happened upon football as a means of serving some hidden agenda."
"Having set foot in the sport seemingly out of nowhere, they proceed to throw pornographic amounts of money at it," he said.
Blatter did not name any owners, clubs or leagues, but his attack appeared largely aimed at England's Premier League and Chelsea.
Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea two years ago and has spent about US$500 million buying players for the club, which captured the English league title last season and has won all its games so far this year to hold a nine-point lead in the standings.
Manchester United was bought out earlier this year by American businessman Malcolm Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Unlimited cash has given a handful of club owners the wherewithal to control the global game by splashing unimaginable sums on a tiny group of elite players," Blatter said. "More than ever before, the majority is fighting with spears, while the greedy few have the financial equivalent of nuclear warheads."
Blatter also lamented practices that "at best expose the ugly side of club football and, at worst, threaten its very existence."
He described as "slavery" the system whereby agents purchase the commercial rights to young players, mainly Brazilians, and cash in when they are sold to clubs.
"To FIFA such transactions fall well short of minimum standards of decency," Blatter said. "We can no longer merely accept them. Nor shall we."
The FIFA chief also cited salary negotiations which produce "semi-educated, sometimes foul-mouthed players on 100,000 pounds (US$174,000; €145,000) a week holding clubs to ransom until they get, say 120,000 pounds (US$210,000; €174,000)."
"More often than not, these players are guided in their endeavors by unsavory agents whose income is a percentage of the deal they cut for their client," he said. "It is simply insane for any player to 'earn' 6 million-8 million pounds (US$10.4 million-US$13.9 million; €8.7 million-€11.6 million) a year when the annual budget of even a club competing in Europe's Champions League may be less than half that."
In another apparent reference to England, Blatter said it was no surprise the game has suffered from a drop in attendance and saturation of live television coverage. In a clear shot at Chelsea's domination, he said, "What is interesting about a league whose champions can be predicted with confidence after about five games?"