
“In 2009 Michel Platini, the president of UEFA, announced that something was finally going to be done about the arms race in European soccer. With great fanfare it was announced that regulations, known as Financial Fair Play, had been agreed to limit excessive spending, especially by the notorious ‘sugar daddies’ — wealthy individuals who use their financial muscle to stockpile talent and effectively buy titles. Many soccer fans welcomed the initiative, believing that prudential regulation was long overdue in the light of the persistent insolvency of European clubs.” ESPN (Video)
Daily Archives: July 13, 2013
SoccerManager.com — The best online manager game
“Let’s be honest, most of us have at some point been worryingly addicted to Football Manager games. The chance to take control of a football club and replicate the beautiful game in a virtual interface has been a hobby of millions. The sole chance us below average footballers (yet passionate footy fans) have to experience the ‘real’ thing. But it’s one thing to take lowly Southend United to Europe’s holy grail and take ‘Old Big Ears’ back to Roots Hall while playing against managers controlled by computer generated algorithms, and another whole scenario to do it against actual managerial enthusiasts like yourself. SoccerManager.com takes this highly addictive passion and puts it onto the online world, implementing all the necessary features for you arm-chair pundits, and gives you the opportunity to compete.” Outside of the Boot
The 10 biggest questions for European soccer in 2013-14
“With the Confederations Cup now behind us and the new European soccer season less than 40 days away, there are plenty of talking points looking ahead to season 2013-14. Here are ten questions that we have been asking this summer…” SI
In Mario Gomez Fiorentina have seen something the rest of Europe did not
“Mario Gomez scores lots of goals: 75 in 115 league appearances for Bayern Munich, 63 in 121 for Stuttgart and 25 in 58 games for Germany. Even last season, when he had been relegated to second choice behind Mario Mandzukic, Gomez rattled in 12 goals in 11 starts. When he joined Bayern in 2009, he was the most expensive transfer in Bundesliga history. If various add-on clauses end up being triggered, he will surpass Nuno Gomes as Fiorentina’s record signing.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
Schrödinger’s Football Team
“The no-man’s land of the summer is an odd time for all football fans. For most of us, the love and support we lavish on Liverpool Football Club represents one of the most intense, long-lived and important relationships in our lives. Liverpool Football Club will be there throughout the majority of our existences, aside from the casuals or the apostates of course. But from late May until mid-August, our love of football is, against our wishes, put on hold. We rely on the relentless march of the season to sate our desire for the sport we love. There is always another game in a few days and then abruptly there isn’t; I always feel bereft for a few days after the FA Cup Final.” Tomkins Times
The Neymar problem
“The Cristiano Ronaldo problem has become the Neymar problem. That both are superb players is not in doubt; both are supremely skilful, capable of a sudden and devastating acceleration, and both can turn games in an instant. But they can also be negligent of their defensive duties and allow the opposing full-back to get forward untended.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson
