NorthernLad

I find it amusing that Etisalat ban access to this one particular story (presumably as Eriksson was set up in Dubai)...IF any damage is going to be done to the reputation of Dubai it will be abroad, I can't see any real benefit in stopping people in Dubai reading (if the paper was correct) about how this man is willing to sell out the country who has paid him @#*! loads of money to
(so far) win nowt!

If anything, Dubai has played a (small) part in exposing yet more greed/corruption in football!

http://www.7days.ae/local-news/eriks...y-blocked.html

Autonomy

Greed - perhaps

Corruption - why? What was corrupt about this?

NorthernLad

A friend sent me the article yesterday, Eriksson claimed he could tap up David Beckham and prise him away from Real Madrid to Aston Villa (Eriksson told the reporter it would take £25 million to get a controlling interest in the club, with a view to him being manager) — which is illegal in soccer. "He will come tomorrow. And it's up to me to convince him that Birmingham is the right place to be."

An interesting comment on this was how would it effect team line up for the World Cup - if Beckham was out of form, would he still have been picked by Eriksson (who would want to keep him happy in order to lure him to Aston Villa)?

As for greed, he wanted a three-year deal that would match Jose Mourinho's £5 million-a-year at Chelsea. As well as annual bonuses for players of £200,000 to £300,000 a year if cups were won. And for himself "a little larger than that".

Autonomy

The greed part - it could be seen as greed, but could it also be seen as trying to get the best "package" for yourself.

The corruption part - ok I see more now - however why is it "illegal" (is it actually against the law or is it just against the FIFA rules?) to approach a player with an offer? In any other business this would be fairly usual practice no?

Just curious - I don't know that much about the ins and outs of footy business....

NorthernLad

Not sure about the whole legal position, I expect it is FA/FIFA as Chelsea/Ashley Cole were fined large amounts of money last year for attmepting a similar move.

Whatever the legal situation is, in my opinion it's still corruption - the England manager abusing his position (well paid, I might add!) to make more money for himself.

I agree in other business similar practices happen, but this man is ultimately paid for by fans (through tickets for games, which FA take cut of, through satellite TV subscriptions, and I would guess some indirect contribution from taxes).

Take a look at a lot of the people who go to football games, many will go without luxuries just to pay for a season ticket, or travel aborad to follow their team. How must they feel reading about the country manager offering to sell himself out? Not good, I would guess.

BurpusMe

In Canada, it's the biggest pussies who play soccer (as we call it).
I find it astounding that there is so much money involved in a sport that nobody knows/cares about in America.

I also find stuff like this (pic below) astonishing.
This is soccer's biggest star!? Did he join the Spice Girls or what?


Aaanyhow, back to the thread... can someone post the original (banned) link? I'd like to read the original.

Benson

check out this site, I got to it from there. UAE community blog

NorthernLad

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/stor...ws/news1.shtml

Autonomy

Says the man with this as his avatar (!)

You're all man... grrrr macho.....

BurpusMe

Don't be a hater!

Autonomy

Me no hater... just having some fun...

Of course Canadian sports heros would never be seen dead in an embarrasing photo shoot...

BurpusMe

Ooooohh! Playing dirty are we?

<Contemplates a witty comeback>

*TURNS AND RUNS AWAY* :scared:

CasaNova

this is Not Right! how could someone plan somebody to say something they like??

CasaNova

Sorry Off Topic:


Can we steal avators of other members??

Face81

hmmmm........ interesting

why would they do something like that????

Weird news stuff going on..... still the smoking gun about the UAQ Sheikh as well.