Over the years money has completely transformed football as we know it, to the extent where people who have no footballing background or interests are turning a sport into a business pumped full of money, that is lost as easily as it was gained in the first place.
This ‘break even’ debate is one that has been regurgitated by the press on several occasions, with no real decisions being made, just a series of debates between Premier League chairmen. Though none of these discussions have brought about a concrete decision, clubs have agreed to focus on the possibility of a break-even model. This ruling would bear similarity to the financial fair play regulations introduced by FIFA in regards to teams in European competitions.
On the pitch, fair play between teams is a must with referees doing their best to treat each decision the same regardless of the team. Club’s and their financial capabilities make fair play off the pitch a non-existent entity. When it comes to the amount spent by each side in the league the difference between someone like Manchester City and Sunderland is phenomenal. Obviously City has more money at their disposal but at the same time they made a £197m loss last season. This is where it becomes unfair; in my opinion clubs should only be allowed to spend within their means. Look at what happened to Portsmouth – Manchester City could be next. Enforcing this model could save clubs as well as even things up a bit.
It is possible that another meeting could be held before Christmas or early in the New Year to further discuss plans than would have an impact on all clubs competing in the Premier League and not just those involved in European competitions.
With new three year television deals set to break the £5 billion pounds barrier come 2013, it’s about time a solution is found to prevent all of these funds going straight into the pockets of players and agents. In England grass roots football has been a major concern for many years. The influx of European players into the English game from a young age is staggering. For this reason it is no wonder that the national side’s future can sometimes appear a bit bleak.
When you look at the three lion’s current set up there is plenty of youthful talent in amongst it but very few of these players, if any are regulars for their clubs. It is fair to say that a sizeable chunk of the money gained from these television deals should be invested into new up and coming British talent.
At this present moment in time there are two categories of teams in the Premier League. The first contains clubs like Fulham who believe there should be no restrictions whatsoever; where as the other group includes sides like Sunderland who want controls to end at short term restrictions on player wage increases.
Debates and opinions are what make football such a fantastic sport but decisions as we find out on a weekly basis are equally important. The break even ruling is one that needs to be put to bed in the near future so that everyone can move on, whether it be in the same direction or a new one.
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