Thing is, if Ambani was interested as long ago as pre-season and his son attended the PSV match, why did we seek the help of Keith Harris last week to find a buyer
Obviously Kenwright has been ducking the issue.
Ok I realise I'm going to burn in hell for that, but having nudged the debate over into into a discussion on the morals of capitalism I felt it was the least I could do.
For the record I still think that the pursuit of ever richer owners is disingenius. The global economy's in the process of tanking and the advertising spending which provides the revenue stream by which the TV companies have been able to fund the 'footy inflation' of the past decade has dropped. So has the willingness of the punters to cough up increasingly ridiculous amounts of cash to watch live matches at home - how many watched Croatia-England? About 1.5m wasn't it - the same as on average watches Blue Peter.
The next round of bidding for TV rights is due, I think, next year. I'd be surprised if the bids aren't substantially down on the last time round. I'd also be surprised if the owners of some clubs, who bought into the game solely to make money didn't start screaming when they saw that their 'prize' money had dropped and started demanding a propertionally greater share of the TV pot or they're off to start a European super league.
Let them. The shinies and their septic owners can [Poor language removed] off to Europe for all I care. The Champions league may have proved to be a huge financial success for Uefa, but imo that success rests on the fact that it draws on the strengths and diversities of the leagues from which the competing teams are drawn. Remove the Cl from the national leagues, rebrand it as a European super league, add in even more pointless 'raz' and it'll wind up looking like the World Wrestling Federation.
Good. It's not because I relish the idea of seeing Stevie G in a silver sequinned leotard and tights brandishing a flaming trident as he's roared onto the pitch by a Charlton Heston soundalike, rather that with the shinies gone, I won't ever have to. I suspect I won't be the only person who won't be tempted to pay to watch the games, and with any luck the whole thing will be bankrupt within few seasons just like the USA's first attempt at a 'soccer' league.
If the remaining European league structures have the good sense to impose suitable penalties on the departing teams and any players greedy enough to play for them with any luck we won't be seeing them back until they're played their way up through all the semi-pro and pro leagues. Nine levels isn't it?
Those who forget the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them.
Those who forget their roots should be damned to revisit them.
