What is this, some kind of xenophobia? You might want to look a little closer to home. The most expensive transfers ever, and the transfer progression. Where are Chelsea and Man City? Where are the long lists of English clubs?

(IMG:https://i.ibb.co/qY6TCFV/transfers.jpg)

No it's a phobia the the EPL basically controlling football. Now there are rumours the UEFA made a deal with the EPL clubs involved, which makes this even worse for me as a supporter of an Italian team handcuffed by the limitations of the league it plays in.

That list doesn't say much at all. Give me the expenditure of all the EPL clubs + PSG per year over the last 8 - 10 years. Probably no where near what other teams spend. My gripe has never been woth the English teams only btw, and I'm sorry for coming off that way, but mid-table EPL clubs are more advantaged than their Serie A and La liga counter parts who consistently make CL. Because that is the financial imbalance that exists because of the money in the EPL then on top of that add the Russian/Arab owners who inject cash into their clubs by usurping FFP rules and it creates the kind of issues we see today where clubs who do not have these advantages simply cannot compete anymore. Especially with FFP putting them in a chokehold.

Aside from the English clubs Barca and Real are also accountable no doubt. Especially given the fact that they monopolise the TV money in Spain.

And don't get me started on PSG who tried to act holier than thou during this entire saga when they are the biggest culprit for where football is today

Han, I don't get you. You comment how the spending spree of these rich clubs has led to where we are today (and I wholeheartedly agree on that), but then you ultimately blame UEFA.



That's contradictory in itself. How has UEFA monopolised the system? I'm against UEFA's policies like the FFP or the new Champions League reform, but UEFA is just a governing body. European football is ultimately controlled by the rich clubs. They provide the major stream of revenue and we saw with the Super League how their departure would leave UEFA practically naked.

Perhaps I'm missing something so please explain.

Chelsea transfers this summer:

40M Ziyech
48M Werner
45M Chilwell
72M Havertz
22M Mendy

Total spending = 227M pounds. On just 5 players. Wut??

In 2019 Man City spent more than 120M pounds for Rodri and Cancelo. ManU spent 87M euros on Maguire. F*cking Maguire, man! I mean, that's just insane.

The Premier League spent $1.2 billion in the summer of 2020, whereas Serie A spent $544 million and La Liga $486 million. $1.2 billion!!! In the middle of a crisis for crying out loud! And then they whine how they don't have enough revenues to cover expenses.

The spending spree of English clubs is absolutely ridiculous. Them along with Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG are the main culprits for this new crooked system football operates in nowadays.

Let's get back on topic. We play Sassuolo tonight in a crucial game. Ibra, Theo and Bennacer are out. Hoping for the three points today, but it will be tough.

in 1987/88 Milan spent ?6m on 1 player, the entirety of English football spent ?22m on over 150 players. Let's not pretend this is a new thing. The birth of the Champions League and the 90s saw Italian clubs blow up transfer fees to insane levels. The late 90s/early 200s saw Madrid do it again, and Italian clubs spent themselves in to oblivion. Yes, absolutely English clubs have spent more recently. But to blame them for a system that has been broken for decades, absolving the others of blame is pure xenophobia.

It's also basic economics. Everyone know PL clubs have money due to massive TV rights. Of course English clubs will spend more, they're essentially taxed on their TV earnings.

2017/18 - Premier League clubs made ?2.419billion from TV rights alone. The transfer spend of all clubs was ?2.182billion. 90.2% of their TV revenue.

2017/18 - Serie A clubs made ?924m from Tv rights. The transfer spend was ?1.051billion. Over 100% of their TV revenue.

The idea that English clubs spend a lot, it's totally fine. It's fair. But the idea that they are outspending their limits more than any other league? Absolutely laughable.

It's only normal for Italian clubs to spend more than they make on TV rights cos otherwise how are they going to remain competitive? And that's where the ridiculous nature of FFP comes into play, and how it favours the rich clubs and damages the not so rich ones. But these insane prices over the last 10 years have been driven primarily by those clubs I mentioned earlier, i.e. English clubs, Barcelona, Real etc.

Now, it's arguable that Italian clubs also spent a lot in the 80s and 90s, but that's going way back. Even if you take inflation into account, transfer fees in the 80s were not ridiculous, and in the 90s you had only a handful of clubs that could permit high prices, some of which went bankrupt.

I mean, look at Milan's most expensive signings: https://www.transfermarkt.com/ac-mailand/tr...ekorde/verein/5

Now look at a club like Spurs who are arguably the least powerful one from the big six in England: https://www.transfermarkt.com/tottenham-hot...orde/verein/148

Don't even dare to look at Chelsea, City, ManU cos then it becomes comical.

I'm not pointing the finger on English clubs as the main culprits, but by far and large they have contributed to this corrupt system that is unsustainable anymore. And why something atrocious like the Super League almost became a thing.

Zlatan, Bennacer and Theo unavailable.

Official line-up: Donnarumma, Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Dalot, Meite, Kessie, Saelemaekers, Calhanoglu, Rebic, Leao.

Good to see Calabria back, but why oh why start Meite over Tonali?

Also, Zlatan keeps missing matches due to recurring muscular injuries. Is it really normal renewing the contract and paying 7M to a guy who barely plays half the games of the season? I have my doubts.

We're so toothless and uninspired upfront.

1-0 HT

Very mediocre performance thus far.

A few considerations:

Calabria is such a good fullback. He doesn't do extraordinary things, but does what is required extremely well.

Second excellent consecutive game for Saelemaekers. Such a hard-working and intelligent player. If only he had a bit more skill.

Kessie keeps the ball far too long. It's become sort of a trademark of his, but today it's not working and he's lost so many dangerous balls.

Calhanoglu, great goal aside, is just so... I don't know what's the right word for it... Pushover?

Leao and Rebic have zero dialogue together.

We miss a couple of great forwards upfront BADLY.

We will need another goal at least. Because it seems they will be scoring sooner or later.

It's a match that can go either way. Sassuolo have been the better side overall.

We have slightly improved some half decent chances

I die a little inside every time I see Krunic coming in.

Lol.. I just hope we don't trybto hold onto 1 - 0 keep pushing like last 15 odd minutes