07-29-2014, 09:54 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-29-2014, 09:54 AM by ACMILAN1983.)
(07-28-2014, 12:50 PM)Ceceves Wrote: Well, what can you expect from a criminal running a disgusting club supported by fascists?
As for Italy's prospects, I agree it looks really bad. The whole football system needs a restructuring at least the size of the one Germany undertook since 2000. And in Italy it's not just the development of players, but the whole financial structure surrounding the clubs (including the stadium situation). It could be done, but considering the Italian political system, I'm not holding my breath (well, maybe, but only to escape the stench of corruption...)
I have a feeling the only way Italian clubs will be competitive again, is by foreign investment a la PSG and Monaco (who also play in a financially unappealing league). But to the extent this has happened, as in Roma and Inter, it's not remotely enough to push these clubs in to European elite.
Btw. I should note I'm not saying foreign ownership is the way I want to go. It's just the easiest way out, and doesn't make up for the failings of the football system in the country.
lol, the "fascists" don't particularly like that criminal though
I agree on your point on foreign ownership, but I'm not sure it's in the best interest of the clubs for this to happen. At the moment it's benefitted Roma, but unless other clubs show any ambition, and I include Juve who are showing little desire to try and make a push in Europe, they will struggle because in order for Roma to be successful, the whole league needs a certain level of competitiveness.
The issue with foreign ownership is that while the benefit comes from bringing in money to the clubs owned by these people, other clubs inevitably suffer and you end up with at best a couple of clubs dominating the league with ease. This isn't the foreigners fault (Spain suffers the same without foreign owners, Germany with Bayern is another example), but what FIGC needs is to improve Serie A's competitiveness abroad without compromising the domestic level of competition. How this is achieved is up to FIGC (there are ways to do this)and however they do it, it is a necessity.
Ultimately, this "lack of competitiveness" is an epidemic that European football faces, as every league is dominated by pretty much a couple of teams in each league, whereas the rest simply have little to no say. There is a risk of collapse as teams just can't cope financially with the biggest teams. A solution for years has been to have a European Super League where the biggest and richest play, but this will lead to an inevitable collapse of the local leagues which will suffer the loss of the best teams and players. The problem also lies in inflation in Europe, which relates directly to Italian football's financial situation. As the richest clubs spend stupid money in football, while there is a money being brought into the game, there is a massive risk that financial bubble will burst. As there's no control over inflation in the industry, if that bubbles bursts, the ramifications are rather scary.
This is moving onto other areas outside of Italian football, but my point is that FIGC need to consider how they can build a sound and sustainable product without taking the levels of risk that other leagues have taken to reach the highest levels. That's why the German model is considered an example to follow. It's not just the restructuring to bring through top players and coaches, but it's the fact that team ownership isn't reliant on sugar daddies and the number of stakeholders in clubs means that they aren't risking collapse should a single stakeholder stop financing the club. This model, Bayern aside, has generally brought a competitive level in the Bundesliga that means there is a spread in the league where you feel no team is overly dominant. While Dortmund are usually going to be at the top, there's always that feeling teams can face them and give them a game. This is evident in the fact that they lost around 1/5 of their games this past season.
The other aspect of the German model that's really impressive is that on the pitch they've found an identity of their own, but have also looked at the successes of the Spanish model and have incorpared elements of that to evolve their own game.
(07-28-2014, 10:25 PM)Lilly Wrote: I think foreign owners who truly invest in the club could be good for the national team as well. When the Sheikh bought Manchester City back then, I thought he was another rich dude who wants a football club as a toy, but he's actually making some smart investments. One project is apparently setting up a world class youth academy and youth project. If they pull that off, that can only be good for the nation as a whole.
I just don't think truly shrewd businessmen would buy clubs in Serie A as investments at the moment. Infrastructure and regulations in leagues such as EPL makes it much easier to build a club into a moneymaking global brand than in Serie A. I think all we're going to get is second rate investors who ultimately don't have what it takes to truly make a difference.
I mean, people talk about how football is a reflection of the nation as a whole, but Spain is doing very poorly economically and is still dealing with quite a bit of social discontent (although they are apparently on the way up), and their football is still doing well.
Barbara seems to be the only sane person in our management. I have doubts about her abilities, but at least she comes across as a normal person.
Excellent point on City there. Forget their footballing investments, which have been a little all over the place (I'll get back to that actually), your point on building a youth academy and actually their proposed idea to improve Manchester City as a product and use the city as a "sporting hub" could help them become a much better and sustained product.
You know what's sad is that Barbara actually wants something like that for Milan. Casa Milan being an open sporting hub for AC Milan and being a dominating factor in the city of Milan (you see marketing for it everywhere) is a great idea, especially as she's shown interest in taking that brand globally in the future. What she's managed to do really smartly is making fans feel part of the club by making the same complex that fans visit, the central offices for those working for the club. For PR and developing an identity, this is an excellent approach. She's also said that she wants youth focus to be our project and has numerous times mentioned others (mostly Germany) as examples for Italian football to use.
Our problem is two old men at the top of the club aren't helping in this project at all and don't seem to have a long term vision for the club, simply reacting to the the difficulties around them with irrational and down right crazy ideas.
You're also right on foreign investors not coming to Milan. Roma's an exception, because it seems as though the American (James Palotta) who invested in them did it for personal reasons as much as for business. Foreign investors who look at Serie A are looking at a product in quick decline, with a host of social problems and a ton of red tape stopping them from developing projects (just look at the stadium issues). Right now, the only positive that Serie A has going for it is it's successful history. Even then, when you consider that history has foundations in what people lambasted as dull, boring and defensive football in the past, it's a hard product to sell. In the meantime, you have the EPL, known for it's fast and entertaining brand, Spain for the technical quality and in modern times, Germany, who have reinvented their football as a more technical and fast brand of football. Italian football needs to try and do what Germany did, but at this point it's not doing anything of the sort, so why would any investors come to Italy?
(07-29-2014, 04:33 AM)Mystik Wrote: In case anyone was wondering, of course Galliani supports Tavecchio!
http://football-italia.net/52759/gallian...-tavecchio
Quote:Adriano Galliani confirmed Milan continue to support Carlo Tavecchio for the FIGC Presidency despite a racism row.
“We say that any old Opti Pobà can come here, before he was eating bananas, now he’s playing in the Lazio first XI,” said 71-year-old Tavecchio on Friday.
Fiorentina, Cesena and Sassuolo have withdrawn their support, but Galliani assured Milan are standing with him.
“It was certainly an unfortunate phrase, but that’s where it ends,” the CEO told Sky Sport Italia.
“Milan’s position does not change. Tavecchio is not a racist, he just made an unfortunate comment.”
The other candidate is former Milan star Demetrio Albertini.
“I know Albertini, he is a friend and our personal rapport is very good.”
It disgusts me that he's said "Milan's position does not change". We know Barbara (the joint CEO) doesn't support Tavecchio after their public spat and I'd like to know how many in the club do support him (how about they ask our black members of staff on their thoughts?). Galliani supports Tavecchio and it's a shame that he's representing the club.
I have no support for him and I refuse to acknowledge his "achievements" with the club. As far as I'm concerned, the successes the club has had is due to the work of other individuals who brought the club to the top. Galliani has shown his inability and actually incompetence to manage the club in the past decade when he didn't have fortunes to spend and around the end of the 90's, when he completely failed to oversee a regeneration of the club with a new project.