2022-23 UEFA Champions League

Some real apathy to the game last night. The local was only half full with only one City fan who to be fair had supported them for over 30 years. Other than that anyone else interested was supporting Inter and the rest not bothered by it. If it was any other club going for a treble I imagine there would have been alot more interest and the pub owner would have been alot happier with his till receipts at the end of the night.

I'd be surprised if there is any tax issue, they are probably scrupulous about making sure every penny is paid and if anything erring on the side of over-paying.

HMRC has zero interest or concern with the rules of football or FFP. So if say Haaland is getting his salary bumped by ultra-generous airline sponsorship deals in the background in order to keep his official football salary low, then it's a potential breach of football regulations. But all HRMC would be concerned about is that the correct overall tax is paid regardless of how the income is funnelled to each person.

They're brilliant.

But as brilliant as they are, they're not the greatest football team of all time, which has been asked repeatedly recently.

It's not based on last night only, they have only won 1 game away in the CL this season, they can play great football but they can also be stopped by organised teams. That's not trying to take away from them winning, they did what they had to, but the way the broadcast media hype them, you'd think they were the best team ever, not even close for me.

As Darragh Maloney and Liam Brady rightly said. everyone spends money these days.

I thought about it think of Liverpool throughout the years signing Andy Carroll for stupid money from Newcastle in a panic buy. Liverpool signing Coutinho and selling him for silly money to Barcelona. Liverpool is club which likes to pretend it is not capitalist. Liverpool 'This means more'.

Then there is the big one from the 70's Keegan sold to Hamburg for 500,000. Then Dalglish was sold to Liverpool from Celtic for over 450,000. That is just one club as an example. All in all Liverpool spent their money in the right way in their history more often than not. They got the signings right then had a period of success.

1977 Dalglish to Liverpool @1:26 Paisley said Hamburg 'stole' - then said 'well they didn't steal him they paid for him' then said 'Took away' to Hamburg. And basically implied Liverpool did not cry about it so Celtic should not cry about loosing Dalglish either.

That to me is just Soccer finances have pull. But the good managers mould the players and pick the right ones regardless of their cost.

As Maloney rightly pointed out when Hughes was manager of City he spent big but spend incorrectly - with no real plan. Maloney said there is no point having money if it spent badly.

Soccer has always been awash with money and the the bigger monied teams hoover up the other teems players. Soccer is the ultimate world wide capitalist business. People like to pretend it is a sport but to me it is business.

I think of PSG they thew massive money to get the CL but yet they never managed to get a team to gel to win the CL. The spending has to be correct and done well. A team has to be moulded.

I think of the great AC Milan backed team by Berlusoni he spend big Gullit Rikard Van Basten etc. There is the obvious Real Madrid policy of signing big names. A club who was historical state backed. I think of Napoli splashing the cash on Maradona and others in late 80's/90's. Barcelona now how did they get out debt tv rights etc - suddenly they get Rafinha and Levendowski etc. Money talks that is soccer - deals are made off the pitch.

Moving the 'economic levers' bringing in about 700m to rebuild their side. 'More than a club'?

Barcelona is more Soccer politics than Soccer itself in my opinion. Big business.

Selling the TV rights - Spotify sponsorship - 1.5billion in loans - soccer is capitalism even for the clubs who think they are 'more than a club'

Now I have no dog in the fight but people who pretend to be horrified at Man City's spending don't seem to realise the capitalist nature of Soccer historically and what a business Soccer is.

Many in Ireland follow the PL instead of the LOI for example? Why that is where the money and glamour is. The global capitalist fans follow the money as simple as that. To complain about a team like Man City to me is hypocritical. When the whole premise of soccer is a financial - an ultra capitalist one at all levels.

As for Pep himself. I think he did a great job moulding a team getting the correct signings that is what managers do. Pep has clearly improved his players Grealish/Stones/Foden for example that is what managers do. The change in Stones is up there with Paisley changing Alan Kennedy from a forward to full back. Excellent managers see things that other don't which ironically in the world of Soccer is priceless.

All moot.

Did those clubs cook their books?

My original point was that they were over hyped, lauded by the British and Irish media as if they are the greatest team of all time, but they're not. It keeps getting called a historic treble and, while a great achievement, they're not the first English team to do it.

Nope.

So I'm supposed to accept City's depraved backers, who have doped the club to the hilt, because Barcelona and Madrid have dodgy pasts, which we all know about. Madrid were torn to shreds on here when their debt was forgiven, and we all know how Barca and Real had TV rights by the balls for ages. None of that is new.

None of that changes any of the City stuff. And its not the same. This narrative that 'football is dirty, therefore just accept it' is absolute toss. I'm sorry, the Glazers don't have bottomless pits funded by despicable regimes in order to artificially pump the place full of money into every orifice of the club. Same for FSG. Same for the Kroenkes. Etc. It just doesn't happen.

City are not the same. And pretending they are is insanity.

I'm not against owner investment either and I want the lesser clubs to challenge the established elite but it needs to be controlled. If an owners wants to invest 100m over 2 or 3 seasons in players all the more power to them.

What city are doing is cheating though, sponsorship deals funded by the owner, off the book payments to managers and probably players. This a club that can't fill their stadium, no one really supports globally yet claim to have the largest commercial revenue in football, it's absolutely farcical.

They'll spend another 200m this summer after winning a treble.

It was a MASSIVE pressure game for them. Many teams have looked nervy in CL finals. City no different.

They've now overcome that massive hurdle. The prospect of them having more confidence in themselves after winning the CL and achieving the treble...

Again the language 'depraved backers' 😂 'Depraved' seriously? All wonderfully hard hitting but vague words - based on your own biases. It is clear you have an agenda. You need to open your eyes to the world of soccer. You sound very 'holier than thou' at best and 'idealistic' at worst.

And 'deplorable' regime based on what your view of what culture should be? That is not how the world works. Your'e using a device now that has components made in China. With minerals mined from Africa and in the winter you burn oil from the middle east. Also governments deal with these 'depraved backers' and 'deplorable regime's'. They are intwined in the financial markets of many Western nations. So who is codding who here?

Again 'doped' is a relative term - a team has to be moulded and formed. In soccer it is not a level playing field once capitalism is involved. That is just a fact of the sport itself. I doubt you ever considered critising Real Madrid and Barcelona for the issues I previously raised. Financial loopholes. State backed and so on. Instead you just focus on Man City because this is your narrow focus and your agenda.

You seem to ignore the fact that money does not make a team on its own. That team has to be managed correctly, the tactics have to be correct for that team. Players have to be improved and man managed money is component of soccer. But the old fashioned values of good management are still integral at the top of the tree.

Are regimes who torture people, employ child soldiers, mistreat migrant workers and commit human rights violations not depraved?

Grand so.

Sounds like a Monday morning

Money has always controlled sport, and often it was from nefarious sources. The only thing that has changed is that it’s from more obvious nefarious sources.

In Ireland the only thing that has changed is your kids will be Man City or Newcastle or Chelsea fans instead of Liverpool or Man United. The kits retail at about €80 these days IIRC.