Tuesday 12 August 2014
Saturday 15 March 2014
Tuesday 4 March 2014
Success and money – it’s complicated !!
This article first appeared in the official Chesterfield FC matchday programme.
It wasn’t long ago that Anji
Makhachkala were tipped to dominate European Football. Owner, Russian billionaire
and politician, Suleyman Kerimov, had splashed the cash to entice world class players
such as Roberto Carlos and Samuel Eto’o (on £400,000 per week). Kerimov, made
his money in banking and several investments in oil companies in Russia, enough
to purchase Anji in January 2011.
Anji were formed in 1991 and had flitted around the top two
divisions in Russia until Kerimov’s purchase. Immediately, plans were
introduced for a new stadium as Russia prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in
2018.
Dagestan has a serious security issue, at present, with
armed conflict. The republic’s neighbours, Chechnya are in an ongoing land dispute
with Russia and attacks are commonplace. With this background the clubs’ players trained and lived in a
village near Moscow and flew into Kaspyisk on match-days, some 1815km drive or
a two hour flight.
Kerimov continued the signings, Moroccan player, Mbark
Boussoufa, and Brazilian, Jucilei, signed for £20 million pounds. Midfielder,
Yuri Zhirkov, then signed from Chelsea for £14 million and then to the surprise
of many, Eto’o signed for £28 million from Internazionale. The club appointed
Guus Hiddink as the new manager.
The end of the 11-12 season came, Anji had failed to qualify
for the UEFA Champions League and instead entered the UEFA Europa League for
the first time since 2001. They made it through to the Round of 16 where they
were knocked out by Newcastle United.
The following season and again it was a disappointing one
for Anji. They finished in third place some nine points adrift of Zenit St
Petersburg.
The owner then lost patience, wanting a streamlining of the
squad, he ordered a slashing of the wage bill of 70 million Euros. Departures
of Eto’o, Lassana Diarra, and Igor Denisov were included in a whole host of
“fire” sales, as the crisis at Anji took hold.
Anji, as the winter break of three months in the Russian
Premier League takes hold, sit in bottom position without a league win. They
have made the latter stages of the Europa League, somehow.
New Fulham manager, Rene Mulensteen, was installed as coach
back in July to replace Hiddink. However, he lasted 16 days to be replaced by
former coach, Gadzhi
Gadzhiyev. It seems that Russia’s glamour club has had its shine removed
as the restructure process continues.
................and Atlético Madrid
There’s no doubt that the arrival of Diego Simeone has heralded
a golden period at Atlético Madrid. The Argentinian enjoyed two spells as a
player at the Vincente Calderón Stadium. Simeone joined the club as manager in
December 2011 and guided Atlético to a
second Europa League trophy, defeating Athletic Bilbao in the final with
Colombian, Rademel Falcao, in sparkling form.
Atlético were becoming a new force in Spanish Football. At
the start of 2012-13 season they won the UEFA Super Cup. Some saw this Simeone
side perhaps threatening the Barca/Real duopoly.
Whilst finishing nine points adrift of Real Madrid in third
place, Simeone had guided Atlético to a UEFA Champions League position. It was
on the domestic cup front that they had their sights though. After dimissing
Getafe, Betis and Seville to reach the final, they were up against their city
rivals Real.
Atlético had not beaten
Real in 26 matches, however, things were about to change. Miranda’s extra time
goal settled the tie in favour of the Los Rojiblancos. Simeone sensed a change
in direction of the Spanish League.
Much of Spanish football’s club sides play a favoured
4-2-3-1 formation with the exception of Barcelona who attack with 4-3-3.
Simeone has designed a formation which suits his side with all four midfield
players tucked in, it allows the full backs to press forward, and blocks the
midfield of the opposition when they don’t have the ball.
Diego Costa, so often the bad boy of Spanish football is
starting games on a more regular basis since Simeone arrived. So much so, that
he is now in an international battle regarding his nationality, having
represented Brazil (the country of his birth) in two friendlies, he now has serious
designs on playing for the Spanish national side.
It’s about time that someone else postured their way into
Spanish Football, so often it was assumed that Valencia were going to be that
club, but at present its Atlético and who is going to argue with Simeone. However Atlético’s huge debt interest repayments of £17m per
year (on debts of £500m euros) are a real millstone around their neck and their
finances will have to be managed carefully if they are to maintain the on-field
momentum.
Saturday 1 February 2014
Tuesday 28 January 2014
Saturday 25 January 2014
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