The Sound Of Silence

Little echo in Spanish press of UEFA's latest report on the state of the game. La liga won the "prize" of being the least competitive league, and was also named as having the worst systems of financial control along with the super stong and interesting Albanian league. Yes....Spain and Albania will be the only leagues who have failed to introduce their own financial fair play rules.

Maybe it's the fact that it isn't any surprise at all given the ineptitude of the the people that run the game. Attention is drawn by the fantastic play of Barcelona, the world cup winning national team, and Real Madrid who dominate evrything - as long as those 3 are good.....the masses don't care or are unaware of any undercurrent of trouble.

I investigated the other day and found that in England even the 8th level of the league ladder has a sponsorship deal. Clubs get an intake stream, however limited. I can remember as a kid that the first division was the Canon League, the League cup was first the Milk Cup, then Littlewoods, then whatever. Until just 4 seasons ago, la Liga didn't have a sponsor. The Copa Del Rey is still just the Copa Del Rey. And as I mentioned in other posts, the division Real Murcia competed in this season, Segunda B, has no sponsor, no TV deal, and therefore shirt and hoarding sponsors disappear. Any wonder 20 odd clubs (including historical and well supported clubs like Cadiz) are on the brink of folding? Many will go......and I have to say some of the blame must lay with the RFEF and it's president Angel María Villar. Him and his cronies that think trophies should be presented at plush dinners. They can blame inept owners overspending, but their almost complete lack of implication to help fund lower leagues is startling. Their threat of relegation for any team who aren't up to date with payments to players just stinks of lunatics running the asylum.