» Football Business

Adriano. Lazy Ass MTF.

ana — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:55:25 +0000

Really, only in Brazil this sort of shit happens. And it kills me.

Adriano, who has the right to practice whenever his royal ass feels like, hasn’t showed up in Flamengo for the past 9 days. He got two free days before joining Brazil to play Ireland on March 2nd, got back to Brazil on Thursday, March 11th, and hasn’t been seen since. The worst of all (as I do not give a damn if he plays for Flamengo or nor that he gets the second highest sallary in Brazilian football) is that the punk is a starter for the Brazilian national team. And that is plain and simple f*ed up.

Dunga is really one stupid person. He keeps on calling Adriano and puts him as a starter, while there are some hard working players out there who could really contribute more to the national team. But no, dumb Dunga keeps lazy fat ass Adriano, who since World Cup 2006 has done absolutely nothing for Seleção.

And I bet Dunga will bring him to South Africa. Which is wrong in all possible levels. Lazy ass MTF – this guy should have retired for good.

Bye bye LA Sol. Hello F.C. Gold Pride

Ana — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:21:29 +0000

The Women’s Professional Soccer League here in the US is going into its second year, and things are not going nicely for some. LA Sol, last season’s most popular team, got shut down because they could not find any owners to… uh… own the team. Yeah, that bad.

The league had to dispense all LA Sol’s players last Thursday, including Brazilian superstar Marta, who now gets to play for F.C. Gold Pride (hey, you lose I win right?).

From NY Times:

Marta is expected to boost the team’s bottom line, too. Nancy NeSmith, a part owner of F.C. Gold Pride, said that Marta, the four-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, will help the team sell sponsorships and tickets at its new, smaller stadium at Cal State, East Bay.

“Our plan is to sell out every game,” said NeSmith, who added that the phones started ringing in the team’s ticket offices as soon as Marta’s acquisition was announced. “If we get into a smaller stadium and sell out, the demand grows and the sponsorship grows.”

Sounds reasonable. As long as there is steady growth, the league can survive. There is no way women’s football will grow from night to day in the US or anywhere else on the planet. And we have to agree that this is a great opportunity for Gold Pride. Not so much for Marta.

Oh sheits… World Cup 2010 will bankrupt me!

Ana — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:07:37 +0000

I am starting to plan the trip to South Africa. Fun fun fun!

Brazil will play first two games in Johannesburg (Korea DPR and Ivory Coast) and then off to Durban (to play Portugal). All that is very exciting… until you actually start bumping into prices. I already have the tickets to follow Brazil… but that is not even the beginning of my headaches.

A plane ticket from JFK (I am in New York) to Johannesbourg goes for about 2k… not a joke. I heard some people saying $1300 so if you are one of the blessed ones who have found it at that price please share the goods. Hotels are not even an option unless I become part of the Hilton faimily (or the Marriot family? Or Bill Gates family?), or something… So looking at home rentals will be another 3k at least.

Car? 800 dollars. If they don’t up the price just because it is World Cup time.

Just… awesome…

Yep… I better start making some serious money!

Pompey set to go offline

Ana — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:57:55 +0000

It is hard to imagine a worse season than the one Portsmouth are suffering at the moment. The extravagant and irresponsible excesses of recent years are unravelling by the day as the club careers towards financial meltdown.

Portsmouth’s Premier League odds already make grim reading, but a clutch of incidents this week have left the club on the edge.

The start of the week actually brought good news, with the Premier League partially lifting the club’s transfer embargo, allowing them to sign players on loan and on a free transfer. Ghana striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie signed on loan to lighten the gloom.

But as the week progressed things took a downward path. It was revealed that talks had taken place with Spurs over the transfer of Younes Kaboul and Amir Begovic. Portsmouth have a threadbare squad as it is so further player sales would put their ability to name a full match day squad into doubt. But with debts of £60 million the bills have to paid somehow and it looks like further player sales are the answer.

However, these talks took place without the knowledge of boss Avram Grant or chief executive Peter Storrie. The talks were handled instead by Daniel Azougy, the Israeli lawyer employed by the club’s owners to look after Portsmouth’s finances, despite his convictions for fraud and obstruction of justice in Israel. Angry at their exclusion both Grant and his chief executive might resign with Storrie admitting his position was untenable.

It gets worse.

An email was sent to club staff warning that their wages may not be paid on time for the fourth time this season and a humiliating week was capped when the club website being taken offline by the clubs digital partner due to unpaid fees. It returned after a few hours when a new payment plan was agreed but the damage to the clubs flagging reputation had been done.

The south coast club face a winding up petition on February 10th and given the events of this week it is hard not to see them becoming the first Premier League side to fall into administration. A sad sorry tale of a club mismanaged from top to bottom, Pompey have not heeded the lessons of Leeds United’s excesses ten years ago.

Their FA Cup triumph in 2008 was supposed to have heralded a great new era for the club. Instead it may be the last major trophy the club will ever win.

The football odds suggest Portsmouth will be playing Championship football next season, but they might not last that long.

Messi and Marta: 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year

Ana — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:27:06 +0000

As expected, Messi and Marta are 2009’s FIFA World Player of the Year.

Messi took his first FIFA World Player award home by beating C. Ronaldo (who had 352 points against his 1,073). Xavi was third, Kaka fourth and Iniesta fifth. Very well deserved.

Marta took the award for the fourth consecutive time, something never achieved before by male or female player. And she deserves it more then anyone out there. The superiority of her game and skills make it impossible for anyone to win. Germany’s Prinz was second with 290 points (Marta had 833), Kelly Smith had 252, and Cristiane had 239.

The secret is in the yellow shirt…

Ana — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:19:27 +0000

Nice commercial by Brahma made for the friendly tomorrow against England. I even cried a little

Yep, Becks is back to AC Milan.

Ana — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:23:19 +0000

As expected, David Beckham is done with the MLS for now (or is it forever?). The British beau is set to come back to AC Milan in January and although this is supposed to be another loan from LA Galaxy I find it hard to believe that he will go back to the States. AC Milan’s vice-president, Adriano Galliani, said this is the only player coming in the next window.

Own every World Cup ball since 1970.

Ana — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:57:08 +0000

Adidas is bringing back all balls used on World Cups since 1970. The commemorative set includes 10 balls and goes for $849.99. Each ball comes with its own ring stand commemorating the year in which it was used. Such a neat idea!

Photo: Holland and Belgium present the logos for their 2018 / 2022 World Cup bid.

Ana — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:55:55 +0000

We all have to agree that that would be a great location to host a World Cup. Holland and Belgium combined can definitely do a great job and make fans and teams happy. What’s your opinion?

The Value of a Name in Football

Bruno Romani — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:20:00 +0000

The site Futebol Finance produced a list of the top 25 salaries of Brazilian footballers around the world. The surprise? The list has a number of players who are veterans or have not produced much in recent seasons. That shows us that even in football, the brand is what counts. What is also scary about the list? Dida and Doni make more money than Julio Cesar. The list has the monthly and yearly payments:

1) Kaká (Real Madrid) – 750.000 € – 9.000.000 €
2) Robinho (Man City) – 637.000 € – 7.650.000 €
3) Diego (Juventius) – 583.300 € – 7.000.000 €
4) Ronaldinho (Milan) – 541.600 € – 6.500.000 €
5) Deco (Chelsea) – 500.000 € – 6.000.000 €
6) Rivaldo (Bunyodkor) – 416.000 € – 5.000.000 €
7) Roberto Carlos (Fenerbahce) – 375.000 € – 4.500.000 €
8 ) Cris (Lyon) – 350.000 € – 4.200.000 €
9) Dida (Milan) – 333.300 € – 4.000.000 €
10) Doni (Roma) – 333.300 € – 4.000.000 €
11) Ricardo Oliveira (Al Jazeera) – 333.300 € – 4.000.000 €
12) Belletti (Chelsea) 320.000 € – 3.840.000 €
13) Lucio (Inter) – 300.000 € – 3.600.000 €
14) Maicon (Inter) – 300.000 € – 3.600.000 €
15) Ronaldo (Corinthians) – 300.000 € – 3.600.000 €
16) Julio Cesar (Inter) – 291.000 € – 3.500.000 €
17) Pato (Milan) – 291.000 € – 3.500.000 €
18) Mancini (Inter) – 291.000 € – 3.500.000 €
19) Amauri (Juventus) – 291.000 € – 3.500.000 €
20) Diego Cavalieri (Liverpool) – 280.000 € – 3.360.000 €
21) Thiago Neves (Al Hilal) – 266.600 € – 3.200.000 €
22) Thiago Motta (Inter) – 250.000 € – 3.000.000 €
23) Maxwell (Barcelona) – 250.000 € – 3.000.000 €
24) Grafite (Wolfsburg) – 250.000 € – 3.000.000 €
25) Elano (Galatasaray) – 250.000 € – 3.000.000 €
26) Anderson (Manchester) – 240.000 € – 2.880.000 €
27) Alex (Chelsea) – 240.000 € – 2.880.000 €

The site also produced a list of domestic players. The main surprise? Fluminense, the last side in the Brazilian league, has 4 players in the list. Inter, Palmeiras and Sao Paulo, the three sides fighting for the title, are behind Flu. Inter has only 1, Palmeiras has 2 and Sao Paulo 3.

1) Ronaldo (Corinthians) – 300.000 € – 3.600.000 €
2) Adriano (Flamengo) – 141.000 € – 1.700.000 €
3) Fred (Fluminense) – 120.000 € – 1.440.000 €
4) Dodô (Fluminense) – 80.000 € – 960.000 €
5) Fabão (Santos) – 80.000 € – 960.000 €
6) Kleber Pereira (Santos) – 80.000 € – 960.000 €
7) Edmilson (Palmeiras) – 73.700 € – 885.000 €
8 ) Leandro Amaral (Fluminense) – 70.000 € – 840.000 €
9) Kleberson (Flamengo) – 62.000 € – 745.000 €
10) Zé Roberto (Flamengo) – 62.000 € – 745.000 €
11) Gilberto (Cruzeiro) 60.000 € – 720.000 €
12) Jorge Wagner (São Paulo) – 60.000 € – 720.000 €
13) Kleber (Internacional) – 55.800 € – 670.000 €
14) Juan (Flamengo) – 55.000 € – 660.000 €
15) Bruno (Flamengo) – 52.000 € – 625.000 €
16) Leo Moura (Flamengo) – 52.000 € – 625.000 €
17) Souza (Corinthians) – 50.000 € – 600.000 €
18) Edu (Corunthians) – 50.000 € – 600.000 €
19) Dagoberto (São Paulo) – 47.900 € 575.000 €
20) Diego Souza (Palmeiras) – 47.900 € 575.000 €
21) Hernanes (São Paulo) – 45.000 € – 540.000 €
22) Fabricio (Cruzeiro) – 45.000 € – 540.000 €
23) Diego Tardelli (Atlétic-MG) – 45.000 € – 540.000 €
24) Denis Marques (Flamengo) – 43.700 € – 525.000 €
25) Diguinho (Fluminense) – 42.000 € – 505.000 €