Football and business

[Gerrit]

I'm glad to see Salzburg doing well. I like that team, have liked them for many years. Sure, the Red Bull take-over was sour, but after a while one becomes milder and accepts the facts... I'm glad that the team is doing well again after years of relegation struggles.

And hopefully Maccabi do kick Liverpool out. Maccabi are champions of their country, Liverpool aren't, LFC should not be in this tournament in the first place. I really hope for a victory of Haifa in the return game.
But even more, I hope for all people of Israel that the situation in their country will be back to normal soon. This war can never bring a winner, only many losses, it's such a shame politicians tend to forget that Throwing racketts at people who have nothing to do with it and didn't ask for a war, it is just sick. But with a terrorist organisation that is Hezbollah, you can't really expect diplomacy I guess.
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Rosenborg, forever pride of the North!

[Recon]

[Gerrit]

I followed Salzburg for many years and am well-aware of what happened. And I accepted it.

You know, people love to spit on clubs like RB Salzburg, MK Dons, Livingstone, Airdrie United, ... but those sort of things are consequences of professional football. Liverpool or Chelsea also lost every local touch: they reach out to fans, sponsors and players everywhere, they don't care about local players or fans. What's the difference with MK Dons moving 100miles down the road or with a company buying a club?

I also would prefer clubs to stay in their own city, companies buying a club without changing the name and colours, ... But I think we have to cancel professional football all together if we want to never see anything like MK Dons happening again. So if you want professional football, then accept things like RB Salzburg or MK Dons will happen. If you don't accept these, then also complain about Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United, etc who also don't really think in 'regular' terms anymore.

I preferred SV Salzburg before the take-over, of course I do. But I still love Salzburg as a city, and because of that I re-found my sympathies for its club. With or without Red Bull. I just hope they give the violet-white back, but to say I hate the club would be a lie and would be wrong as well. It's still Salzburg, even with those ugly bulls on the shirt.
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Rosenborg, forever pride of the North!

[Recon]

I guess you are also aware of how the tru club's fans have been treated then, for nothing more than wearing the traditional colors? Guess that is all fine with you as well.

No point talking to you mate. You're a lost cause.
Have a good 'un and better luck in your next life.
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Profesjonell revolusjonær

"Hans Hipp som happ uttalelse er jo en katastrofalt dårlig beskrivelse av fakta, som skaper inntrykk av manglende strategi og kunnskapsløshet. "

[attach]

[arnt]

Sorry Gerrit, but I have to agree with the others here. I understand that love Salzburg and the old club, but really that should only make you more angry with Red Bull. You shouldn't just accept it. Red Bull may think they only bought a club and remade it in their image, but they are wrong. What Red Bull did was nothing short of rape. They took your club's colours, your club's name, your club's logo, even your club's history and threw them away. They took away your club's soul, mate.

If I'd ever have the misfortune of having to witness Rosenborg becoming Red Bull Trondheim, in red and blue shirts with bulls on them, playing at Red Bull Stadium and I could do nothing to stop it, I would take up chess and forget I ever liked the beautiful game.
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"Engang en ret forvoven Jyde
Med Hagel paa en Thrønder vilde skyde,
Men fik hans Pande ei i sønder,
Nei, der skal Kugle til en Thrønder!"

[Gerrit]

I also don't like all what has happened in Salzburg, but I think it's naive to think this is a once-off. It is part of modern football:
- Wimbledon FC relocating 100 miles to a town with better outlook in terms of profits
- Arsenal, Chelsea, etc having players from all over the world apart from their own area
- Man United recruiting sponsors and fans in the USA for the simple goals of profits, not caring about what was left of local community attachments
- clubs renaming themselves after sponsors (eg Red Bull Salzburg) or renaming their stadium after their sponsors (like half of the Dutch professional teams)

the only way to stop this, is to ban professional football alltogether. But that's not going to happen, so you may just as well accept the things that happen. They're part of professional football. Clubs these days are companies looking for profit, not giving a damn about fans that leave the club. It'd be naive to believe that Malcolm would care that a local Manc ditches the club, because for everyone that does so there's a Japanese or American fan ready to fill that gap and spend money on replica shirts and so.

Face it, it's the price you pay for professional top football. I would much rather not have these situations, I absolutely hate the Champions League where the nr 4 of Italy qualifiers more easily than the actual champions of Iceland or Finland, I'd say the Champions League is the most disgusting thing since the invention of football. Traditional football fans need to be consequent however: you cannot just spit on Salzburg and MK Dons but meanwhile adore Arsenal and Manchester United, they all ruin the true football spirit just as well in a different way. Be consequent and turn your back on modern professional football alltogether, or accept the likes of RB Salzburg and MK Dons just as well. One cannot support Man United or Arsenal but meanwhile spit on MK Dons, it'd be hopelessly inconsequent.

I would much rather return to the days when football was about honour and love for the game, without business goals involved. But it's not gonna happen. I have to accept that, so why would I bother hating Salzburg and MK Dons? I'd have a miles long 'hate list' if I have to be against every single team that approaches football in a business matter, for a start 75% of the English Premiership would be on that hate list.

By the way, Salzburg is not as extreme as many people like to picture it. Half of the old support still sticks with the club and still supports the team, and yes they are negotiating with Red Bull to get the full history accepted again and to get the beloved violet-white back. Red Bull is negotiating with the supporters federation about this, it's not like they're not willing to listen at all.

I think the football community needs to decide what they really want: true football spirit, or professional football. If you choose the second (I'd rather have the first personally but accept it won't happen) then fine enough but be consequent. Arsenal, Man United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, etc are just as guilty as RB Salzburg when it comes to ruining the true core spirit of football.

[Gerrit]

Big news in the Irish papers here...

Apparently Sheikh Mohammed, the political leader of Dubai and one of the 10 richest people on earth, has plans to buy a football club as investment. His company, Dubai IC, has its eye on buying 80% of the holdings in Liverpool FC, and LFC confirmed they are indeed in advanced negotiations and that a deal may be concluded shortly after New Year

Sheikh Mohammed and his company already owns a horse-racing and camel-racing enterprise, owns the Travelodge hotels (one of the UK's most widespread hotel group), has shares in the Tussaud museum, and now fancies a football club as next investment. Mohammed, who is richer than Abramovitch, is (as literarly stated in the press) the sort of guy for whom 1000000000£ is a 'small expense' He has said Benitez would be able to ask any player he wants and the money will be there next day, also he wants to finance a brand new 60000 capacity stadium for Liverpool. Dubai IC would buy the football club but leave the current board and technical staff in place ; they see it purely as investment but don't plan to interfere with the current staffmembers' work. Liverpool FC thus confirmed the only changes would be a virtually endless cash flow, enabling Benitez to be any player he wants and make Liverpool the best club in Europe.

LFC stated a deal may already be made within the month, and that Dubai IC is indeed the most likely new investor/owner.





It may sound weird, but I really would feel dodgy about it if it were my favourite club. These investors deal with clubs in a very business-esque way, but where's the emotional connection to the clubs? If Liverpool are going to open a club shop in Dubai and spread replica jerseys all across the Arab peninsula while none of those people ever came near England, I'd say that's selling out. I'm not saying it's wrong if an Arab spontaneously decides to support an English team, but I find it weird when a club deliberately tries to sell itself/brand itself to people 6000 km away. Celtic now for example opened a Japanese version of their site ; as far as I know they however hail from Scotland and then it cannot be the purpose to try to brand your club in Japan?!
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Rosenborg, forever pride of the North!