UEFA boss wades into Kaka debate |
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Platini gives his considered opinion over the Kaka deal, Sky Sports
News' hysterical coverage of the transfer window gets it in the neck
and Shay Given 'blasts' Newcastle.
The Guardian
"Platini urges Manchester City to produce their own Kaka"
Michel
Platini has challenged Manchester City to produce a Kaka of their own.
The Uefa president plans to bring forward proposals next month that
would require clubs to live within their means. City could only make
their unsuccessful bid last month to sign the Milan playmaker for some
£91m because of the wealth of their owner Sheikh Mansour. Platini
called that attempt "ridiculous" from football, social and financial
points of view.
"City can have a young player from Manchester who
comes to their training centre and becomes Kaka," the Frenchman
claimed. "They don't have to buy someone for €150m [£131m] because they
have their academy."
It is a romantic perspective and the
president was seeking to argue that clubs will be stuck at their
current level if they are denied the right to speculate. There was, all
the same, some absurdity to the suggestion. City, like most clubs, have
not produced a player quite like Kaka in their entire history. The
subject of budgeting is important, though, and Platini reports that
many clubs would like to have limits imposed. Owners, in his example,
are spending "£20m out of their own pocket to compete. They are not
happy".
A worsening financial climate will stimulate interest
when Platini puts proposals before Uefa's strategy council next month.
The body brings together representatives from clubs, leagues, national
associations and the players' unions. While Platini observes that any
rules would only apply to European competitions, clubs would, in
effect, be regulated domestically since the two areas of operation are
indivisible when buying or rewarding footballers. Such initiatives are
vehemently opposed by the Premier League, who see them as a way of
stifling enterprise. Platini would have to earn the approval of the
European Parliament and the European Commission, where accusations may
be made of restraint of trade. His system, if adopted, might not be
introduced for three years.
"My philosophy is clear," Platini
said. "I have to give everybody the chance of winning. We want to have
financial fair play." He rejected the accusation that he is
anti-English. Platini argues that the Premier League's domination is no
different from that of La Liga or Serie A in the past.
Daily Express
"Careless talk can cost you, Andy"
Premier
League clubs are still puzzled over Sky's coverage of the deals
supposedly being negotiated in the final hours of the transfer window.
Andy Burton claimed on air that text messages he was receiving were
from "Leroy Lita" and "Micah Richards". Let's hope the latter wasn't
Burton's snout on the supposed Roque Santa Cruz deal.
The Sun
"Toon became a Joe-ke"
SHAY GIVEN says he was ready to quit football — because Newcastle had become such a shambles.
Given
hit out at boss Joe Kinnear’s chaotic regime and hammered them for the
way they handled his wish to leave after 12 years’ service.
And
he revealed his worst moment came after the side crashed 5-1 at home to
Liverpool on December 28. It could have been TEN but for his exploits.
The
Irish keeper, who completed his switch to Manchester city on Sunday,
said: “It came to a head after the Liverpool game. It was such a low
point in my career.
“I was that low that when I was walking off the pitch I would have been happy if I never saw another football again.
“I’ve
had lot of highs and lot of lows at Newcastle but that was a real low —
a real kick in the teeth. The fans were feeling the same. It was a real
low point for everyone.”
Given admits he had a growing unease
about the situation at the Toon since the start of the season. He said:
“A lot of people were asking why I was unhappy. I just wasn’t
comfortable at the club any more.
Fizzling out
“I wasn’t comfortable with the way the club was going.
“It wasn’t after one result I decided to leave the club. It had been building for six months or so.
“The manager at Newcastle is only in charge to the end of the season — and the club was up for sale and then it wasn’t.
“The last six months, it has been fizzling out and it has not been enjoyable going into training.
“I just felt — maybe selfishly — that I deserved a little bit better than that.
“I felt I could be at a club that should be challenging for honours.
“As
a footballer you have only got a short career and I didn’t want to
finish mine regretting not taking up this opportunity to join City.”
Given’s
words will certainly heap the pressure on unpopular Toon owner Mike
Ashley and the increasingly erratic manager Kinnear who yesterday
refused to reply to this latest attack.
Pathetic
Given felt Newcastle’s attempts to keep him at St James’ were pathetic.
Following
the Liverpool disaster, his representative Michael Kennedy put out a
statement making clear the player’s discontent with the way the club
was going.
Yet it was not until nearly a month later that Ashley spoke to him about his future.
Given said: “They finally spoke to me on January 26. That was the first contact I had with Mike Ashley.
“There
were a few things Newcastle could have done but they didn’t and in the
end they were happy to take the money and move on.
“I felt that
after being there nearly 12 years and considering the service that I
gave the club, the regime could have looked after the whole thing a
little better.
“They made me do things that I didn’t want to do in the end.”
After
a dozen years without a medal to show for his service, Given is now
hoping to end more than three decades of hurt at big-spending City with
trophies.
The stopper said: “I know it is a fantastic club I am
joining, with fantastic ambitions. I’m delighted they’ve brought me to
the club.
“This was a great opportunity to further my career and go on and hopefully pick up some silverware.
“I went to Newcastle originally in the hope of winning something but that did not materialise.
“Now I think I am joining a club who have a real opportunity to pick up some silverware.
“I’m 32 and, in goalkeeping terms, that is still relatively young. Hopefully I can play for a good number of years yet.
“Speaking
to the manager here, it is all very exciting. It feels like a club that
is going places. And I’m very grateful and honoured that the manager
has chosen me to come to this club because he could have picked from a
number of goalkeepers. I’m delighted to be here.”
Given will go
straight into the team for tomorrow’s home showdown with Middlesbrough
and he has already noticed a difference in terms of class in the squad.
He said: “Training here this week has been fantastic.
“There
is a step up in level from what I’m used to in terms of the players
they have here. There are so many exciting players out there and I am
looking forward to playing with them.”
He said: “The good thing
for me is that Richard Dunne, Stephen Ireland and Craig Bellamy are
here and they’re all players I have played with in the past.
“It
was a bit daunting on Monday walking in to a new club and new
surroundings. But it’s been a bit easier with those players before.
They welcomed me to the club.”
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