It appears that buffoon Cragnotti is delaying payment to Valencia for Mendieta...I don't know where this thing is headed, but if they default it appears Gaizka is technically Valencia's property again and could be headed back to the Mestalla. I think Crags is meeting with Moratti at Inter again tomorrow (for the 40th time) to see about a Nesta sale, which would give Lazio some much needed cash, but I wouldn't put much faith in it. http://www.planetfootball.com/artic...cpid=23&Title=Valencia+wait+on+Lazio+payments http://www.sport.es/Barsa/article.asp?id=46240 ps- just read that Ivan De La Pena is taking Lazio to court over back wages! What a mess.
A mess is an understatement. Six years ago, who would've thought that a player like De La Pena would be in a pickle like this. The guy has undeservedly ridden the pines for quite a few years, and he can't even get paid. The whole post-Bosman years have pretty much sucked for European football. I don't have a problem with the player out of contract clause, but the whole nationality clause totally blows. Italian clubs have been spending way over their heads on non-Italian EU players for the past 6 years and it's finally catching up (Fiorentina anyone?). The Serie A has been nothing but a black hole for a lot of non-Italians. What has it gotten them in European competition? Jack ***************. The Serie A these days is all but unwatchable in my opinion. Enjoy, Rivaldo. The Italian game REALLY fit$ your style of play. Sorry for the venting, but the whole situation is distressing. A Dutch team like Van Gaal's Ajax in '95 (whose whole was MUCH greater than the sum of its parts) will never compete in the Champions League again. La Primera is not regarded as one of the best legues in the world becuase of the pedigree of Spanish players either. Granted, every European powerhouse has been fueled by non-domestic players, but c'mon, Barça can field a completely Spanish-free XI if they wanted to. It's one of those things- you never wanted to see European football evolve into what American sports have evolved into. It was only a matter of time, I guess.
What is the lieklyhood of La liga or any other top flight euro league adopting an NBA style Salary Cap?
The Italian federation was actually making rumblings about that, but I don't see it ever happening. The problem is that you'd have to have it endorsed all across Europe to be effective at all. Even if UEFA could somehow maneuver the legal minefield to institute it, they'd still need the blessing of the large clubs and they aren't going to go for it. I vaguely remember when Bosman was instituted, the fear was that smaller teams would get jobbed because they would develop players and the big boys would grab them up (when the contracts expired). heh. Now its the big squads who can't control themselves from poaching each other. jc
Actually Italia owns the most expensive football!!! maybe the richest clubs reside in England but the wages are unbelievable in the boot.