Credit: Latest Sports Alerts

By Zach Ricchiuti

UEFA's Financial Fair Play ruling is on full display at Milan. Can they be saved?

Last week, UEFA brought down for the first time the heavy hammer that is its Financial Fair Play ruling. The FFP sanctions hit 23 clubs across Europe’s Champions League and smaller Europa League, bringing some long overdue financial restraint to professional soccer on the continent.

Among the notable clubs penalized was Malaga F.C., the tiny Spanish side that so graciously donated star Santi Cazorla to Arsenal last year precisely to avoid tripping the FFP regulations. Europa League champions Atletico Madrid also found itself under pressure after violating stipulations that clubs not have “important” overdue payments to other teams, their own employees, or tax authorities. Atletico Madrid still owes F.C. Porto a good deal of money for Columbian striker Radamel Falcao, who was instrumental in their run to the championship.

Judging by the spending of many top clubs this year, it’s easy to assume that European soccer is immune to global economic recessions and the like. But in fact, much of the spot has been hit hard. England’s Portsmouth, an FA cup winner a few season ago, is now mired in debt from unpaid wages and transfer fees. Rangers, which make up half of the Scottish Premier League’s two-horse race, fell victim to a lengthy spell of tax fraud that once inflated its debt to $217 million. The club has since fallen to Scotland’s third division.

But where perhaps FFP has had the most noticeable impact is at San Siro, where one of Italy’s greatest teams now look a shadow of their former self. AC Milan recently finished gutting an aging, expensive roster in desperate need of rejuvenation. Signing big money players like Ibrahimovic brought the club a league title, but it was at the cost of major turnover that will now be far more painful in the coming years. This summer alone, AC Milan dumped (deep breath), Antonio Cassano, Taye Taiwo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Alessandro Nesta, Mark Van Bommel, Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso and Massimo Oddo, as well as loanees Alberto Aquilani and Maxi Lopez. That’s 11 players who could have all seen significant minutes, if not started.

Those moves will do wonders for Milan’s balance sheet. Just taking away Ibrahimovic’s wages frees up an extra $15 million a year. But it comes at a steep on-field price. The club’s starting lineup last weekend against Atalanta was, simply put, one of the weakest and most technically deficient teams Milan has put out in decades.

The Ibrahimovic sale has been critical to the bottom line
of AC Milan but can they fill the void on the field? 

The defense in front of keeper and holdover Abbiati is inexperienced and average, dragged down by Bonera’s dreadful play and Abate’s lack of technique. In the midfield, Kevin-Prince Boateng is still class. Sometimes I lay in bed in my underwear rewatching that wonder goal he scored against Barelona where he did that thing with his feet, and then that thing with the ball, and then that thing with the shot, and I honestly still have no idea what the hell he did. But his is painfully deprived of any decent players to combine with. And it takes a duo to succeed at this level. Granted, Robinho is currently injured. But if that emaciated, diving Brazilian is AC Milan’s saving grace, I’ll eat my hat.

So where do Milan go from here? Considering their budget, the best bet is to recruit an advanced robotics team to replace all of Alexander Pato’s major muscles and bones, reinforcing his frame and keeping him injury-free. They could use bungee cords to replace his hamstrings and Home Depot hinges to shore up his knee joints. Styrofoam for the cartilage, because they’re on a budget, of course.

In all seriousness though, Milan desperately need to get him back on the field. When Pato did play he scored an impressive nine goals in 18 league appearances. But injuries have prevented him from fulfilling his potential. Since Milan cannot afford to provide him with much help, it will be up to Pato to stay healthy and keep the club in contention.

And even with him, it’s unclear just how high the ceiling is. It needs to redefine its playing style and identity following the loss of Ibrahimovic, and is still thin up top after losing out on available strikers like Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin Van Persie and Klass-Jan Huntelaar.

Milan will certainly emerge from this period in a stronger financial position, but its struggles highlight how much FFP can impact Serie A. The league does not have the fan base to fill clubs’ massive stadium, and is not producing nearly enough talent to ship abroad in exchange for cash. Juventus are the only club that have managed to build a new stadium and stay competitive, while making money and spending it wisely. But even that came at a cost thanks to their 2006 match-fixing scandal.

I , for one, hope that Serie A takes heed of its problems and explores rebranding the league. Even in spite of the financial issues, it has a lot to offer. Some shrewd business moves, combined with the eventual resurgence of clubs like AC Milan, could generate a revival sooner than later. After all, it’s never a party until the Italians arrive.

Zach Ricchiuti is a contributor and resident European soccer expert for Began in '96

Read more »

By Matt Anderson

A guide to the best, brightest and quirkiest players that you should keep an eye on during Euro 2012.

On June 8, the European Championships kick off across Poland and Ukraine. This competition is like the World Cup on crack. Everyone in the 16-team tournament knows each other well, and likes each other a lot less.

For those of you who aren’t soccer obsessed like me, I’ll give you one player from each team to watch and a license to use any of the following to impress people watching Euro 2012 with you.

Group A

Poland: Wojciech Szczesny, GK.
You pronounce it Woah-Check Shez-Knee. This young keeper came into his own for England’s Arsenal this year, manning the space between the sticks in their third-place campaign. He kept 18 clean sheets, which is a lot for an Arsenal team with less than stellar defense. He also made a highlight reel penalty save against Liverpool that ended up being the difference in the game.

Greece: Fanis Gekas, F.
Gekas is old. But he's crafty. He doesn’t play in the big leagues anymore, instead plying his trade in Turkey for Samsunspor. But he scored eight goals in 11 appearances for them, and if Greece wants to pull off a shocker, he’s going to need to be very active and soak up a lot of pressure.

Russia: Alan Dzagoev, M.
He’s only 21, but he’s been the Next Big Russian Thing for what feels like forever. Dzagoev is athletic and has great vision and passing skills. He also has a knack for scoring, which is helpful since Russia’s strikers have struggled of late. This tournament is his audition for a club from one of the big four leagues (England’s Premiere League, Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, and Germany’s Bundesliga).

Czech Republic: Petr Cech, GK.
About a year ago, everyone said Cech was washed up. They said the fractured skull he suffered in 2006 had made him timid. It looked as though his days at Chelsea were over. But over the past few months, he's played at the highest level imaginable. First, he survived the barrage that was the Champions League semifinal versus FC Barcelona. Then he won Chelsea the FA Cup.  And then he saved a penalty in extra time as well as two during penalty shots to win the Champions League final. He is in the form of his life.

Group B

Netherlands: Robin van Persie, F.
Arsenal’s RVP showed the world just how good he really is this year, winning all three of England's Player of the Year awards. He scored 38 goals total, including 30 in the Premiership. As RVP went, Arsenal went, but for this deep Dutch squad, he won’t have to do all the legwork, leaving him fresher than ever.

Denmark: Christian Poulsen, M.
Poulsen is going to be critical for the Danes. He will have to cover for the back line, which boasts some decent players but few superstars. He will also have to get the ball to their front line. Poulsen is the quintessential box-to-box midfielder, and he is one of the most experienced men in this tournament. If he’s up to the task, the Danes could put up a fight in this Group of Death.

Germany: Bastain Schweinsteiger, M.
His last name is one of the most fun to say in the tournament. Schweinsteiger is also is the lynchpin of the well-oiled machine that is Germany. He will be charged with defending, attacking, distributing, and otherwise making sure all the pieces swirling around him move like they're supposed to. Germany is one of the favorites to win this thing, and to do that, he'll have to play a key role.

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo, F.
There are few players in this tournament who can put their teams on their back and Cristiano Ronaldo is one of them. But that’s the problem: In the past he has tried to do that and failed miserably. When things don’t go his way, he checks out and becomes rather petulant. However, if he can strike the perfect balance between taking over and letting the game come to him, Portugal could turn a few heads.

Group C


Spain: Xavi, M.
As Schweinsteiger is to Germany, Xavi is to Spain, but times 10. This little man is the calm in a storm of soccer magic, much like he is at FC Barcelona. He never tires and never misses a pass. He was the MVP during Spain’s run to the title in 2008, and things will be no different this time around. If Spain is a frenetic sonata, he is the metronome that keeps everything on rhythm.

Italy: Mario Balotelli, F.
Balotelli is a wild card. Earlier this year, the Manchester fire brigade had to come put out a blaze that he had started by shooting off fireworks in his bathroom. Later in the year, he followed a brilliant goal by flashing a shirt that said, “Why Always Me?” It’s always him because we don’t know what he’ll do next: slot home a goal after an amazing touch, or slide tackle an opponent who doesn’t have the ball and get sent off. He never fails to entertain, or have a terrible haircut, and Italy is putting a lot of hope on a 21-year-old who''s likely just on the wrong side of loopy.

Ireland: Robbie Keane, F.
One of the few players in this tournament who plays here in the USA. He led the Galaxy to an MLS title last year, but did it with what seemed like three-quarter effort. He's in the twilight of his career, yet Keane can nevertheless make an impact. Keep in mind that he holds the distinction as Ireland’s career goal-scoring leader.

Croatia: Luka Modric, M.
Modric is one of the most creative and driven midfielders in the world. Last summer, Tottenham fought hard to keep him away from many suitors, including super-rich Chelsea. One can only imagine that he’s still looking to move, now that the Spurs failed qualify for the Champions League. Modric disappeared at the end of the year for Tottenham and will be looking to show everyone that that was an anomaly, not the new norm.

Group D

Ukraine: Andriy Shevchenko, F.
Shevchenko has been around the block quite a few times. He knows his history and he knows how important this tournament is to Ukraine. With the home crowd behind him, he will look to reach back to the mid aughts and find a rich vein of talent to help his team impress in a relatively wide-open group.

Sweden: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, F.
Ibra was once a lumbering target who struggled when he didn’t have good service from the midfield. Then he went to AC Milan, where he grew into what experts call the false nine role. Ibrahimovic can now sit in a sort of no-man’s land between where a striker normally would be and the midfield, and drive the action forward as well as score on his own. His passing is spot on and his finishing is often creative and exciting.

France: Hatem Ben Arfa, M.
This relatively young player has had a rough couple of years. His lack of discipline and health has kept him out of regular action, but this year with Newcastle he still managed to hit a new level in his development. Gven a chance to get a consistent run of games, Ben Arfa produced some magical goals. He will look to continue that this summer and restore France’s disgraced name.

England: Andy Carroll, F.
For much of the year, Andy Carroll was Liverpool’s waste of 35 million pounds. This lolloping forward struggled to stay with the squad and struggled to score. But toward the end of the year, something clicked and he suddenly became a threat to score. In the FA Cup final in May, Carrol came off the bench and immediately halved the deficit, then appeared to tie it when his header was saved into the underside of the crossbar. We’ll probably never know if it was in, but the man is playing with confidence, and that will go a long way. Carroll's even more important for England  this year, because Wayne Rooney must sit out the first two games due to disciplinary problems. If he continues to play well, England should be in good position when Rooney returns.

Matt Anderson is Began in '96's Richmond correspondent. More of his coverage of Euro 2012 can be found here.

Read more »

                                                                                                                                                                            Radio Australia News

By Joe Schackman

The search for a team to guide my education. The latest in a running diary about breaking into the world of football. The previous piece can be found here.

If I’m going to be respected as a football fan, I have to have a team to follow. It sounds simple, but it’s the most important decision I’ll make as part of my indoctrination into the world of European club football. I need to find a team, somewhere on that vast continent, that will guide my education and give me a window into the sport’s culture. Through this team, I’ll learn about strategy, player development and transfers. And most importantly, it’ll give me a reason to be passionate beyond just a basic appreciation of the game.

I’ve noticed that with sports like college basketball or college football that I’ve had trouble sustaining my interest because I don’t have a specific team to root for. I didn’t go to a large university, and neither did my parents. I pull a bit for Rutgers, having grown up near the school, and I have a soft spot for Michigan, as my cousin just graduated from there. I enjoy watching USC too, but don’t consider myself a fan.

As a result of those scattered allegiances, my interest in the game varies. Some seasons I’ll get really into college basketball or football, while other years I’ll remain a casual observer. Without one team to focus on, there’s little that will keep me coming back day after day. And so this football experiment will certainly fail if I don’t fall in love with a club. 

“Picking” a team is an odd concept. Having grown up around sports fans and lived in the New York area, there has never been a shortage of teams, and so my passion for a particular sport grew out of my passion a team, rather than the other way around. I love the Mets; the logical next step then was to fall in love with baseball as a whole.

Unfortunately, there’s no La Liga team based out of New York. So I will have to do this the unorthodox way and literally a choose a team. The process is difficult for many reasons, but one main issue is that there is not one football league to rule them all. 

For example: If you want to watch the best basketball in the world, you turn on the NBA. But football doesn’t work that way. Thanks to massive global interest, the player pool is huge and teams have sprouted up everywhere. In Europe alone, there are multiple high-quality leagues, each with their own flavor, style and culture. Yet out of all the football played on the continent, the general consensus is that the four major leagues are La Liga in Spain, the Bundesliga in Germany, Serie A in Italy and The Premier League in England.

Logic says that I should look no further than La Liga. The two best players in the world play in Spain, and for two of the best teams in the world. One of those squads is in the running for the title of greatest ever. The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid is also unlike anything else seen in sports, running far deeper than anything we see stateside. The two teams are woven into the history and political landscape of Spain, with El Clasico referred to as the modern embodiment of the struggle between Franco and the people, Catalonia versus the Capital.

However, the power at the top of the league is extremely consolidated. To have any chance of seeing a league title in the next few years, I’d have to jump on a massive bandwagon already packed with fans, and I don’t think I can bring myself to do that quite yet. Picking a team is hard, but it seems like cheating to go with one of the top four teams in the world.

Then there is Serie A, which has been described to me as the most tactical league in the world. I can appreciate a classic defensive struggle as much as a wide open high-scoring match, and this league would probably be a great place to take my strategic understanding of the game to the next level. But I don’t think I can handle another sport riddled with controversy, and the match-fixing scandal of 2006 continues to ripple through Serie A. I’ve had enough controversy in my sports orbit of late, thanks to steroids, the Saints and Tiger Woods.

Now, I know very little about the Bundesliga, but from what I’ve heard, this is a league after my own heart. The teams in Germany’s top division have largely stayed out of the current escalation of the transfer market. Instead, they’ve invested heavily in their development academies and relied on those homegrown players to carry their teams. Whereas the big clubs across Europe have taken on mountains of debt, Bayern Munich is still making money while continuing to compete at the highest levels. From the outside, the league reminds me of what I love about Major League Baseball. Its structure promotes shrewd moves and development over flashy signings.

But despite everything that intrigues me about the Bundesliga, it just doesn’t draw me in. It doesn’t excite me. Which leaves....

The Barclays Premier League. The most famous league in the world, the Premier League counts teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City among its members. America’s best players are, for the most part, consolidated in England, with Clint Dempsey at Fulham (for now), Tim Howard starting in net for Everton and Landon Donovan joining him on loan for the last two seasons.

It’s also a league I already have some experience with. I lived in London for a brief time, and spent many a night in the pub trying to keep up with the locals as they rambled/slurred on about the teams and history of the Premier League. 

I won’t shun the other three leagues completely, but the majority of my time early on will be spent on the Premier League and whatever team I choose to follow. The beauty and curse of club football is its sheer volume, but whittling my quest down to one particular league should make it a bit more manageable.

Joe Schackman is an editor and co-founder of Began in '96. 

Read more »