Governing body interest in MLB-style luxury tax policy
As part of their unfaltering quest to dilute the power of big spending English clubs, UEFA are said to be interested in introducing a Major League Baseball-style luxury tax policy as part of their ‘Financial Fair Play’ campaign. The Associated Press explains:
The MLB system works by taxing free-spending clubs on all they spend above a set payroll. If the luxury tax idea found favor, big spending soccer clubs would have to pay their tax before being allowed to play in the Champions League and the second-tier UEFA Cup, renamed the Europa League next season.
Among the clubs who would suffer most from this new proposal are Manchester Utd and Chelsea, who operate with huge wage bills and equally huge debts. The money collected from these taxes would be distributed around the league - last season, for example, the New York Yankees were forced to dish out over £20m to their rivals.
Obviously upset at the prospect of paying the wages of the rest of the Premier League, Chelsea chief exec Peter Kenyon made his views
Chelsea exec looks silly two months after lobbying for continuity
Over the last few months, Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has taken every opportunity possible to publicly back Luiz Felipe Scolari.
But anyone thinking Kenyon’s apparent loyalty stemmed from the realisation that they might be doing better if he hadn’t botched their summer attempts to sign Robinho was wrong. After all, this is the same man who expressed “absolute confidence” in Avram Grant two months before he was sacked.
There’s just thirteen days to go before the window is opened
In the summer everyone was expecting Xabi Alonso to move to Juventus only for coach Claudio Ranieri to eventually decide that he was too slow. The Daily Telegraph today claim that Ranieri is planning another Anfield raid, with underused duo Daniel Agger and Ryan Babel, who have eight league starts between them this season, top of his wishlist. The former Chelsea coach is poised to offer £19 million to persuade Rafael Benitez to part with his favourite substitutes. Here are today’s other major rumours:
Slaven Bilic to Sunderland
Former West Ham and Everton defender Super Slav has been backed down from 12/1 to 6/4 favourite for the Sunderland job but don’t be fooled into wasting money backing him because The Times say he is still not a leading contender.
For about the thousandth time in his Chelsea career, Didier Drogba has shown a desire to jump ship after being spotted in a restaurant with his agent, an Inter director and Jose Mourinho’s agent. However, for perhaps the first time, the Ivory Coast striker is no longer indispensible. Chelsea are top of the Premier League and the division’s top-scorers while Nicolas Anelka has managed eleven goals in twelve league starts. So if the Blues do finally decide to get shot of the striker, who should they bring in to replace him? Here are a few of the names that have been mentioned so far:
Adriano
The Brazilian striker was a surprise inclusion for Inter Milan in the starting line-up against Juventus, where he helped create the winning goal. There are big question marks over his attitude but former Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi has tipped him to move to Stamford Bridge, saying: ”Roman Abramovich has always liked him and I wouldn’t be surprised if Chelsea came knocking on Massimo Moratti’s door soon.”
Mario Balotelli
The 18-year-old is another Inter Milan striker who is linked with a move to Chelsea in a part-exchange deal for Drogba. Scolari is reportedly impressed by the youngster but it would be seen as a big gamble to replace Drogba with someone so inexperienced.
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