UEFA still looking after chosen ones
UEFA have revamped their rules regarding financial fair play. Now, it is about sustainability. A major change is that clubs can lose roughly £60million over three years — double what was previously allowed. How fortuitous that this should come in just at the moment major influencers like Manchester United and Barcelona need to spend big to get back in the game. What a coincidence.
Yet in some areas the rules have been tightened. External agencies will more closely monitor sponsorship deals with third parties, particularly those brands that might have close relations with the owners. It’s a rule that would allow Manchester United, say, to strike deals with companies in Saudi Arabia — but outlaw the same for Newcastle.
Why don’t UEFA just bring in a rule that says: whatever Manchester City are doing is illegal. It would save a lot of time, insider networking and hypocrisy.
THERE are reports that Real Madrid have inserted a buy-out clause of £340million in Antonio Rudiger’s contract. This may show how much they love him — or, alternatively, how much faith they have in his loyalty.
HE was doubted, made a figure of fun in the early days, knocked out of the Champions League by Midtjylland, and beaten by Hearts on the first day of the season, but Ange Postecoglou has done an outstanding job at Celtic.
An Australian coach, fresh from Yokohama F Marinos, induced scepticism. Yet in his understated way, Postecoglou has proved his critics wrong. He has wrested the title from Rangers, gone 31 league games unbeaten and Celtic will now enter the Champions League group stage directly next season. Also, as Postecoglou has not come from England, he is unlikely to view Leicester or Aston Villa as a step up.
FRED RUTTEN rejected the chance to join Manchester United as Erik ten Hag’s assistant and will instead take a similar role at PSV Eindhoven under Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Rutten explained he has a family, grandchildren he would like to see, and they live in Holland. Even so, this did not happen very often to Sir Alex Ferguson. People view United differently now.
EMMA RAdUCANU may not need the coaching structure that most contemporaries favour but she is right — she needs someone to guide her through the first full tour of her career.
She can engage and drop coaches for her game but there is a management role overseeing fitness and mental preparation that needs filling.
Raducanu requires a mentor. She appears unable to judge the demands of her schedule and her readiness to compete and what was clearly a more serious injury than identified has forced her out of the Italian Open.
The Raducanu family treat all external advice with scepticism, even from the most experienced sources, but if they are not going to oversee their daughter’s career they need to find an individual who can. It doesn’t have to be a specialist coach, it does have to be someone.