Quote of the week
Paris Saint-Germain: “surprised” to face a new financial fair play inquiry, three years after their last €20m fine. “The club reaffirms it has always operated in total transparency with Uefa – demonstrating utmost respect for the institution.”
Reacting to PSG’s work last week:
a) Uefa head Aleksander Ceferin, forced to defend FFP’s credibility, two years after Uefa declared it “a great success”. Predecessor Gianni Infantino told delegates in 2015 how the project had changed football’s culture, working to end “greed, reckless spending and financial insanity”: “It’s great news for the image of FFP that it has clearly achieved its goal. It’s now in the heads of everyone.”
b) Uli Hoeness, Bayern president and paroled €27.2m tax evasion convict, monitoring the moral impact: “Football has reached a point where we must be damn careful. There comes a point where fans will have had enough.”
And c) Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas, 68, retweeting a video of a masturbating kangaroo captioned “Nasser [al-Khelaif, PSG chairman] and financial fair play”. Aulas told offended followers: “The humour is brilliant. I don’t regret it.”
Meanwhile: ahead of the game
Aug 2016: Arsène Wenger reacts to Manchester United’s £93m Paul Pogba deal by urging clubs to put “values and identity” above buying success. “A club is about identity, and identity is about values.” Aug 2017: Bids £92m for Thomas Lemar.
Laziest journalism
Nov 2016: Jürgen Klopp reacts to a report linking him with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: “Usually I don’t say anything about transfer rumours, but this one is nonsense.” Aug 2017: “I’m really happy we got Alex. I followed him since 2014.”
And stat of the week
£1.4bn: Total spent by Premier League clubs during the window, up 23% on last year. 2: Number of Premier League clubs paying all staff the living wage.
Other news: Fifa’s week
Staying strong under pressure:
a) Spain FA president Ángel María Villar, bailed last month on disputed fraud charges, refusing to resign and demanding full pay while he fights his case. Spain’s sports minister José Ramón Lete: “There’s unanimity. We need his resignation.”
b) Rwanda FA head Vincent Nzamwita, upset after colleagues alleged embezzlement. “I only asked for $20,000 to go in my personal account because it is the money which was promised by CAF as a bonus for each president. And that is what was done.”
And c) Brazil FA president Marco Polo Del Nero, indicted in 2015, failing in a legal attempt to obstruct publication of Romario’s new book, subtitled “Organised Crime in Brazilian Football”. Officials expressed concern that the book could “further compromise the image of the president”; Del Nero denies wrongdoing.
Manager news: moving on
16 June: New Guiseley chairman James Ferguson hails manager Adam Lockwood for “a fantastic job”. “The relationship between chairman and manager is massively important and is an aspect of the role that I really enjoy. Most of all, I want this journey to be fun.” 30 Aug: Sacks him.
Bolivar, 1 June: San José president Wilson Martinez hires new coach Julio César Uribe: “You just have to say his name to know what he was as a player and what he is today as a coach. What pride this appointment gives us.” 29 Aug: Sacks him.
Plus: one to watch - Palermo coach Tedino on his relationship with owner Maurizio Zamparini. “With Zamparini there is a loyal relationship. The president is just too good.”
Respect campaign latest
Ghana: Hearts of Oak director Alhaji Akambi, asked by Happy FM to reflect on referee Prince Amoah’s performance in a 3-3 draw. “Prince Amoah is a disgrace to Ghana football. I will be surprised if he’s not banned for life. His family should disown him because he’s a disgrace to them, too. This morning what I will tell him is that he will not progress in life. His family will agree with me.”
Setback of the week
Spain: Defender Cata Díaz, released by Getafe after his wife Celeste Marzella used Instagram to assess coach José Bordalás as “a fake coward”, a “horrible person” and a “backstabbing mediocrity”. President Ángel Torres: “Cata is leaving us.”
Best philosophy
Italy: Model Wanda Nara on being wife and agent to Inter’s Mauro Icardi. “The thing that other women envy most about me is that I have access to Mauro’s accounts. I look after him, then I take my cut.” Her philosophy: “Instead of just spending money, I like to generate more.”
And most put out
Brazil: Serie B Paraná coach “Crazy” Lisca – upset by the tone of press coverage after he offered to jump into a river wearing the club’s Blue Crow mascot outfit if they go up. “Stop calling me crazy. Show some respect, this is messing me up. Never call me crazy again.”