The Politics of Football Takeovers !

Sheiking the World, it was - or for that matter an Operation Desert Storm II now resulting in a full-fledged World War and the battlefield ? The Barclays Premier League. The erstwhile English Premier League has always been one of the most lucrative destinations to invest if you find yourself in the Fortune Richest Man in the World list. But, unfortunately, the trend of takeovers is spilling beyond limits and money - the good, the bad and the ugly is taking the sheen off those wonderful goals we are used to seeing. Dr. Suleiman Al-Fahim's coup of Manchester City or "the other Manchester club" smells of absolute arrogance - both in terms of display of wealth and ambitions (and I am not talking here as a Manchester United fan).

When Roman Abramovich bought over Chelsea in 2003, the seeds of takeovers were sown. Malcolm Glazer followed suit by buying out Manchester United and likewise, the two Americans came together to buy out Liverpool. Then a rank outsider, the former Thai PM, indicted on corruption charges in his own country, Thaksin Shinawatra grabbed the limelight for his purchase of Manchester City. After failing to manage the club by setting unachievable targets, Shinawatra fizzled out and sold it to the ADUG. He tried everything he could, including hire the services of Sven-Goran Erikkson, who plotted City's resurgence from being a club which languished down there to bring them mid-table. But for someone in dreamland, that wasn't good enough. At least, City played football then - knocking over their across the road rivals Manchester United twice (home and away) in the League. Then came the transition, with Erikkson's fate hanging around the Eastlands and finally the boot on the backside to descent into chaos, well and truly. 

Footballingwise, City might be in safe hands - no doubt. Mark Hughes' donkey years of experience with Blackburn and his playing days under Sir Alex might just help City get somewhere, end up with a silverware or two. But, where City are taking the wrong path forward is with an ludicrous aim to setup a footballing empire or two - dethrone the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool et al. Where are the credentials, I ask humbly ? A team that has at best been a yo-yo, holidaying in the Championships while enjoying its extended honeymoon in the Premier League so far, they last won the First Division in 1968, 40 years ago, their last FA Cup win in 1969, and their latest silverware being the 2002 Championships, which assured them a place in England's elite. How can one persuade someone to join a club whose Trophy Cabinet lacks everything a modern footballer aspires for ? At least a European Cup, if not anything else. Having said that, does history matter for a modern footballer ? Or is it just the lure of the dirty money. Robinho, with a wink and a smirk, City's last but not the least acquisition even goes as far as calling City "the biggest club in Manchester". Call that for loyalty or foolhardiness !

Until Abramovich stepped in, Chelsea's league record was abysmal. They last won the league sometime in the 50s and after initial glitches and managerial changes, managed to break that trend with Jose Mourinho around. And that team was not worth millions of pounds. They had the right men, doing the job for Big Roman, even with those boring 1-0 wins we all remember them for. But, keeping with a daringly different school of thought Dr. Al-Fahim comes in with, he needs to see the Blue Galaticos for himself, if not anything to constantly reassure and massage his ego with a thought that - "Hey, I have the best players in the world here". This is what Abramovich did, tried to do and unfortunately not even his $23billion-worth assets could not stop John Terry bottle the Champions League in Moscow. Chelsea's case is a constant reminder if not anything else, that money almost does not necessarily guarantee success. It is a grim reminder for the Al-Fahims and now Anil Ambani that money with all its power can give you something, but not buy you trophies.

Next up, what do these potential takeovers mean for British football ? Well, with the Al-Fahims and the Ambanis entering the fray, the traditional Academy system of spotting and scouting talent might just be thrown into obscurity - thanks to the enormous emphasis on foreign talent and the power to buy anyone they wished at the cost of that young 16-year-old from a nearby street who might be forced into playing in a league, which might just be less challenging. The ready availability of the so-called 'stars' might just transform the Premier League in terms of eyeballs, but when it comes to that chain of talent production, the oil might just be drying and the machines rusting. As it is, the rate of Academy players making the cut in terms of playing quality first-team football is dwindling and more often than not, they're farmed out on loan deals or a part of big deals like the one involving Dimitar Berbatov for Manchester United with Fraizer Campbell heading the other way. If Al-Fahim's riches can be invested into a world-class academy, on the lines of Ajax or closer home, West Ham/Arsenal/Manchester United, it can spearhead a revolution in terms of other teams following that model and in turn produce quality talent. That should be the ADUGs priority, apart from luring the best talent in the world with eye-popping deals. 

As said before, England's football scene is turning into the fight of the mighty, with political layers written all over them. What was seen as naked Russian invasion in 2003, was battled by two American ownerships of two big English clubs. Then, came the diminutive Thai - with an escape route to resurrect his public image, both in Thailand and internationally. Now, as England welcomes its new guest, Dr. Suleiman Al-Fahim, he represents the might of the Gulf, long admired by people internationally and despite constant speculation about his rivals in Dubai, the Makhdoum family coming into the scene, it is Abu Dhabi that has stolen the limelight for now. Last night, Anil Ambani made it to the top news in most British sport websites, as he prepares to make Newcastle his own and dig the club out of its long-drawn crisis, with an audacious promise of reinstating Kevin Keegan as its manager, for the 1234567890th time. Who's next ? or Next is what ? Any guesses?  I wont be surprised if a businessman from Beijing/Shanghai or for that matter Ghangzhou makes the next move as he attempts to put China beyond everyone's reach.