Football Dispatch

Weekend Football
29 February 2008
by Jerrad Peters

Tom Hicks would prevent George Gillett from selling his stake in Liverpool Football Club, the Texas businessman stated, yesterday. The two Americans, co-owners of the Premier League outfit since acquiring majority interest in February, 2007, have been at loggerheads with the club’s supporters and are widely speculated to be shopping the team and its Anfield Stadium to Dubai International Capital.

Liverpool’s troubled season has exacerbated tensions between the owners and embattled manager Rafael Benitez. And while the fans remain split on whether the Spaniard should return for another campaign, many agree that the club is headed in the wrong direction under the leadership of Hicks and Gillett.

With the ever-increasing anxiety as a backdrop, it came as little surprise when rumors were floated that the Americans had offered the club to the investment arm of Dubai’s ruling Al Maktoum family, Dubai International Capital (DIC). Headed by the prime minister of the United Arab Emriates, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, DIC had been frontrunners to purchase Liverpool Football Club before being beaten by a last-minute offer from Hicks and Gillett. The American businessmen bought the club on borrowed money, however, and were forced to refinance their debt before Christmas.

The sequence of events prompted many pundits to contemplate the Americans’ long-term commitment to owning a Premier League club. And while DIC has continued to express its intent, Hicks attempted to put the issue to rest with his remarks on Thursday afternoon.

“Not only am I not going to sell,” said the 62-year-old, “but my partner cannot sell without my approval. So I kind of have the ability to determine the outcome of what is going to happen.”

Gillett, who also owns the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League and a NASCAR racing team, was not present when his colleague made the statement. But the 70-year-old has appeared the more enthusiastic of the two in the past and has already dispatched his son to Liverpool to oversee the club’s affairs on a full-time basis.

Liverpool aren’t the only English side to be amok in takeover rumors. Sheffield Wednesday – their financial turmoil well-known – could be on the cusp of a buyout. Russian telecommunications magnate Vladimir Yevtushenkov is the money behind a new bid fronted by Lancashire businessman Geoff Sheard.

Yevtushenkov, the 59-year-old president and primary shareholder of Sistema, has a Masters Degree in chemistry, a PhD in economics, and is eager to follow countrymen Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov into English football.

In tandem with Sheard, the offer is thought to be worth 60M-pounds, with an additional 250M-pounds guaranteed for operational expenses over five years. Owls’ supporters’ group Wednesdayite have already agreed to sell their 10% holding in the club to the new consortium.

Vasco da Gama have accused Real Madrid of tapping-up a 15-year-old footballer. The allegations were confirmed by the Brazilian club’s president, Eurico Miranda, on Thursday. The 63-year-old stated that the Spanish side had approached the family of Philippe Coutinho with “tempting but illegal offers.” The 2006-2007 La Liga champions are also thought to have offered employment to Coutinho’s father in the Spanish capital. Under FIFA legislation, players must have reached their 18th-birthday before transfering abroad.

The law was best exemplified when AC Milan signed 17-year-old Alexandre Pato from Internacional. While the Brazilian Under-20 international made the move to Italy, he was unable to play in Milan’s first team until January.

Real Madrid have made their latest pitch for Cristiano Ronaldo. The 23-year-old Portuguese winger has scored 29-goals for Manchester United this season and is widely held as the best player in the world. Now, it seems, the Spanish giants would like to make him the highest-paid player as well.

“To sign Cristiano Ronaldo is a dream,” admitted Real president Ramon Calderon. “But,” he said, “it is not impossible.”

Maybe not. But it’s not very likely, either. Madrid have been boasting and blustering over their plans to sign Ronaldo since the previous World Cup. And while the player has admitted a desire to represent a Spanish side at some point in his career, for the time being, he has not shown any interest in leaving Old Trafford.

Currently on 120,000-pounds per-week at United, Ronaldo is among the best-compensated players in English football. Madrid, however, would be willing to pay 160,000-pounds per-week for his services. How they would pry him away from the clutches of Sir Alex Ferguson remains to be seen.

Kaka, meanwhile, has extended his contract at AC Milan. The reining World Footballer of the Year, like Ronaldo, has been the subject of audacious bids from Real Madrid. And rather than let the rumor-mill continue to thrive, the Rosoneri tied the player to the San Siro until 2013.

“Kaka’s new deal is a beautiful thing,” commented manager Carlo Ancelotti, “for him and for Milan.”