Buffon...kicks it towards Terry...aeriel ball to Kaka...great one two with Villa...Kaka is through on goal...and its a clinical finish...what a strike by Kaka after fantastic build up involving David Villa.
This is neither a piece of commentary from FIFA 09 nor a fantasy football team. This is the wish list of a small club based in Manchester who have an owner with deep pockets ready to bring every superstar in this world to The City of Manchester Stadium. Ever since Abu Dhabi United Group bought Manchester City in summer, they have been linked with some of the best players in the world with transfer figures touching astronomical heights. The take over took place on the deadline day of the summer transfer window and the new owners made their intentions clear by snatching Robinho from right under the noses of Chelsea. The transfer fees paid was £32.5, a new English record. The transfer window closed too soon for them to make a bigger impact.
As the January transfer window arrived, Manchester City were expected to be in the limelight again. They started with signing Chelsea bench warmer Wayne Bridge and were linked with the likes of Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz and Scott Parker. Everything was fine until one fine afternoon when a City delegation landed in Milan and put a massive bid of £108m for 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year, Kaka. At present, the offer is on the table and it is up to AC Milan to decide whether they accept it or not. AC Milan have shrugged off Real Madrid's approaches in previous seasons but in difficult financial times these days, will this offer prove to be too good to reject? We'll have to wait to find out.
This is not the end of the deal. An additional £25m will be paid to the player's agent who happens to be his father, for his role in the deal. Kaka has been offered £500,000 per week for kicking football which is more than the wages of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo put together. The ball is in Kaka's court now. The figures involved in the deal have never been heard before. So, it won't be a surprise if the deal goes through. Anyways, those days are gone when players played their heart out for a single club. If Kaka joins Man City then it will open the door for other superstars to join the Eastlands revolution.
But the point remains, are these types of deals good for football. What if the owner decides one day that enough is enough. They can't continue this madness forever. When Roman Abrahimovic took over at Chelsea, he bought some of the best players in Europe and subsequently won two English titles. He even bought players against the wishes of his manager. Now, he is not even willing to buy players who Chelsea desperately require. Same thing may happen at City and if the owner leaves, then the club may struggle to pay their superstars' wages. In that case, the squad will disintegrate.
Another thing that may be affected is dressing room morale. What would the other players be thinking? If Kaka is getting £500k then why not the others. It may create a divide among the squad. Also, the role of the manager is in question. I am not sure if Mark Hughes knows who City will be pursuing next. When the manager doesn't have total control over the squad, he usually struggles. It is not easy to carry the weight of expectations when you have infinite resources to choose from and Hughes is certainly feeling the pressure. Man City position in the league table is far from flattering and the owner's patience will be tested if there is no improvement in terms of results.
In my opinion, it will be an absolute disgrace if Kaka joins Man City and is paid that much. Its not that Kaka is not good but the money involved in the deal is just disturbing and that too at a time when the World is going through a financial crisis. It is really painful to see players run after money but thats the way it is these days. To step up and sign for a bigger club is one thing but to leave one of the biggest European clubs to join a mid table side just for the sake of money is plain greedy in my opinion. If Kaka stays at Milan, he will be idolized there for life and the money he'll earn will be enough to live with all the comforts that a man can desire. So, what is the need to join City? If City were one of the top European sides then letting such on offer pass by might have been a mistake but why join them right now when they are fighting for survival in the Premier League?
Before the offer was made, Kaka told the press that he wants to become Milan's captain one day. Will he remain true to his word? Is money the only thing that a player desires? What about the emotions of the fans who travel the length of the country to cheer for their heroes? What about the trophies that Kaka may win if he remains at AC Milan? Ten years down the line, will his name be taken in same breath as that of Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes?
These are the questions that will be answered in a fortnight's time. The world of football is changing but the change better for football or not remains to be seen.
This is neither a piece of commentary from FIFA 09 nor a fantasy football team. This is the wish list of a small club based in Manchester who have an owner with deep pockets ready to bring every superstar in this world to The City of Manchester Stadium. Ever since Abu Dhabi United Group bought Manchester City in summer, they have been linked with some of the best players in the world with transfer figures touching astronomical heights. The take over took place on the deadline day of the summer transfer window and the new owners made their intentions clear by snatching Robinho from right under the noses of Chelsea. The transfer fees paid was £32.5, a new English record. The transfer window closed too soon for them to make a bigger impact.
As the January transfer window arrived, Manchester City were expected to be in the limelight again. They started with signing Chelsea bench warmer Wayne Bridge and were linked with the likes of Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz and Scott Parker. Everything was fine until one fine afternoon when a City delegation landed in Milan and put a massive bid of £108m for 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year, Kaka. At present, the offer is on the table and it is up to AC Milan to decide whether they accept it or not. AC Milan have shrugged off Real Madrid's approaches in previous seasons but in difficult financial times these days, will this offer prove to be too good to reject? We'll have to wait to find out.
This is not the end of the deal. An additional £25m will be paid to the player's agent who happens to be his father, for his role in the deal. Kaka has been offered £500,000 per week for kicking football which is more than the wages of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Cristiano Ronaldo put together. The ball is in Kaka's court now. The figures involved in the deal have never been heard before. So, it won't be a surprise if the deal goes through. Anyways, those days are gone when players played their heart out for a single club. If Kaka joins Man City then it will open the door for other superstars to join the Eastlands revolution.
But the point remains, are these types of deals good for football. What if the owner decides one day that enough is enough. They can't continue this madness forever. When Roman Abrahimovic took over at Chelsea, he bought some of the best players in Europe and subsequently won two English titles. He even bought players against the wishes of his manager. Now, he is not even willing to buy players who Chelsea desperately require. Same thing may happen at City and if the owner leaves, then the club may struggle to pay their superstars' wages. In that case, the squad will disintegrate.
Another thing that may be affected is dressing room morale. What would the other players be thinking? If Kaka is getting £500k then why not the others. It may create a divide among the squad. Also, the role of the manager is in question. I am not sure if Mark Hughes knows who City will be pursuing next. When the manager doesn't have total control over the squad, he usually struggles. It is not easy to carry the weight of expectations when you have infinite resources to choose from and Hughes is certainly feeling the pressure. Man City position in the league table is far from flattering and the owner's patience will be tested if there is no improvement in terms of results.
In my opinion, it will be an absolute disgrace if Kaka joins Man City and is paid that much. Its not that Kaka is not good but the money involved in the deal is just disturbing and that too at a time when the World is going through a financial crisis. It is really painful to see players run after money but thats the way it is these days. To step up and sign for a bigger club is one thing but to leave one of the biggest European clubs to join a mid table side just for the sake of money is plain greedy in my opinion. If Kaka stays at Milan, he will be idolized there for life and the money he'll earn will be enough to live with all the comforts that a man can desire. So, what is the need to join City? If City were one of the top European sides then letting such on offer pass by might have been a mistake but why join them right now when they are fighting for survival in the Premier League?
Before the offer was made, Kaka told the press that he wants to become Milan's captain one day. Will he remain true to his word? Is money the only thing that a player desires? What about the emotions of the fans who travel the length of the country to cheer for their heroes? What about the trophies that Kaka may win if he remains at AC Milan? Ten years down the line, will his name be taken in same breath as that of Paolo Maldini, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes?
These are the questions that will be answered in a fortnight's time. The world of football is changing but the change better for football or not remains to be seen.
