Levy / ENIC

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Would you not be proud to buck that trend?
Honest answer. I'd be proud if we spent fuck all and won the title. I'd be proud if we spent 20 billion and won the title. Not gonna lie. I just would love to win the fucking title.
If anyone says different either they're lying or they're morally superior to me and 99% of the general population. And massive respect to whoever puts themselves in the 1%
 
I've come into some insights about Levy and the transfer market in general.

The authorities have long known that the football transfer market is bent and money laundering, fraud and tax evasion are rife. The political will, resource and commitment hasn't been there to tackle the problem head-on and the European Commission last attempted to move against the system in the late 90s early 2000s. The political fall out destroyed any serious appetite to pursue further.

However, certain recent transfers have been so blatant in their absurd inflation of particularly agent fees (we are talking Neymar, Pogba etc) that there has been talk about revisiting and investigating the football transfer world.

This is a world in which it is not uncommon for players to be plucked out of very tough housing estates and have several friends or acquitances who will be pushing drugs or even firearms on the streets.

It is not uncommon in football transfer negotiations for random third parties to be introduced as agents whose inflated fees require paying before the player ratifies the transfer.

Anyway, it's accepted within the football world that to get transfers done you just go along with it and pay the fees.

Only there is one chairman who is apparently known for his point blank refusal to deal with these people and pay them any money.

I have heard that the João Moutinho deal in particular was ready to be signed back in 2012 when a third party was introduced at the last minute demanding a huge amount to ratify the transfer apparently with the backing of both the player and the official agent. After exploring options around the problem including Porto paying the fees if the transfer fee was increased Levy pulled the plug on the whole thing.

Another transfer the Leandro Damiao was complicated by multiple third parties being introduced as being agents of the player all demanding a percentage of the fees payable. It was almost impossible to get any of them around a table to discuss what their actual interest in the player and transfer was, do any due diligence or KYC or to discuss terms on the "demands". I've been told one refused to provide a photo ID or reveal his real name and demanded the funds be paid via an international FX account to a company registered to a little known tax haven called the Marshall Islands.

I could go on and on. One of the reasons Levy had decided to get rid of Redknapp was all of the baggage that followed him around.

Part of the reason Levy also has always looked towards the US, Singapore, Japan for investment and development where possible.

Much of this is anecdotal but feels true to me.
 
I've come into some insights about Levy and the transfer market in general.

The authorities have long known that the football transfer market is bent and money laundering, fraud and tax evasion are rife. The political will, resource and commitment hasn't been there to tackle the problem head-on and the European Commission last attempted to move against the system in the late 90s early 2000s. The political fall out destroyed any serious appetite to pursue further.

However, certain recent transfers have been so blatant in their absurd inflation of particularly agent fees (we are talking Neymar, Pogba etc) that there has been talk about revisiting and investigating the football transfer world.

This is a world in which it is not uncommon for players to be plucked out of very tough housing estates and have several friends or acquitances who will be pushing drugs or even firearms on the streets.

It is not uncommon in football transfer negotiations for random third parties to be introduced as agents whose inflated fees require paying before the player ratifies the transfer.

Anyway, it's accepted within the football world that to get transfers done you just go along with it and pay the fees.

Only there is one chairman who is apparently known for his point blank refusal to deal with these people and pay them any money.

I have heard that the João Moutinho deal in particular was ready to be signed back in 2012 when a third party was introduced at the last minute demanding a huge amount to ratify the transfer apparently with the backing of both the player and the official agent. After exploring options around the problem including Porto paying the fees if the transfer fee was increased Levy pulled the plug on the whole thing.

Another transfer the Leandro Damiao was complicated by multiple third parties being introduced as being agents of the player all demanding a percentage of the fees payable. It was almost impossible to get any of them around a table to discuss what their actual interest in the player and transfer was, do any due diligence or KYC or to discuss terms on the "demands". I've been told one refused to provide a photo ID or reveal his real name and demanded the funds be paid via an international FX account to a company registered to a little known tax haven called the Marshall Islands.

I could go on and on. One of the reasons Levy had decided to get rid of Redknapp was all of the baggage that followed him around.

Part of the reason Levy also has always looked towards the US, Singapore, Japan for investment and development where possible.

Much of this is anecdotal but feels true to me.

That would explain a lot. very interesting post there, Cherrers old boy. Good work.
 
I've come into some insights about Levy and the transfer market in general.

The authorities have long known that the football transfer market is bent and money laundering, fraud and tax evasion are rife. The political will, resource and commitment hasn't been there to tackle the problem head-on and the European Commission last attempted to move against the system in the late 90s early 2000s. The political fall out destroyed any serious appetite to pursue further.

However, certain recent transfers have been so blatant in their absurd inflation of particularly agent fees (we are talking Neymar, Pogba etc) that there has been talk about revisiting and investigating the football transfer world.

This is a world in which it is not uncommon for players to be plucked out of very tough housing estates and have several friends or acquitances who will be pushing drugs or even firearms on the streets.

It is not uncommon in football transfer negotiations for random third parties to be introduced as agents whose inflated fees require paying before the player ratifies the transfer.

Anyway, it's accepted within the football world that to get transfers done you just go along with it and pay the fees.

Only there is one chairman who is apparently known for his point blank refusal to deal with these people and pay them any money.

I have heard that the João Moutinho deal in particular was ready to be signed back in 2012 when a third party was introduced at the last minute demanding a huge amount to ratify the transfer apparently with the backing of both the player and the official agent. After exploring options around the problem including Porto paying the fees if the transfer fee was increased Levy pulled the plug on the whole thing.

Another transfer the Leandro Damiao was complicated by multiple third parties being introduced as being agents of the player all demanding a percentage of the fees payable. It was almost impossible to get any of them around a table to discuss what their actual interest in the player and transfer was, do any due diligence or KYC or to discuss terms on the "demands". I've been told one refused to provide a photo ID or reveal his real name and demanded the funds be paid via an international FX account to a company registered to a little known tax haven called the Marshall Islands.

I could go on and on. One of the reasons Levy had decided to get rid of Redknapp was all of the baggage that followed him around.

Part of the reason Levy also has always looked towards the US, Singapore, Japan for investment and development where possible.

Much of this is anecdotal but feels true to me.
The Guardian did this piece a while ago now.
Football insiders claim world game is ‘endemically corrupt’ in player transfers
 
Honest answer. I'd be proud if we spent fuck all and won the title. I'd be proud if we spent 20 billion and won the title. Not gonna lie. I just would love to win the fucking title.
If anyone says different either they're lying or they're morally superior to me and 99% of the general population. And massive respect to whoever puts themselves in the 1%
I agree that the feeling of finally winning the title in my own lifetime would surely surpass any feelings of doubt as to HOW we won the title.

Yes, the pride at doing it correctly would be incredible, but it's not like we're running our club on a shoe string, paying for players with a donation of training bibs and bollards!
 
That's only natural in a market where the commodity is a person, and usually a dumb one.
FIFA should either: decide on salary caps, or go the extra mile and abolish transfer fees all together. treat the purchase of the player under contract as possible if a club pays out on the contract (maybe a little extra for the contract breach as well).

I think football is the only sport contract rights with a player are treated as property rules and not a liability rules, I think the origin is in 19th cen. British labour contracts but it needs research.
 
That's only natural in a market where the commodity is a person, and usually a dumb one.
FIFA should either: decide on salary caps, or go the extra mile and abolish transfer fees all together. treat the purchase of the player under contract as possible if a club pays out on the contract (maybe a little extra for the contract breach as well).

I think football is the only sport contract rights with a player are treated as property rules and not a liability rules, I think the origin is in 19th cen. British labour contracts but it needs research.
A good starting point would be to have the governing bodies of the game not being one of the most corrupt organisations on the planet.
 
Agents, sort out the agents.
Agents usually get 10% yet Raiola is getting paid fees of £10m by United for the privilege of signing a player he represents..
He'd be getting about a million if it was 10% of the earnings if he negotiated Lukaku £200k a week.
Agents are earning more than the players they represent.
Raiola has just earnt more than Lukakus 5 yr wage deal in one day.
 
Agents, sort out the agents.
Agents usually get 10% yet Raiola is getting paid fees of £10m by United for the privilege of signing a player he represents..
He'd be getting about a million if it was 10% of the earnings if he negotiated Lukaku £200k a week.
Agents are earning more than the players they represent.
Raiola has just earnt more than Lukakus 5 yr wage deal in one day.
I still can't get my head around agents being paid the the clubs. Their clients are the players, it is therefore the players that should be paying their agents for their services.
 
I have heard some interesting stuff on various podcasts about agents roles. Firstly, in England they have way too much influence as most clubs rely on friendly agents to find them players. Which is batshit insane. Secondly, partly as a product of the first, they get a lot of big payments from helping clubs find exits for unwanted players. Clubs can set a minimum target for the value of a transfer, and tell the agent that if they make it happen, they can keep a % of whatever the sale is above that amount. So, if you have a midfielder you want out, you ask the agents to find him a new home, and tell him that they can have 20% of whatever over 10 million they manage to get for that deal. Find a club who will take him for 20 and suddenly that 20% of the extra 10 million is a 2 million payday for one deal for that agent. It's a really big incentive for agents to fuck about in the process.

And that's not even getting into third party ownership, image rights and organize crime.
 
I have heard some interesting stuff on various podcasts about agents roles. Firstly, in England they have way too much influence as most clubs rely on friendly agents to find them players. Which is batshit insane. Secondly, partly as a product of the first, they get a lot of big payments from helping clubs find exits for unwanted players. Clubs can set a minimum target for the value of a transfer, and tell the agent that if they make it happen, they can keep a % of whatever the sale is above that amount. So, if you have a midfielder you want out, you ask the agents to find him a new home, and tell him that they can have 20% of whatever over 10 million they manage to get for that deal. Find a club who will take him for 20 and suddenly that 20% of the extra 10 million is a 2 million payday for one deal for that agent. It's a really big incentive for agents to fuck about in the process.

And that's not even getting into third party ownership, image rights and organize crime.
It goes again far deeper. I've been trying to set up a company that provides a bit of tech to be used by professional athletes/coaches/administrators/agents/(and another vital secret ingredient) but the focus and biggest application is pro footballers. It's almost impossible to get traction without an agent buy-in, by that I mean they want a piece of the pie. Anything that is sold to a football club they want in on. We have had physical threats the lot.

Have a few pro-players in our extended family, not PL, their agents want to buy and sell their cars, they earn a kick-back from the dealers on every transaction, in big lumps of metal we are talking £20-£30k at a time (for every car, for every player!!). Every holiday villa booked, private jet, helicopter flight you name it they take a cut. Dirty greedy horrible cunts.
 
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I have heard some interesting stuff on various podcasts about agents roles. Firstly, in England they have way too much influence as most clubs rely on friendly agents to find them players. Which is batshit insane.

That's not really true, the clubs know who they want to buy and use the agent as a trojan horse to tap up the player without the club getting into shit or where the club doesn't have the necessary links / personnel to sign a player from a specific country they will use an agent to broker the deal.
 
That's not really true, the clubs know who they want to buy and use the agent as a trojan horse to tap up the player without the club getting into shit or where the club doesn't have the necessary links / personnel to sign a player from a specific country they will use an agent to broker the deal.
No, they often resort to agents to provide lists of available players, and pick from those. This isn't just about making approaches, this is how a lot of English clubs find players.
 
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