Governing Bodies
Barcelona president says club’s finances in worse shape than thought
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Friday (Aug 6) that a recent audit had shown the club’s finances were in worse shape than previously thought.
“We cannot put the institution at greater risk,” he told a news conference held to discuss the departure of star player Lionel Messi.
Since Laporta took over as Barca president, the club has been trying to reduce its wage bill to stay within La Liga’s strict financial control rules.
La Liga had said last month that Barcelona, which has a total debt of more than 1 billion euros (S$1.59 billion), would not be shown any leniency.
Laporta said earlier on Friday that the club was unable to re-sign Messi as it had no margin to pay more under La Liga’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
He said the club and Messi had both wanted to sign a new contract, but salaries already represent 110 per cent of the club’s earnings, meaning it is spending much more than expected and such a move would be financially risky.
“The club is above everything – even above the best player in the world,” Laporta told a news conference.
Laporta said that the club had agreed two deals with Messi, firstly a two-year deal made payable over five, and then a five-year deal.
However, they were unable to get the deal done because of La Liga’s FFP rules.
The Barca chief also said that the financial situation that he had inherited from former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu was “far, far worse” than anticipated.
“I said we’d do everything possible to keep Messi at Barca within the economic situation of club,” he said.
“We reached agreement but couldn’t formalise it, because of the club’s economic situation, which means we can’t register the player due to salary limits. I don’t want to go on and on about the situation we inherited, and the awful decisions that were made in the past. We have gone from bad to worse.”
Reacting to the news, Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola says Messi is not in the English Premier League champions’ sights now that the star Argentina striker is leaving, but they would be interested in Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.
He was speaking a day after City completed the signing of midfielder Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for a Premier League record 100 million pounds (S$188 million).
Guardiola said he would have loved, as a fan, for Messi to see out his career at Barcelona but the club needed to be sustainable. He hailed Messi as “the most extraordinary player I have seen in my life”.
He said the Grealish deal came off because City had made almost 60 million pounds from the sale and loan of young players and could activate a release clause in his contract.
“When you sell for 60 million, you can afford 100 million. Otherwise it could not have been possible,” said the Spaniard.
He confirmed City’s interest in signing England captain Kane but said nothing could happen without Tottenham’s agreement.
“He plays for Tottenham Hotspur and if Tottenham don’t want to negotiate, it’s finished,” he said.
“If they are open to negotiate, of course many clubs in the world would want to try and sign him. We are not an exception.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, told reporters on Friday that Messi is an “option” that is being evaluated by the French football giants.
The Argentinian said he could not say more than what had already been said in public on the matter.
Pochettino, whose club is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, told a news conference that PSG’s directors always worked hard to improve the team in any way they could.
-Reuters
Governing Bodies
Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.
Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.
The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.
It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May 1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.
Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.
The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.
In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.
This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.
They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open.
Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.
Governing Bodies
Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports
Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.
The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”
He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.
“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.
“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.
“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”
Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.
The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.
“The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.”
RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Governing Bodies
CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball
The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.
The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA”
The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.
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