FC Barcelona in the Hunt for New Head Coach

The head coach of FC Barecelona, Luis Enrique, recently announced his decision to step down from his position at the end of the season. Enrique has been under a lot of pressure the past 3 seasons after failing to meet expectations, and has been recognized as a scapegoat by many Barcelona fans. His departure means that a new head coach will need to be hired, and there are currently several prospective candidates under discussion. In particular, the following five candidates appear to have the most attention by the media and general public: Ernesto Valverde, Jorge Sampaoli, Eusabio Sacristan, Juan Carlos Unzue, and Arsene Wenger.

Valverde, a former Barcelona player and coach for Athletic Bilbao, is currently the bookies’ favorite with 2/1 odds in his favor. Sampaoli, Sevilla’s manager, is another strong candidate who is known for his charisma and attack-oriented football style. Sacristan, former Barcelona B manager, would be a perfect fit for the club if they are to follow the same path as Guardiola and Enrique who were also Barcelona B managers. Unzue, Enrique’s current assistant, may be a good choice for the club if they want to keep their current methodology – which in my opinion, is unlikely. Wenger, Arsenal’s coach, who has yet to sign a new deal with the club is keeping his options open – he currently holds a 6/1 favorite to land the job. If it were up to me to hire a new head coach, I would hire Jorge Sampaoli because of his success as a manager at Sevilla, who currently hold 3^rd place in the La Liga table behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, and his attacking style which the Barcelona club has historically taken to its advantage. Based on these credentials and characteristics, who do you guys think deserves the job, and why? How would you rank these 5 coaches in order of who you think FC Barcelona should hire? Are there any other candidates who were not mentioned here that you think deserve the job?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/10-candidates-replace-luis-enrique-6646414

Corruption and Player Contracts

For many fans of the sport, the words football and corruption have become synonymous.  It can be found, or speculated about in many different federations, teams, and players within the football world.  Whether it be Fifa and Sepp Bladder, Qatar and the 2022 World Cup, or Neymar and contractual bribes, corruption seems to be clouding over the game.  Its makes sense though.  With the increase in commercialization and globalization over the last couple decades, the amount of money within the industry has increased drastically.  This increase in the amount of money has lead to a heightened incentive for personal gain, resulting in more bribes, fraud, and tax-evasion by both teams and players.

A prime example of this corruption is the never-ending Neymar transfer scandal.  Originally, Barca claimed they paid 57.1 Million Euros in transfers fees to Neymar's former team and consulting agencies holding his rights.  But after further investigation, two companies owned by Neymar’s parents received four payments of 10 Million Euros.

Scandals of this nature bring up major ethical dilemmas within the world of football. How should the governing bodies(UEFA, FIFA) address these issues? Do you think corruption within the governing bodies has set a precedent of leniency among clubs? Moving forward, what should be the steps in the process to eradicate corruption in the football industry?

http://thelab.bleacherreport.com/the-never-ending-neymar-transfer-scandal/

English Premiere League and Sky Sports Television Deal

This past off season, the English Premier League made history by signing the most lucrative television contract ever.  Partnered with Sky Sports, the deal will bring roughly 10.4 Billion Euros to the 20 Premier League teams over the next 3 seasons.

Prior to this new deal, The Premier League was already known for being the wealthiest football league in the world.  Last year alone, the total money the league spent on player’s wages was double that of La Liga and the Bundesliga combined. This deal will affect both the the size of players contacts and the talent distribution among the Big 5 Leagues. Many of these effects are already being noticed throughout this season.  This summer some of the largest names in football found there way to Premier League rosters, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba.  Pogba, the most notable, was transferred from Juventus to Manchester United in the most expensive transfer of all time (89 Million Euros).  

This new T.V. deal has stirred up the age old argument of club loyalty vs. individual gain(money).  You see it all the time in baseball.  Sports lacking a salary cap limit result in players leaving their teams for a much larger pay day.  After already seeing some of the sport's best young stars and old veterans make the move to the premier league, it will be interesting to see if others will follow suit. Will Messi stay loyal to Barca, or will he try to gain some extra cash before retirement.  Will Griezmann stay with Atletico, or look for the big contact with Man U.  Only time will tell.

http://www.espnfc.com/english-premier-league/23/blog/post/2917119/how-premier-league-record-tv-deal-will-affect-english-football

The Chinese Super League

Topic: The Chinese Super League

In December of 2016, Carlos Tevez signed a gargantuan deal with the Shanghai Shenua FC. The two-year deal worth £71.6 million made Tevez the highest paid footballer in the world. Tevez is the latest signing in a growing trend of footballers leaving the major European leagues for the Chinese Super League. Jackson Martinez, Ramires, and Oscar all joined Chinese clubs this past year. Do these players just really love Chinese food? We’re not so sure. The deal Oscar signed just a week before Tevez signed was worth £52 million. These Chinese clubs are willing to offer enormous contracts with hopes of attracting a larger fan base. China’s government is eager to become a footballing superpower and these clubs are using investment in superstars as a propellant. Some players wouldn’t think twice about leaving their European clubs for the big bucks in Asia. Recently, there has been talk of Chelsea striker Diego Costa leaving the Premier League. His rumored destination? You guessed it, the Chinese Super League. According to various reports, if Costa doesn’t get offered a new contract from Chelsea you just may see him wearing a Chinese Club’s kit this summer. Will the Chinese Super League be the next major football league?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/23/oscar-move-shanghai-worrying-chelsea-china

The Future of Diego Simeone as Head Coach of Atlético Madrid

Diego Simeone, the head coach of the Atlético Madrid fútbol club, continues to express his wish to move to another club after his contract is up in 2018. What this means for the future of the Atlético fútbol club remains unclear - but the idea of him leaving should not only strike fear into the hearts of Atlético fans, but also into the wallets of Atlético managers. Since joining the club in 2011, Simeone has proven his world-class coaching abilities by changing the direction of the club, with a relatively small budget, into one of the top-competing clubs in the world; not quite at the Real Madrid or Barcelona level, but worthy of its appearance in the 2016 Champions league final. Similar to Jose Mourinho’s self-proclamations, he has truly been Atlético’s “chosen one.” However, after Atletico’s loss to Real Madrid in the final last May, Simeone admitted during a press conference [when asked about his future with the club] that he “needed time to think.”

                                       

Additionally, his decision to reduce his contract by two years from 2020 to 2018 is a clear indication that he intends to move elsewhere unless he is paid an enormous amount of money. If Simeone leaves, it is rumored that some of his key players, like Antoine Griezmann, will want to leave too, which has the potential to significantly decrease the talent and competitiveness of the club. So, it is not only Simeone that people should be worried about as there may be supplemental “shockwaves.” Keeping in mind that Atlético Madrid was never a very wealthy club until just recently, it may find trouble rebuilding and matching its old chemistry. Simeone is currently one of the highest paid coaches in the world (currently making 4.4 million euros annually), and if Atlético doesn’t pay him what he wants… well, business is business. The ramifications of Simeone’s departure could prove disastrous. We will have to wait until 2018.

http://www.90min.com/posts/4680256-atletico-boss-diego-simeone-fuels-speculation-of-move-to-inter-after-visiting-milan-with-family