Dr Eva Carneiro - The Curse of a Scorned Woman!

Having closely followed the Dr Eva Carneiro versus Jose Mourinho 'controversy' and subsequent fall out, and having also written two previous articles on here outlining the case in question (on the 18th September and 24th September 2015), it is with interest that I read the very latest turn of events in 'DoctorGate'

Coming from a family with a substantial background in medicine, and having discussed and read in some detail the rights and wrongs of the behaviour of Mourinho on that fateful day back in August, I for one am pleased, if not slightly surprised to see that Dr Caneiro has the full weight of FIFA's medical committee behind her in her fight against Chelsea Football Club and manager Jose Mourinho.

They have promised the former Chelsea doctor the full backing of FIFA's medical chief in her legal case against the Premier League club.

Carneiro is taking action against the club for constructive dismissal and an individual action against Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho for victimisation and discrimination.

She was dropped from first-team duties after Mourinho criticised her and head physio Jon Fearn for going on to the pitch to treat Eden Hazard after being summoned by referee Michael Oliver.
The action meant that Chelsea were temporarily down to nine men against Swansea, and afterwards Mourinho called Carneiro and Fearn "impulsive and naive."


Mourinho was cleared of using discriminatory language towards her following an investigation by the Football Association, but he is now the subject of a separate but connected claim.

With Mourinho's Chelsea side currently ailing like a rudderless ship, and 'The Special One' now favourite with the bookmakers to be the next Premier League manager to lose his job, one has to question how much damage his bust up with Dr Carnerio (right), during the opening match of the Premier League season back on the 8th August has contributed to what can only be described as a cataclysmic disaster of a season.........to date.

FIFA's medical committee chairman Michel D'Hooghe has now revealed he has been in touch with Carneiro to offer his support and that of the world governing body.
He has backed Carneiro's insistence that she was simply doing her job.

D'Hooghe said: "Of course I support Eva Carneiro. She did her job, she did her duty - when somebody is medically in trouble she has to intervene. Of course she has my support and the whole medical committee's."

"I have had email contact with her and she is very happy with the global support of the medical world in football."

D'Hooghe said the fall-out from the case could mean that Carneiro may find it difficult to find a new job in football but that he would do what he could to help her.

He added: "I can imagine that in the short term she might have some problems with that, but with her personality and her competence she must certainly have a great future and if I can help her I will do it."

I may not be a Chelsea supporting fan, or someone who can be hoodwinked by Mourinho's confident external persona, but I am a football fan, and I can tell you for a fact that there is precious little harmony within the Chelsea camp as I speak!

Following defeat at home to to Bournemouth last Saturday, an insider told how 'The Blues' trained earlier this week saying: “It was a very, very flat atmosphere at the training ground,” with midfielder Nemanja Matic seemingly backing up this observation by admitting the whole club is stuck in a rut with no sign of a way out.
He said: “We are in a difficult situation, so it’s going to be hard to come back from this. But we have to try to resolve this problem, we have to try to recover."

This week could define Mourinho's future. He stays in charge for tonight's decisive Champions League clash with Porto and for a date with ex-Blues boss Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City next Monday......but for how long! Should Chelsea bow out of the Champions League and then lose to Ranieri’s table-toppers it could force Abramovich’s hand — and get Mourinho sacked just a few months into a new four-year contract.

Chelsea refused to comment on FIFA's decision. The cases are likely to be heard early in 2016, unless they are settled beforehand.

In the wake of the controversy, FIFA's medical committee is to draw up a new code of ethics for managers and team doctors.

As the saying goes: "Nothing like the curse of a scorned woman"

How The English Premier League Season Finished A Decade Ago!

The 2003/04 Premier League season was a unique season for many reasons!

Arsenal, Leeds United, Leicester City, Middlesbrough, Roman Abramovich, Glenn Hoddle, Arsène Wenger, Claudio Ranieri, Steve McClaren, Peter Reid, Chris Coleman, Sam Allardyce, David O’Leary, Sir Bobby Robson, Scott Parker, Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry were all in the headlines for various reasons.

Nine of the twenty clubs that competed in the Premier League that season, a decade ago, were not plying their trade in the 2013/14 Premier League season just gone, one in particular is now a 4th tier league club!

What a difference a decade makes!

Here is a round up of where the twenty clubs that fought out the 2003/04 Premier League season finished in the league and any influencing factors or personnel that made an impression, good or bad!

20th: Wolverhampton Wanderers

Back in the top flight after 20 years away, Wolves did not win any of their opening seven Premiership fixtures and it was obvious that the season was going to be a long and hard struggle. Wolves finished bottom on 33 points, six points from safety with a goal difference of -39. They scored the fewest goals (38) during the season. They also failed to win any of their 19 away games during the season.

19th: Leeds United

Leeds was relegated in a season that saw their debts rise to £100 million and a lot of their key players sold. Peter Reid and Eddie Gray were both sacked during the season after a run of poor results, with Kevin Blackwell taking over towards the end of the season. Leeds had the dubious honour in the 2003/04 season of conceding the most goals of any club (79) combined with the most losses(21).

18th: Leicester City

Leicester finished the season in the bottom three and were relegated back to the first division after being promoted the previous season. Micky Adams failed to keep his side up in a season which saw three of his players Keith Gillespie, Frank Sinclair and Paul Dickov accused of sexual assault in La Manga, although all charges were dropped. That season Leicester won fewer games than any other side, just six out of 38 games played.

17th: Everton

The Toffees finished just above the relegation zone on 39 points after winning just nine of their 38 games throughout the season. This would be Wayne Rooney’s last season for the club, after he signed for Manchester United at the end of the season.

16th Manchester City

City finished in 16th position in their first season since leaving Maine Road, with Kevin Keegan’s side only confirming their stay in the division on the penultimate game of the season. Striker Nicolas Anelka was top scorer hitting 16 of their 55 goals scored in total that season.

15th: Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn had qualified for Europe in the two previous seasons and it was quite a surprise for Graeme Souness’ side to be batting relegation. The side managed a decent run towards the end of the season and were safe by the end of April and eventually finished 15th in the table.

14th: Tottenham Hotspur

A dismal start to the season cost Glenn Hoddle his job and he was sacked as manager on 21 September after two-and-a-half years at the helm. Director of Football David Pleat took over first team duties until the end of the season, but was unable to inspire Tottenham to a challenge for European qualification nor either of the cup competitions, and a 14th place finish in the final table was Tottenham's lowest since 1998. On the plus side Robbie Keane hit 14 goals for the North London side. Jacques Santini was appointed as the new head coach at the end of the season.

13th: Portsmouth

Portsmouth's Premiership debut was a fine one, as they finished 13th and established Fratton Park as one of the hardest Premiership grounds to get a result at. Harry Redknapp’s side had some impressive results at Fratton Park, including 1-0 wins over Liverpool and Manchester United and a 6-1 thumping of Leeds United. Only their dismal away form prevented them from finishing even higher, but it was still a very good season for the only newly promoted side to preserve their Premiership status. Yakubu Aiyegbeni hit 16 goals for Pompey, Teddy Sheringham was named 'Player of the Month' in August 2003 and Harry Redknapp won 'Manager of the Month' in April 2004.

12th: Southampton

Southampton finished 12th, the season after finishing in their highest ever position in the Premier League (8th). The Saints finished above their south coast rivals Portsmouth, but were shocked in March when Gordon Strachan handed in his resignation and was replaced by Paul Sturrock, even though former manager Glenn Hoddle was favorite. James Beattie bagged 14 goals for Southampton that season.

11th: Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough missed out on a top half finish by two points after losing 5-1 to Portsmouth on the last day of the season. However, Steve McClaren became the first Middlesbrough manager in 128 years to win a major trophy after 'Boro defeated Bolton to win the League Cup at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

10th: Birmingham City

Birmingham City had one of their best seasons in the Premier League, spending most of the season challenging for a Champions League place before a late slump saw them drop to tenth. Mikael Forssell was their top goalscorer with 17 goals.

9th: Fulham

Fulham finished in the top of the table for the first time in the Premier League, in what turned out to be a very good first season in charge for Chris Coleman who at the time of his appointment was the youngest top-flight manager ever.
Louis Saha was transferred to Manchester United for a fee of £12.4 million in January 2004 having already scored 15 goals so far that season.

8th: Bolton Wanderers

After two near misses with relegation, Sam Allardyce finally established Bolton as a Premiership team. They were League Cup runners-up and an eighth place finish was the club's highest final position for some 50 years. Jay-Jay Okocha won 'Player of the Month' in November 2003 and Sam Allardyce was named 'Manager of the Month' twice that season in November 2003 and January 2004.

7th: Charlton Athletic

The Addicks finished in their highest league position since the 1950’s, even though their late season slump cost them qualification into Europe. Midfielder Scott Parker was awarded the young player of the season award by the PFA, beating the likes of Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Glen Johnson who were also nominated.

6th: Aston Villa

Villa finished 6th in David O’Leary’s first season in charge, but this was not enough to qualify for Europe. They entered December on the brink of the relegation zone, but a great run of form beginning over Christmas took them into the top six during March. It was only defeat on the last day which saw them miss out on European qualification. Juan Pablo Ángel was Villa's top scorer with 16 goals.

5th: Newcastle United

Sir Bobby Robson guided Newcastle to 5th place on goal difference ahead of Aston Villa, and secured the Magpies a place in the UEFA Cup. Their fifth-place finish was achieved despite bad runs at both the start and the end of the season, with the club failing to win their first six and their last five league games. In fact they finished the season having drawn an astonishing 17 of their 38 league games and achieving only two away wins all season. Alan Shearer with 22 goals was the top scoring Englishman in the Premier league that season. In October 2003 Sir Bobby Robson won 'Manager of the Month' and Alan Shearer won 'Player of the Month.'

4th: Liverpool

Gerard Houllier’s side finished in the final Champions League place on 60 points, with Michael Owen finishing on 16 goals for the season. However, this was not enough for the Liverpool board with Houllier being replaced by Rafa Benitez and Michael Owen being sold to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

3rd: Manchester United

United won the FA Cup in May, but this success only partly compensated for a failure to win the Premiership title which, for at least the first half of the season, had looked likely to end up at Old Trafford. Ruud van Nistelrooy was on song as usual with more than 30 goals in all competitions, but the loss of Rio Ferdinand for the final four months of the season (part of his penalty for failing to attend a drugs test on 22 September 2003) coincided with United surrendering their Premiership crown and finishing third in the final table. The 2003/04 season was also Cristiano Ronaldo's first season at Old Trafford following his move from Sporting Lisbon in the summer. In December 2003 Sir Alex Ferguson and Paul Scholes won 'Manager of the Month' and 'Player of the Month' respectively.

2nd: Chelsea

Chelsea finished 2nd in Roman Abramovich’s first season at the club, even after spending more than £100 million on new players in the summer of 2003. In came the likes of Hernan Crespo, Damien Duff, Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole and Claude Makélélé. The side did reach the Champions League semi-finals, but none of their new signings could help them win a trophy. Claudio Ranieri was replaced by José Mourinho at the end of the season. Ranieri was named 'Manager of the Month' on two occasions that season.

1st: Arsenal

Arsenal completed an entire Premiership season without losing a single game. Their final record read 26 wins, 12 draws and 0 defeats and a total of 90 points, eleven clear of Chelsea. Striker Thierry Henry with 30 league goals was undoubtedly the finest player in a brilliant side, though the likes of Robert Pires with 14 goals from midfield and Patrick Vieira earned similar plaudits for their own excellent performances. But it had not always looked like this. Until February, Arsenal had bounced between first and third place, as the three-way race with Chelsea and Manchester United seemed unpredictable. However Arsenal got even better in the second half of the season while their rivals faltered, and the title was wrapped up before the end of April. Arsène Wenger won two 'Manager of the Month' awards that season and capped it off with the prestigious 'LMA Manager of the Year' award. Henry was named PFA Players' Player of the Year as well as being the League's top goalscorer and Arsenal scored the most goals (73) and conceded the fewest (26), in what was a truly memorable season for The Gunners!

Arsenal's 'Invincibles' celebrate winning the 2003/04 Premiership title.

Jose Mourinho's Press Conference - The Second Coming!

Jose Mourinho gave his first press conference at Stamford Bridge today, after returning as Chelsea FC manager following a six-year absence.

Here are the highlights:

13:33 Around 250 journalists are here for Jose Mk II, along with 40 TV crews. And he's late......!

13:38 Press conference begins.

Jose Mourinho is asked whether he can be more successful?

JM:  "I always trust my work. I know many people that belong to the club and the kind of mentality and ambition."

JM:  "I am a very happy person. It is the first time I arrive at a club that I love already."


He's asked if he's still a special one?

JM: "The club is much more important than ourselves. We are nobody compared with the club"

When asked if his relationship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich broke down?

JM: "That is not true (my relationship with Abramovich broke down)."

JM: "I read that I was fired and we had a complete breakdown in relationship, that was not true. At the time we thought it was the best for both of us."

JM: "It was a decision that was difficult for both of us but a decision made by mutual agreement. There was never a break of the relationship and that is why it was possible for me to be here today."

JM: "I am back because we feel we are in a moment of my professional life and in the case of the owner, also a moment in his career as owner, where I think we are in the best moments of our careers and ready to work together again and in much better conditions this time and to succeed in what this club wants, which is stability."

JM: "It was a sad moment but I don't regret that decision. At Inter I had probably the best moment of my career. After that I went to Madrid where we have the best season in Spanish history."

JM: I have more responsibility because of that. Expectations are higher because people know what I can deliver.


Asked if he had a message for the Chelsea fans?

JM: This club has a special fanbase.....[but] I want to be loved for what I can do from now."

JM: "The club knows my mentality, they know my nature, and the fans can be assured I come here to give my best and to try to reach success."

JM: "With my 50th birthday I think I'm still young as a manager. It was beginning of a new period where I have a different approach."

JM: "I analyse myself every day as a leader and manager. I try to improve. I am the same but nine years is a big difference."

JM: "I just want to be calm, to be working every day and give the best I can. I am just so sorry the pre-season doesn't start tomorrow."

On whether he loved news conferences?

JM: "Let's do this fast and let me go."

JM: "I don't love it, but it is part of my job. I try to do the best I can, give you what you want but I didn't come here to give a big headline. I just try to be honest, open and give what you expect from me at this moment."

JM: "I am where I want to be. So now it is up to me to work hard and show my club that I deserve to be here for a long time."


Asked about potential player transfer targets?

JM: There are still a few boys from my time. It is always good to go back and see people that gave absolutely everything while I was here. It is important to tell them that there will be no privilege for them."

JM: "There is a group of boys that I think Chelsea have done very well to get in the past few years. I will be very happy to work with them to improve them. After that, we always have ambition to add a couple of new players to improve the squad, but the most important part of my job at the moment is to improve the players we have."


Mourinho has not spent more than three years at the same club. When asked if he wanted more stability?

JM: "Yes, now I'm prepared for that. Before I wasn't."

JM: "I had this kind of mentality. Today is 10th June - the day of Portugal. I'm Portuguese and I love adventure like the Portuguese ones in the past - a bit of a navigator. But I've done what I wanted to do. I needed a special family - which I have - and they allowed me to move around Europe."


The Chelsea manager was asked when did he decide to come back to Stamford Bridge?

JM: "Not a long time ago. I decided first of all that I was going to leave my previous club, that was the trigger."

JM: "I needed to make that decision and I did and after that it was a question for analysing the situation and possibilities and making the best decision for my happiness. When the Chelsea situation appears, it was decision made."

JM: "Roman has offered me a lifetime supply of Rowntree's Randoms and a new spinning office chair, I couldn't say no......."

JM; "I am happy to be back in this club, this league and this City"

JM: "I am better able to manage my emotions, calmer in victory, less depressed in defeat."


Asked about plans for the Chelsea squad?

JM: "There are still a few boys from my previous time here, which is always good to go back and see these people who gave me absolutely everything."

JM: "It is important for me to tell you that there is no privilege for them. They know that already as they know my nature as a manger. They don't have an advantage in relation to the other people."

JM: "There is a group of boys that Chelsea did very well to get in these past years and I will be more than happy to work with them and improve them."

JM: "We always have ambition to add a couple of new players, to give different qualities and increase the competitiveness. The most important part of my job at the moment is the improvement of the youth here. They have big potential and I think I have the conditions to help improve them."


Mourinho on Chelsea's objective/ambitions?

JM: "Everybody will try to finish top four, and after that top three. After that, trying to win it. Of course the first objective is top four."

JM: "Chelsea have to focus on every competition. Everything is important. Champions League cannot be an obsession for me."

JM: "The Premier League is a competition the best team wins. Let's try to be the best."
"All my decisions are based on a meritocracy. After that, I can sleep well."

Asked were his feelings hurt by not being asked to be the new Manchester United or Manchester City manager?

JM: "No, and this is where he wants to be. Is this a better job than those? "It is my job, it is the job I want and I accepted immediately."

JM: "I am where I want to be. I wouldn't change it for anything."


The new Chelsea boss when asked: "What he learnt from falling out with Real's Iker Casillas?"

"What did I do last season? What happened? I played the players I thought were best for the team. Of course I want good relationships with everybody, but the most important thing is my relationship with myself. It was a pure football decision. I decided for one player, not the other. Me as a manager, all my decisions are built on meritocracy. After that, I can sleep well."


Asked about any decisions previous manager Benítez made?

"One of my good qualities, I have some bad ones, is that when I leave a club I don't speak about it, and when I arrive I don't speak about what has gone before. So not one word for me on Benítez's time with the club, or what happened with John (Terry). I know what he can give, he can be the best, let's try to make him a big player which he couldn't be last season. But Benítez's decisions were Benítez's decisions."


What are his thoughts on the new Premier League landscape?

JM: "I look forward to what the Premier League is. In the last three years I've played in a league which is a two-horse race and now I move to a league where you lose more times but the competition is open to more than two."

JM: "When I arrived Arsenal were the power. After that, us and United. Now the picture is different. United is champion, City before."

JM: "Everybody will try to finish top four, and after that top three. After that, trying to win it. The 1st objective is top four. After that we will try to win it."

JM: "I am where I want to be. I wouldn't change it for anything. It is a job I was offered and I accepted immediately."

Mourinho speaks about his managerial rivals?

JM: "I'm still a bit disappointed that I'm back and I'll go to Old Trafford and Sir Alex is not there," he said. But David Moyes has conditions and experiences and protection from the club to do job and do well."

JM: "Wenger is there and I'm happy he is."

JM: "And the three boys - when I say boys I say it with warmth - Brendan (Rodgers), Steve (Clarke) and Andre (Villas-Boas). I'm more than happy to be in same league and wish them all the best."

JM: "Pellegrini is a man with a lot of experience first time he moves here but maturity and quality to do a good job."


Mourinho on Barcelona?

JM: "I damaged Spanish football by being the manager that broke Barcelona's dominance."

JM: "It looked like a dominance without an end but Real Madrid won the Cup Final against Barcelona, won the Super Cup against Barcelona, won in Barcelona and won the championship, and that is the historic championship - which is 100 points and 101 goals. I hurt it."

JM: "They dominated for so long, I think I hurt them. It was a fantastic time for me, a big club and a chance to win the domestic title that I had not won in my career. We could not get the Champions League, but it's very difficult to do that."



A journo from Belgium asks Jose about Chelsea's Belgian players....."What are your plans for Lukaku and De Bruyne?"

JM: "I want to meet them and I think it's fair the players are 1st to know about their futures."

JM: "Chelsea invested a lot in the players - it's my job to extract the best out of that investment."



Jose's asked about the identity of the club, which he promised to change in 2004?

JM: "When I came here at first Chelsea needed more of a push in the direction of trophies and success. The median age of the players was perfect for that jump in quality. I felt that the squad and the club needed that direction. We did it well by winning. That base stayed in the club to help them reach more success in the future."

JM: "This time I arrive, and victories and silverware are nothing new. In this moment it's time for a completely different approach. Not losing my nature, which is the nature of the club too, trying to win. I think we are all prepared for a different era with a different profile of team.

"My fingerprint has to be on it, because a football team without the fingerprint of its manager is not a football team. Looks like, but isn't."


When asked about in which areas he is looking to improve the Club?

JM: "We have already 60 players, because in the last two days we had 20 new buys in the media."

JM: "A couple of new signings is normal and common practice in any club. "

JM: "I have to be fair with the players and give them all a chance."


When asked: What are your weaknesses Jose?

JM: "I have to try to improve them. You don't speak about weaknesses to your enemy. My enemy is reading papers tomorrow and watching TV now.

JM: Every team has weaknesses, every manager has weaknesses, we try to hide them. When I say enemy I say it with respect, in sport your enemy is not truly your enemy. I know my weaknesses......there are not many."

14:33 Press conference comes to a conclusion.


Pictures courtesy of The Press Asscociation, The Daily Telegraph and The Daily Mail newspapers and Reuters:

Who would want to own a Palace?

With Crystal Palace Football Club’s on field performances stuttering badly of late it seems everyone associated with the South London Club is in the firing line. There is a definite divide amongst the fans of the the club as to who and/or where the significant blame lies – is it with with the players, the management, the owners.......or perhaps, although far less likely with the Kayla the Eagle, The Crystal Cheerleaders or the guy in the Palace scarf who walks his dog around Ashburton Park at 7am every weekday morning - everybody is ostensibly a potential scapegoat!

As a write on the back of another ‘pointless’ trip to Ipswich on Tuesday night and previous docile displays against the likes of Brighton, Birmingham, Blackpool and Barnsley it was interesting to study the Club's financial accounts that were published this week.

For the period July 2011 to June 2012, the accounts show a net loss of £2.2m, but that figure is down by more than £7m on 2010/2011 and that the Eagles' turnover has risen by £2.3m, and this does not include monies from the sale of Wilfried Zaha to Manchester United. Wages for players, managers, coaches, administration and commercial staff are up by nearly £3m, but directors Steve Parish, Steve Browett and Martin Long (pictured above) took no salary.

Although it is fair to say that the financial accounts of a football club are far more complicated than they appear above, it is a credit to the business acumen of the consortium ‘CPFC2010’ who purchased Crystal Palace FC three years ago, when the club was on its knees. They are carefully managing the club's finances and are indeed reducing the debt, so as not to put the club in any kind of financial risk, unlike some of the other Championship clubs.

To put it into perspective, in the last financial year Palace spent 78 per cent of their turnover on wages, Middlesbrough 119 per cent, Nottingham Forest 119 per cent, Leicester City 130 per cent and at the other end of the table, relegated Bristol City were quite literally flushing money away, as they spent an incredible 157 per cent of their turnover on wages.

I want to get away from discussing our current ownership situation and for the purposes of this article focus on some histrionics that came about not once, but twice in the last ten years regarding ‘rumoured takeovers’ that actually made the front pages of some newspapers.

Daily Star - 23/3/2011 - 7 months before his death!

Back in the summer of 2004 Colonel Gaddafi, known as 'The Mad Dog of Tripoli' was reportedly contemplating purchasing Crystal Palace, who had just been promoted to the Premier League. Gaddafi was increasingly keen to join a growing cosmopolitan group of club proprietors in the Premiership at the time, including Mohamed Al Fayed at Fulham and Russian oil baron, Roman Abramovich at Chelsea.

The offer at the time was expected to come through the state-owned Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company, (Lafico) the body that was used by Gaddafi to buy a 5.31 per cent share in Juventus, the  Turin-based football club.

The then chairman of Palace Simon Jordan was was making no secret of the fact that he wanted to sell the club saying – "I don't enjoy football anymore" and declared to reporters "I have been told that Gaddafi and his son are interested in acquiring Palace. If Gaddafi's money was able to progress Palace and allow them to be a successful football club then one would have to take that under consideration”

It is interesting to note that a year earlier one of Gadaffi’s seven sons was signed as a player by the Italian club Perugia. The 30-year-old managed only 15 minutes of first-team action however, before he was suspended for failing a drugs test. Also when his son was playing for the Libyan national side, his team-mates had to allow him to take all the free-kicks and corners he wanted, under the orders of the manager!

Obviously nothing came of Gadaffi’s apparent interest, and only a few days after the story broke Mr Gaddafi denied knowing anything about the rumours linking him to the purchase of Crystal Palace. However it is a pretty frightening thought when you sit back and try and envisage with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi at the helm, how he along with his family and his Libyan 'representatives' might have gone about running the South London Club, had a deal gone ahead!

Gadaffi may have been the most controversial suitor to show an interest in acquiring ‘The Eagles’ but he is not the only high profile public figure to do so in the last ten years.

Back in March 2010 with the the bankrupt club in chaos, Rap mogul P Diddy (right) was planning to splash some of his reported £360million on the Selhurst Park side. As mad as it seemed, the multi-millionaire American wanted to invest in an English football club, and it was Palace that caught his bling-obsessed eye.
Why Palace you may well ask? Well according to insiders he 'liked the name,' which could be considered an innovative if not bizarre reason to throw your money at a football club in administration.

Brendan Guilfoyle, administrator of the bankrupt Championship side, said at the time he "would willingly fly to New York to meet him to discuss a purchase".

Mr Guilfoyle, of The P&A Partnership financial firm, said he was "a big hip-hop fan" and would be "delighted if P Diddy wanted to buy Crystal Palace."

Diddy it is reported actually sat down and had a meeting in London to discuss a possible swoop for the then beleaguered London club. With the finance in place, it was just left for him to decide whether or not to go ahead with the deal!

A few months later P Diddy, real name Sean Combs confirmed that somebody "had looked at it" for him, but "it just wasn't the right business move for me at the time."

Perhaps P Diddy thought he was buying an actual Palace made out of Crystal, and with P Diddy in charge the Palace fans’ might have been 'treated' to a rap version of 'Glad All Over,' the song adopted by the fans of the club as their anthem in the 1960's.

When you think of what might have been as a Palace fan, are you not relieved that the club is now owned by ‘CPFC2010’ and in a safe pair of hands, or would you rather the Club had been bought by a ‘terrorist’ or a ‘rapper?'


As former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan entitled his recent book, ‘Be Careful What you Wish For’ – never has a phrase been more apt in the rollercoaster that is Crystal Palace Football Club, both on and off the field!

The World's Richest Football Club Owners

#5 – Silvio Berlusconi – AC Milan

In 5th Position, is Silvio Berlusconi who was born in Milan in 1936. He has been an Italian politician and a businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the controlling shareholder of Mediaset, the largest broadcasting company in Italy, and owns a controlling stake in Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, the largest Italian publishing house. He has been the owner of Italian football giants AC Milan since 2006. According to Forbes, Berlusconi is Italy's third richest man, with his net worth believed to be in the region of $7.8 Billion.

Under his ownership AC Milan won the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In 2007 he signed the gifted Brazilian Alexander Pato for €24 million and in 2009 he brought the legendary David Beckham to play for Milan on loan from MLS side LA Galaxy. Despite being one of several Italian clubs at the centre of charges of match fixing and corruption in 2007, Milan managed to maintain a strong squad of players with a wealth of experience and the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta, Massimo Ambrosini and Gennaro Gattuso are all still playing under Berlusconi. Last season they finally came out of the shadows of their fierce city rivals Internazionale, and were crowned Italian Serie A league winners for the eighteenth time in their illustrious history.

Silvio Berlusconi has an extensive record of criminal allegations, including mafia collusion, false accounting, tax fraud, corruption and bribery of police officers and judges. His leadership was also undermined by sex scandals. After losing his majority in parliament amid growing fiscal problems related to the European debt crisis, Berlusconi officially resigned as Prime Minister on the 16th November 2011.

#4 – Roman Abramovich – Chelsea

In 4th position is Roman Abramovich. In June 2003, Roman Abramovich bought the companies that control Chelsea Football Club in London at a cost of £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club. The club immediately embarked on an ambitious programme of commercial development, with the aim of making it a worldwide brand on a par with footballing dynasties like Manchester United and Real Madrid. Over £100 million was also spent on new players.

In 2004-05 Abramovich has been alleged to be involved in various wrongdoings by many people. It is also alleged that, at one time, then Russian president Boris Yeltsin himself provided Abramovich with protection from prosecution for various criminal activities ranging from stealing diesel fuel to illegally acquiring Sibneft at a staged contest. Nonetheless, many of the allegations against Abramovich are unproven and he has never been convicted of any crime in any world court.

Under his ownership, the 45 year-old Russian has done marvelous things for Chelsea. In Abramovich's second season at Stamford Bridge José Mourinho was recruited as the new manager and Chelsea ended the following season as Premier League champions, for the first time in 50 years. Since the takeover the club have won eight major trophies – the Premier League on three occasions, the FA Cup three times and the League Cup twice. They also reached UEFA Champions League Final for the first time in the history of the club in 2007-08. Despite José Mourinho's success on the field a feud developed between Abramovich and Mourinho off of it. It is alleged that Roman actually forced him to buy Andriy Shevchenko for a then British record transfer fee of around £30 million (€35.3 million), when Mourniho did not want to buy him. This along with murmurings of discontent about Abramovich's meddling and interfering in his work as manager, ultimately led to Mourinio leaving the London club in September 2007. However in the 2009-2010 season Chelsea won for the first time in their history the Premier League and FA Cup 'double' under Carlo Ancelotti's stewardship and Abromovich’s rule.

It is argued that Abramovich's involvement with Chelsea has distorted the football transfer market throughout Europe, as his wealth often allows the club to purchase players virtually at will. In January 2011, Spanish footballer Fernando Torres completed his move from Liverpool to Chelsea on a five-and-a-half year contract for an undisclosed fee reported to be £50 million, which set a new record for a British transfer and made him the fourth most expensive footballer in history.

Abramovich has become the world's greatest spender on luxury yachts, and had been linked to five yachts in what the media have called 'Abramovich's Navy.' He also owns a private Boeing 767, an Airbus A340 and three Eurocopter helicopters. It is said that the aircraft and his yachts are fitted with radar to detect missile threats, and different defensive counter-measures. Abramovich has recently boosted his security staff to a 40 person 'private army,' making him one of the best protected businessmen in the world.
Prior to the financial crisis, he was considered to be the second richest person living within the United Kingdom. His net worth is $13.4 Billion.

#3 – Amancio Ortega Gaona – Deportivo La Coruna

In 3rd position is Amancio Ortega who owns the Spanish side Deprtivo La Coruna. He is also known as the 'Fashion Kingpin' who founded a retail company named Inditex Group, parent company of the Zara chain. He owns 59.29% of the Inditex Group (Industrias de Diseño Textil Sociedad Anónima) which includes the brands Zara, Massimo Dutti, Oysho, Zara Home, Kiddy's Class, Tempe, Stradivarius, Pull and Bear/Often and Bershka and has more than 92,000 employees. His net worth is $31 Billion. In 2011 Forbes ranked Ortega as Spain's richest man, Europe's second richest man and the seventh richest man in the world.

His Deportivo side were relegated to the Spanish second división at the end of the 2010-11 season, after twenty consecutive seasons in the top flight of Spanish football - La Liga, finishing in the top half of the table in 16 out of 19 seasons. As a result, the club has been a regular participant in European competitions, playing in the UEFA Champions League five seasons in a row. Even though they are not up there with the Spanish and world giants in Barcelona or Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna boast a proud footballing history since they were founded back in 1906.

Ortega however keeps a very low profile and there are practically no photographs of him.

#2 – Laxmi Mittal – Queens Park Rangers (QPR)

In 2nd Position is the Indian born Laxmi Mittal owner of Queens Park Rangers (QPR), who recently got promoted to the English Premier League by winning the Coca-Cola Championship last May.

The 61 year-old lives in the UK and is the richest man in India, Asia and the United Kingdom. He is presently the sixth richest individual in the world with a net worth of $31.1 Billion. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaking company. Mittal is an independent director of Goldman Sachs, member of Board of Directors to Goldman Sachs Media/Film IP Group and a member of the Board of Directors of European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company.

He currently has a 54% share holding in QPR and looks likely to purchase further shares in the West London club, now that they are competing in the English Premier League.

#1 – Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed – Manchester City

.....and in first position is Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan owner of English Premier League club Manchester City. The 41 year-old is a United Arab Emirati politician and a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family. He is known as a 'trillion dollar man.' In 2007 he was appointed as the Chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of UAE. His net worth is approximately around $555 Billion. None of the above four mentioned compare to Sheikh Mansour in the wealth stakes!

Since the day he arrived as the owner of Manchester City, he changed the entire future of the club by splashing the cash on many high profile players. He first bought in Carloz Tevez, Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry and Emmanuel Adebayor. Prior to the start of the 2010–11 season, City completed the transfers of Jérôme Boateng, Yaya Touré, David Silva, Aleksandar Kolarov and Mario Balotelli. James Milner signed during the first week of the season and Edin Džeko joined the club during the January 2011 transfer window. The spending didn't stop there and this season he went out and spent more than a $100 million on Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri.

Under his ownership, Manchester City prospered last season by winning the FA Cup and bringing silverware to Eastlands for the first time since City's League Cup triumph back in 1976. They also finished third in the Premier League and in doing so gained automatic promotion into this seasons financially lucrative UEFA Champions League. At the moment no other rich tycoon football owner is even near to him when it comes to finances. He is known as the 'Jackpot of Manchester City' and he truly is.

The New Breed versus The Old Guard - Betting News with Betfred

versus

It is a mouth-watering clash of the billionaires with big ambitions at Eastlands this weekend as Chelsea and Manchester City clash this Saturday.

Roman Abramovich revolutionised the Premier League when he took over Chelsea and sprayed his millions around to bring quality footballers to the club, which led to Jose Mourinho leading them to the Premier League title.

Now the new boys on the block are City, and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has spent hundreds of millions of pounds in his short term at the helm in the hope of bringing success to Eastlands.

It is a case of the old guard versus the new breed when the two teams meet, and this game is set to be Chelsea's sternest test yet of their ability to defend the Premier League title they won last season.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are 6/5 in the online football betting to head back to the capital with all three points.

The West London side have been in scintillating scoring form this season and have blown away all that came before them in the Premier League, scoring 21 goals in their first five Premier League fixtures of the campaign.
However things could be different on Saturday lunchtime, when they face a City side that did the double over them last season - and many punters may see a City win at 5/2 as an enticing Premier League bet.

Didier Drogba, who has looked very impressive in the opening weeks of the season and is 9/2 with Betfred to open the scoring at Eastlands, claims contrary to public opinion, that Chelsea have not had an "easy start" to their season, but he admits the true test of their title credentials lie in the forthcoming games.

He said: "City will be a good test to see if we can deal with better opposition. After that it is Arsenal - another big one - so it's a crucial period."

Both teams are coming into this game having lost in the Carling Cup in midweek and seen one chance of silverware go begging. However it is the Premier League title that both teams, and their Chairman have their eyes on winning, so it should be an exciting affair when they take to the field.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Chelsea should be too strong for the inconsistent City and I expect them to continue their superb scoring form, so Betfred's 4/1 for the Londoner's to score three goals or more looks like good value. Also Carlos Tevez at 11/2 to score first in the match looks a steal.

Saturday 25th September: Chelsea v Manchester City, kick-off 12.45pm - Live on Sky Sports 2.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

The Worst Sporting Champions of All Time ! - Part One

The World Cup is over, Spain were victorious and they are the World Champions. At the end of the day whilst watching it from my humble abode here in the UK it is in my opinion that Spain were indeed worthy winners, although it was generally a disappointing tournament all-round in terms of the quality of the football played, and the embarrassment and humiliation the England players and management team bestowed upon our nation!

This article is part one of several to come celebrating those undeserved 'Sporting Champions' - those teams and/or individuals that were actually top of their field, yet were still pretty rubbish.

For this reason I shall call them 'Sport's Greatest Ever Pretenders,' starting with:
Blackburn Rovers - Premiership Champions 1995.

How did a team based around the workmanlike talents of Tim Sherwood and Jeff Kenna become champions of England?

Stick nine men behind the ball, hoof it up to Alan Shearer and hope he's not too busy flapping his pointy elbows into some poor old defender's eye socket, and in the interim point in time he whacks the ball into the back of the onion bag. That is how!

Ole, ole ole!.............free-flowing, aesthetically pleasing, champagne football!

That season Manchester United had been handicapped by the loss of the mercurial Eric 'the karate kid' Cantona, following a now well documented altercation with a Crystal Palace fan at Selhurst Park one January evening in 1995. Without the suspended Frenchman it immediately became advantage Rovers, but they still failed to claim their prize with any assumed authority.

They stumbled over the finishing line, losing three of their final five games, the last of which gave Manchester United the chance to snatch the title with the very last kick of the season, if they could win at West Ham. Luckily for Rovers, that final kick fell to United's Achilles heel, Andy Cole's club foot - and Kenny Dalglish's men topped the table by a single point.

They danced and they sang without a hint of ignominy, as this small Lancashire club lifted the Premier League trophy, just four years after the arrival and the aid of the late Jack Walker's dynasty and his millions.

Such end-of-season shamelessness would never be seen again............that was until Chelsea insisted that it 'wasn't all about Roman's f***ing money,' when in June 2003 Ken Bates sold Chelski to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich for £140 million, completing what was then the biggest-ever sale of an English football club.

He subsequently spent over £100 million on new players, as they went onto become the fifth English team to win (buy) back-to-back league championships since the Second World War in 2004/05 and 2005/06.