Fiszman likes thrifty approach with Arsenal

Danny Fiszman, the second largest shareholder in English Arsenal, said he does not believe in the benefactor model, and that English Arsenal will stick to its way of doing things and not follow Chelsea's path.

Chelsea used the deep pockets of Roman Abramovich to build up its club. But Chelsea finished second to Manchester United for the big prizes in the Premier League and Champions League.

So Fiszman will keep things the usual way at Arsenal. His club's revenue will come from Emirates Stadium and the push into emerging markets such as Thailand and Vietnam.

"It is not a question of a one-time infusion of cash to buy player x or player y. You actually then have salaries that are connected to the players," Fiszman told Arsenal TV. "What if [big-name players] don't work out? Do you go and buy another two or three players? Is there any end to it?

"So I think everybody, including Chelsea, knows there are limits. We believe in the end the self-sustaining model is the right one, the one we have adopted and will continue adopting."

Even with a more cautious approach, Fiszman believes Arsenal's spending is more in line with the rest of the league, with Chelsea as an exception.

Chelsea's wage bill totaled GBP 114 million. Manchester United was GBP 85 million. Arsenal checked in at GBP 83 million. Liverpool was next at GBP 69 million.

Fiszman also revealed that the club is headhunting for a new CEO, following the departure of Keith Edelman earlier this month, and a new chief financial officer.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.