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PL not in favor of salary cap
England - 29 November, 2006
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Richard Scudamore, Premier League chief executive, is against initiating a salary cap based upon the clubs' annual turnover believing this gives an advantage to the larger clubs.
Sports Minister Richard Caborn has backed the plan and wants UEFA to take an active role in legislating the game on a domestic level.
Caborn had written about his concerns for the future of football in The Times saying he feared the sport might become "an exclusive and elitist sport, strangled by over-commercialisation, plunging from one crisis to another."
However, with European ministers meeting in Brussels to discuss prospective guidelines, Scudamore said it is his belief that domestic football is well maintained and should not face interference from Europe.
"UEFA is not, and should not be, the governing body of European football - they have their own competitions to run and should be free to do so, as we have ours," Scudamore told The Times.
"The idea that the rest of European football can decide what is best for the English game is a nonsense, just as it should be down to the Germans, French, Italians, Spanish, Dutch etc. as to how they run their leagues."
"Ask any fan who their main rivals are or which match they care most about, and the answer is local. The structure of our club football, including FA and League cups, is the envy of European football, and no other country gets close to replicating it in terms of strength and depth or passion and participation."
"It is domestic club football that is the driving force behind European competition and not the other way round."
He is particularly opposed to the plans for salary caps, which he believes could prove a major threat to the smaller clubs in the top flight.
"(This) actually locks in an advantage to the big clubs, because they have the highest turnover. It would also mean that the likes of Wigan, Fulham and Middlesbrough would probably not be in the Premier League," continued Scudamore. "Is this what we really want?
"The Premier League has huge respect for Richard Caborn and the job he does, but there is no need for a pseudo-European Sports Minister pushing an agenda that runs counter to the continued success for the Premier League."
Sports Minister Richard Caborn has backed the plan and wants UEFA to take an active role in legislating the game on a domestic level.
Caborn had written about his concerns for the future of football in The Times saying he feared the sport might become "an exclusive and elitist sport, strangled by over-commercialisation, plunging from one crisis to another."
However, with European ministers meeting in Brussels to discuss prospective guidelines, Scudamore said it is his belief that domestic football is well maintained and should not face interference from Europe.
"UEFA is not, and should not be, the governing body of European football - they have their own competitions to run and should be free to do so, as we have ours," Scudamore told The Times.
"The idea that the rest of European football can decide what is best for the English game is a nonsense, just as it should be down to the Germans, French, Italians, Spanish, Dutch etc. as to how they run their leagues."
"Ask any fan who their main rivals are or which match they care most about, and the answer is local. The structure of our club football, including FA and League cups, is the envy of European football, and no other country gets close to replicating it in terms of strength and depth or passion and participation."
"It is domestic club football that is the driving force behind European competition and not the other way round."
He is particularly opposed to the plans for salary caps, which he believes could prove a major threat to the smaller clubs in the top flight.
"(This) actually locks in an advantage to the big clubs, because they have the highest turnover. It would also mean that the likes of Wigan, Fulham and Middlesbrough would probably not be in the Premier League," continued Scudamore. "Is this what we really want?
"The Premier League has huge respect for Richard Caborn and the job he does, but there is no need for a pseudo-European Sports Minister pushing an agenda that runs counter to the continued success for the Premier League."
Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 -
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