2023-2024 European Football Thread

[dawg]

@dawg Best news ever! Although I’m sure it won’t happen and has a .00000000000000000000001 chance of happening, I am relishing in this headline for today at least. And it does say that according to sources, the Kroenkes may be tempted by a bid of $2 billion pounds, roughly 3.5/4 billion dollars I think...?

Also, this is an article from the Telegraph so it’s not exactly a tag like all those others, so there may actually be some weight to all this.

Spotify founder Daniel Ek's Arsenal interest is genuine - and he is plotting takeover bid

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.te...el-eks-arsenal-interest-genuine-plotting/amp/

We can only pray. Someone posted on the Arsenal subreddit that Ek Tweeted his interest during Friday's protest, and that shot my productivity for the day. I've read the club are worth £2.2b (KSE paid £731m, so Ek would need to pool some other investors together to get it done). That said... Supposedly he has three guys in his corner who add a bit, just a smidge, of credibility to his potential ownership. Three distinguished gentlemen whose accomplishments are such that two of them have statues currently outside the stadium and the other I'd argue was so critical to the club's success that he should as well: Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and Patrick Vieira.

KSE's position may be that "we ain't selling," and having a money bin with close to $9b puts him in a position where he can say "screw you" to everyone. But that's three members of the Invincibles who have lined up with your potential successor. Also, did you see Ian Wright tweeted #KroenkeOut. That's four absolute legends of the club. Yes, he's insulated from the protests by living in America, but there must be some pressure to sell where before none existed. Kroenke has always run the club as a long-term investment. The longer the club remain out of the top four (I'd say we have a 5% of winning the Europa League this year, with Tierney and Laca out, Auba still down with malaria, and the storm enveloping the club), the less the club is worth and the more KSE will have to spend to regain competitiveness. I could see Kroenke selling high and cashing out now.

Kroenke (or his son or whomever is actually calling the shots) has overseen the long and steady decline of the club. KSE was happy enough that Wenger would scrap out a 4th and cash the CL check that came with it. Zero ambition beyond that. That said, I'll credit him with two things: 1) he didn't drain £1b from the club into his pocket like the Glazers have at Utd, and 2) he hasn't saddled the club with debt (supposedly Abramovich's spending on Chelsea has been in the from of loans, and the club would owe him close to £1.2b should he every decide to sell.) So that's the good, but it is undeniable the club have been run very poorly from a football standpoint under his watch and have slipped from contending for the EPL title to mid-table. It's time to go.

What do we know about Ek? Not much. I stream Spotify in the background at work. If you type "THX1138" in the search bar, then the progress bar turns into a lightsaber. So that's cool. But... Henry, Bergkamp, and Vieira lend him immediate credibility. He's a long-time supporter (someone who presumably would want the club to return to the top of the table and Europe). He created something from nothing, so he's got a proven innovative streak. Might he get in and be worse than KSE? Yeah. Am I willing to take that chance given the decline Arsenal supporters have witnessed the past 10 years? Heck yes.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...k-vieira-to-join-daniel-ek-in-bid-to-buy-club

https://www.nme.com/news/music/spot...takeover-bid-with-invincibles-legends-2927906

https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2018/6/1/17416550/chelsea-owe-1-17-billion-to-abramovich

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/daniel-ek-net-worth-arsenal-20457384

 

[Chongo94]

We can only pray. Someone posted on the Arsenal subreddit that Ek Tweeted his interest during Friday's protest, and that shot my productivity for the day. I've read the club are worth £2.2b (KSE paid £731m, so Ek would need to pool some other investors together to get it done). That said... Supposedly he has three guys in his corner who add a bit, just a smidge, of credibility to his potential ownership. Three distinguished gentlemen whose accomplishments are such that two of them have statues currently outside the stadium and the other I'd argue was so critical to the club's success that he should as well: Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, and Patrick Vieira.

KSE's position may be that "we ain't selling," and having a money bin with close to $9b puts him in a position where he can say "screw you" to everyone. But that's three members of the Invincibles who have lined up with your potential successor. Also, did you see Ian Wright tweeted #KroenkeOut. That's four absolute legends of the club. Yes, he's insulated from the protests by living in America, but there must be some pressure to sell where before none existed. Kroenke has always run the club as a long-term investment. The longer the club remain out of the top four (I'd say we have a 5% of winning the Europa League this year, with Tierney and Laca out, Auba still down with malaria, and the storm enveloping the club), the less the club is worth and the more KSE will have to spend to regain competitiveness. I could see Kroenke selling high and cashing out now.

Kroenke (or his son or whomever is actually calling the shots) has overseen the long and steady decline of the club. KSE was happy enough that Wenger would scrap out a 4th and cash the CL check that came with it. Zero ambition beyond that. That said, I'll credit him with two things: 1) he didn't drain £1b from the club into his pocket like the Glazers have at Utd, and 2) he hasn't saddled the club with debt (supposedly Abramovich's spending on Chelsea has been in the from of loans, and the club would owe him close to £1.2b should he every decide to sell.) So that's the good, but it is undeniable the club have been run very poorly from a football standpoint under his watch and have slipped from contending for the EPL title to mid-table. It's time to go.

What do we know about Ek? Not much. I stream Spotify in the background at work. If you type "THX1138" in the search bar, then the progress bar turns into a lightsaber. So that's cool. But... Henry, Bergkamp, and Vieira lend him immediate credibility. He's a long-time supporter (someone who presumably would want the club to return to the top of the table and Europe). He created something from nothing, so he's got a proven innovative streak. Might he get in and be worse than KSE? Yeah. Am I willing to take that chance given the decline Arsenal supporters have witnessed the past 10 years? Heck yes.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...k-vieira-to-join-daniel-ek-in-bid-to-buy-club

https://www.nme.com/news/music/spot...takeover-bid-with-invincibles-legends-2927906

https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/2018/6/1/17416550/chelsea-owe-1-17-billion-to-abramovich

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/daniel-ek-net-worth-arsenal-20457384

It does seem real. I wasn’t aware the players had joined. Hopefully that adds some gravitas and momentum to it.

Sky Sports News has been reporting on this this morning. Seems like the Eck guy is a true fan and would allow fan representation on the board apparently.

Really hope this actually all comes through but given that it’s Kroenke, I highly doubt it, sadly.

 

[Chongo94]

Balogun also signed a new contract today with the team.

 

[dawg]

Balogun also signed a new contract today with the team.

Yep. Another Academy product. Future England internationals Smith-Rowe and Saka have come through the Academy recently, along with Nketiah (jury still out but has shown flashes). Hopefully Balogun is another in the line of good young players.

 

[Moose Stuff]

Yep. Another Academy product. Future England internationals Smith-Rowe and Saka have come through the Academy recently, along with Nketiah (jury still out but has shown flashes). Hopefully Balogun is another in the line of good young players.

He chosen a national team yet?

 

[Chongo94]

He chosen a national team yet?

No, not as of yet. If I am remembering correctly, however, I believe that the whispers are that the USA has a truly good shot of getting his commitment.

 

[dawg]

He chosen a national team yet?

No, not as of yet. If I am remembering correctly, however, I believe that the whispers are that the USA has a truly good shot of getting his commitment.

“Not to mention, Balogun is provisionally cap-tied to England for the time-being, thus requiring a one-time switch to represent the US and he would not file that switch for just a chance to compete for a spot. He would do so because he has broken onto the scene and sees no path to senior minutes for England with names like Harry Kane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of him, making the US his best option.”

You guys are way more versed on the MNT/international setup, but it sounds from this article as though he’s at the “decision point” in terms of his senior international career. USA has a real chance at him.

Still unproven, he’ll get matches with the Arsenal senior XI next year (definitely in the League Cup and maybe beyond) to show his talent.

www.onegoal.us/articles/2021/2/17/the-most-important-dual-nats-for-the-usmnt-for-the-future%3fformat=amp

 

[Purp]

“Not to mention, Balogun is provisionally cap-tied to England for the time-being, thus requiring a one-time switch to represent the US and he would not file that switch for just a chance to compete for a spot. He would do so because he has broken onto the scene and sees no path to senior minutes for England with names like Harry Kane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin ahead of him, making the US his best option.”

You guys are way more versed on the MNT/international setup, but it sounds from this article as though he’s at the “decision point” in terms of his senior international career. USA has a real chance at him.

Still unproven, he’ll get matches with the Arsenal senior XI next year (definitely in the League Cup and maybe beyond) to show his talent.

www.onegoal.us/articles/2021/2/17/the-most-important-dual-nats-for-the-usmnt-for-the-future%3fformat=amp

If he is interested in playing time he's definitely more likely to get it with the USMNT the way things look right now at his position. There are tons of budding options at that spot right now so he better get his club career ascending quickly if he doesn't want to be left behind there. I'll be surprised if he doesn't get a call from Berhalter (I'm sure they've spoken quite a bit), but the Nats won't have many opportunities for him to show himself in 2021 without filing a one time switch. Now that the Olympics is out of the picture there are 3 major competitions that would permanently cap-tie him to the U.S. Any friendlies around those competitions will be oriented around building a squad for those tournaments so he's not going to get a call for a quick look in camp unless he's willing to commit his future. This one feels unlikely to me, but Berhalter has really be a great recruiter for these dual nationals. Who knows?

 

[Purp]

Interesting read on Miazga. I haven't watched him play recently, but what he's saying about his time playing center back under Vincent Kompany sounds very promising. And the fact that it sounds like they want to keep him in Belgium on a permanent basis means Kompany must like what he's seeing. That's potentially a good sign for the U.S. back line. At this point I feel like we can put Brooks in with Sharpie at center back and and Dest is only not in Sharpie b/c we don't know if he's on the left or right side. I feel really comfortable right now with Cannon on the right and Dest on the left so the only question mark on the back line for me is Brooks' partner. Maybe Miazga can be that guy. He's still only 25 so he could realistically have 3 WC cycles left in him if he develops into a top end CB.

https://sbisoccer.com/2021/04/sbi-s...he-prepares-for-a-busy-stretch-with-the-usmnt

 

[Purp]

It does seem real. I wasn’t aware the players had joined. Hopefully that adds some gravitas and momentum to it.

Sky Sports News has been reporting on this this morning. Seems like the Eck guy is a true fan and would allow fan representation on the board apparently.

Really hope this actually all comes through but given that it’s Kroenke, I highly doubt it, sadly.

Sorry.

http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story...orms-staff-that-club-will-not-be-sold-sources

 

[Moose Stuff]

God I hate games with no fans. This is a massive goal and it feels like a scrimmage.

 

[Purp]

God I hate games with no fans. This is a massive goal and it feels like a scrimmage.

How awesome for him. He's on a mission to prove himself all over again and he's not leaving many doubters. Totally agree with you about no fans there. They should have played this game at Globe Life Field just to have a packed house.

 

[Chongo94]

Sorry.

http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story...orms-staff-that-club-will-not-be-sold-sources

Oh it won’t happen. Was just enjoying the headline and news for those few days. The only thing I like now is the Kroenkes themselves are depreciating their own asset. Arsenal will apparently lose $100 million this year or maybe that’s going on from last year, can’t remember.

So they won’t sell, and say they’re committed to winning trophies, while the club continue to slide downward on their watch and this year probably won’t even qualify for Europe thus furthering the depreciation of the club’s value.

Idiots.....and just loathsome scum.

 

[Purp]

There may be hope yet...

https://www.espn.com/soccer/arsenal/story/4372584/spotify-boss-secures-funding-for-arsenal-purchase

 

[Chongo94]

Well, if it does or does not happen, here’s more proof that Arsenal are one of the most poorly run clubs in the league and that new ownership is definitely needed.

Apparently the club owes $154 million in unpaid transfer fees. They are apparently STILL paying fees on the Lacazette and Aubameyang transfers among others. Honestly, come on Villarreal, do us a favor and put the squeeze on more.

Arsenal owes more transfer fees than any other Premier League team
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ju...than-any-other-premier-league-team/280417/amp

 

[dawg]

Kroenke's ownership summed up in one picture: faded, chipped, and in need of renewal.

It's nice to think about Kroenke leaving the club, but like Chongo I doubt he will. KSE will offer up an NCAA14-style "get off me, son" stiff arm for two reasons:

1. He's worth $8b. In addition, and I wasn't aware of this until reading articles about the potential sale this week, his wife's middle name is "Walton." Yes those Walton's, and her net worth is estimated at $8b as well. He can buy Ek twice without feeling it. He doesn't need to sell the club.

2. Fan anger means little to owners, especially ones living half a world away. United supporters have been protesting the Glazers out for 15 years now. Newcastle supporters have been trying to get Mike Ashley out for a long time as well, and he lives in Britain. Liverpool's protests may have helped push Hicks out, but he was actively looking to sell anyway. They don't care.

Ek's £1.8b valuation of Arsenal is nearly half his net worth, which means he's either getting a couple fellow billionaires together in a consortium to shell out "straight cash homey" or proposing leveraged buyout. The latter would obviously be worse, since the chance remains that said debt could be loaded "Glazer-style" onto the club after the fact. Ek has bid at the point where KSE's purchase of the remainder of Usmanov's shares valued the club in 2018. There's a price, despite he public statement, at which he'd listen, but I doubt Kroenke would consider anything short of £3b.

 

[Chongo94]

Kroenke's ownership summed up in one picture: faded, chipped, and in need of renewal.

It's nice to think about Kroenke leaving the club, but like Chongo I doubt he will. KSE will offer up an NCAA14-style "get off me, son" stiff arm for two reasons:

1. He's worth $8b. In addition, and I wasn't aware of this until reading articles about the potential sale this week, his wife's middle name is "Walton." Yes those Walton's, and her net worth is estimated at $8b as well. He can buy Ek twice without feeling it. He doesn't need to sell the club.

2. Fan anger means little to owners, especially ones living half a world away. United supporters have been protesting the Glazers out for 15 years now. Newcastle supporters have been trying to get Mike Ashley out for a long time as well, and he lives in Britain. Liverpool's protests may have helped push Hicks out, but he was actively looking to sell anyway. They don't care.

Ek's £1.8b valuation of Arsenal is nearly half his net worth, which means he's either getting a couple fellow billionaires together in a consortium to shell out "straight cash homey" or proposing leveraged buyout. The latter would obviously be worse, since the chance remains that said debt could be loaded "Glazer-style" onto the club after the fact. Ek has bid at the point where KSE's purchase of the remainder of Usmanov's shares valued the club in 2018. There's a price, despite he public statement, at which he'd listen, but I doubt Kroenke would consider anything short of £3b.

You never knew the Wal-Mart thing @dawg? Per my understanding, he chafes at the mentions and thoughts that he only got his money because of that marriage. I mean it’s not true but at the same time, it is the Waltons sooooo.....I’d love it if someone erected a build board outside all his sport stadiums asking if this was built or bought with Wal-Mart money haha.

Agree with everything you said. The only slivers of hope I continue to lie feed myself is that Eck has said he is prepared for a long protracted battle and this is just the opening move, AND that if we fail to qualify for Europe, that will put even more financial pressure on the club and as an investment asset, it has seen a poor return thus far, so Kroenke might see the getting as getting good at this point.

I mean the clubs value has gone up since he bought it but that was mainly after the initial purchase in 2011. I’d find it hard to believe it has actually increased since 2018 and by not finishing in the top 4 the last what, 4 years or so, and now maybe not even qualifying for any Europe competition....how would that possibly increase the club’s worth? But we know nothing of the inner finances I guess.

 

[Chongo94]

Kroenke's ownership summed up in one picture: faded, chipped, and in need of renewal.

It's nice to think about Kroenke leaving the club, but like Chongo I doubt he will. KSE will offer up an NCAA14-style "get off me, son" stiff arm for two reasons:

1. He's worth $8b. In addition, and I wasn't aware of this until reading articles about the potential sale this week, his wife's middle name is "Walton." Yes those Walton's, and her net worth is estimated at $8b as well. He can buy Ek twice without feeling it. He doesn't need to sell the club.

2. Fan anger means little to owners, especially ones living half a world away. United supporters have been protesting the Glazers out for 15 years now. Newcastle supporters have been trying to get Mike Ashley out for a long time as well, and he lives in Britain. Liverpool's protests may have helped push Hicks out, but he was actively looking to sell anyway. They don't care.

Ek's £1.8b valuation of Arsenal is nearly half his net worth, which means he's either getting a couple fellow billionaires together in a consortium to shell out "straight cash homey" or proposing leveraged buyout. The latter would obviously be worse, since the chance remains that said debt could be loaded "Glazer-style" onto the club after the fact. Ek has bid at the point where KSE's purchase of the remainder of Usmanov's shares valued the club in 2018. There's a price, despite he public statement, at which he'd listen, but I doubt Kroenke would consider anything short of £3b.

Yeah, I’m thinking the $3 billion pound number you mention is the tipping point maybe.

In my dreams and if I had Bezos type money, I’d just big.... energy it and walk into Kroenke’s office and say, “Here’s $10 billion pounds in cash, take it or leave it.”

 

[Purp]

Could you imagine if Bayern featured a starting 11 with 2 American center backs in the near future? Looks like Che's loan from the FCD academy has born a lot of fruit.

https://sbisoccer.com/2021/04/justin-che-eager-to-continue-learning-at-bayern-munich

 

[Purp]

Kroenke's ownership summed up in one picture: faded, chipped, and in need of renewal.

It's nice to think about Kroenke leaving the club, but like Chongo I doubt he will. KSE will offer up an NCAA14-style "get off me, son" stiff arm for two reasons:

1. He's worth $8b. In addition, and I wasn't aware of this until reading articles about the potential sale this week, his wife's middle name is "Walton." Yes those Walton's, and her net worth is estimated at $8b as well. He can buy Ek twice without feeling it. He doesn't need to sell the club.

2. Fan anger means little to owners, especially ones living half a world away. United supporters have been protesting the Glazers out for 15 years now. Newcastle supporters have been trying to get Mike Ashley out for a long time as well, and he lives in Britain. Liverpool's protests may have helped push Hicks out, but he was actively looking to sell anyway. They don't care.

Ek's £1.8b valuation of Arsenal is nearly half his net worth, which means he's either getting a couple fellow billionaires together in a consortium to shell out "straight cash homey" or proposing leveraged buyout. The latter would obviously be worse, since the chance remains that said debt could be loaded "Glazer-style" onto the club after the fact. Ek has bid at the point where KSE's purchase of the remainder of Usmanov's shares valued the club in 2018. There's a price, despite he public statement, at which he'd listen, but I doubt Kroenke would consider anything short of £3b.

I think another element of this is pride. Guys with this kind of F you money won't capitulate if they're perceived as being weakened or taken advantage of. If Ek is serious, and I believe that he is, he's going to have to make this a political game where he ends up looking like the loser in the deal even though he's getting exactly what he wants.

To your points, that's going to be a very difficult, if not impossible, task.