Kicking About — Big Sam, Champion’s League Restructure and EPL Chatter

We launch our soccer podcast with a discussion of what just happened in England as well as some Champion’s League overreactions.

We get to sit down and talk about financial implications of big soccer and how it affects everything that is happening. And how the teams are struggling to keep up with Real’s and Barca’s

Cam: So much of the decision making by big clubs in terms of purchasing now is made around revenue question. The comment was made when James Rodriguez went to Real Madrid was that this wasn’t a football purchase but that he was bought because he would sell a lot of shirts in south america because he was the big new sexy young thing in football around 2014.

Serge: Well, and that’s the same as the stats that they had when Di Maria first went to United.

Cam: When Di Maria went to United or…

Serge: His jersey were just through the roof, I remember looking at those numbers and I was just like, okay, “they’re printing money at this point.”

Cam: Yeah, or when I think… I have issue with not so much with the defensive side but I think a lot of Barcelona’s midfield and attacking purchases this summer were probably to the detriment to the development of a longer term of better squad by relying on that core. I think that there’s also just the sheer level of money means that the teams just aren’t as smart with it.

The wage bill where West Ham will spend 27 million on a player from Italy who won’t end up being that good. It’s almost if when you don’t have a lot of money you have to be a lot more resourceful with it.

Serge: I think to me though, as long as Dmitri Payet they’re infallible, even though they are not doing too great.