Duchâtelet targets Italian club

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Standard Liege and Charlton Athletic owner Roland Duchâtelet has been aiming to add an Italian club to his European network of clubs and it looks as if he might have found a suitable candidate in Serie B Bari, according to Belgian sources.

One time Serie A club Bari were run by the family business Matarrese for 37 years, but they can no longer cope with the club’s debts. These are said to amount to €30m and the club is on the verge of bankruptcy.

There have been no new developments in relation to the Belgian microelectronics millionaire’s efforts to buy a Portuguese club.

Big losses at QPR

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We have seen many sets of annual financial accounts in the past week, not least from Championship clubs. These show big losses from clubs anxious to be promoted to the Premier League and enjoy its fabulous riches. Unfortunately, while the streets of the Premier League may be paved with gold, the route to them is often one of unsustainable debt.

Uncertainty over Liverpool and FFP rules

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There is some uncertainty about whether or not Liverpool will satisfy Uefa’s financial fair play (FFP) rules after the publication of broadly encouraging financial results earlier this week which the club claims will usher in a new era of financial stability.

Of course, there is uncertainty about how the rules will apply to any club, given that the devil is in the detail. The decisions will be as much political as legal ones and it is likely that Uefa, with a French president, will want to make an example of at least one Premier League club.

Do Forest face a FFP challenge?

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All reports relating to financial fair play and annual results need to come with a health warning as it is more likely that a legal challenge will be launched to the Football League’s plans if they crack down hard on leading clubs.

Nottingham Forest have reported losses of £17m for the 2012/13 season compared with £12.2m for the previous season. Forest have made nine permanent signings since these accounts, in addition to four loan deals. With the associated transfer fees and wages involved, the losses over the current season are likely to have significantly increased

Foxes post big loss

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Leicester City FC made a loss of £34m in the 2012-13 season, reflecting how much it can cost a benefactor to get a football club promoted. However, the club are now on track to take the Championship title which is just as well as a similar loss next season would lead to a £20m fine under financial fair play rules.

A fall in ticket sales and revenue contributed to the £4.3m increase in losses from the previous year. But City say the figures also reflect the purchase of the King Power Stadium, and that important progress has been made meeting Financial Fair Play rules.

The disappearance of the works side

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There was a time when works teams were a familiar feature of non-league football. Westland Yeovil, Lovells Athletic, Betteshanger Colliery, where are you now? (In the latter two cases, the business folded).

In continental Europe it was not unusual for major clubs to be associated with a company, e.g., PSV Eindhoven. In Communist states, such an association was common with the armed forces and even the secret police having teams.

Mystery Chinese buyer gets stake in Birmingham City

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Yesterday’s BBC Midlands News portrayed a rather perplexed Birmingham City fan standing outside St. Andrews expressing his uncertainty about what was happening to his club. Despite the ‘business as usual’ reassurances from the club following the conviction of owner Carson Yeung for money laundering, his perplexity is understandable.

According to the Financial Times, Yeung sold a stake in the club three weeks ago to a mystery Chinese company whose registered address is a government dormitory. It’s not far off having a company registered at a Salvation Army hostel.

Non-league clubs in trouble

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A number of non-league clubs are currently facing financial difficulties. This winter’s wet weather has led to postponed matches and hit cash flow. When matches are rearranged for midweek, takings from the gate, bar and burger stand are often depleted.

As anticipated, Eastwood Town have folded and, elsewhere, Bashley FC are facing financial challenges. Corby Town face the threat of administration. As in the case of Eastwood, they are in dispute with the local council. Such disputes are more likely with government funding to local authorities continuing to be cut.

Loan model threatened by Football League plans

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Charlton owner and Belgian entrepreneur Roland Duchâtelet has set up a network of European clubs which he hopes will exchange players as part of a player development plan that keeps agents out of the picture.   It’s an interesting experiment which reflects the dynamic of Europeanisation in the game as we discussed in our 2011 book The Transformation of European Football: the Europeanisation of the National Game.

Liverpool progress on and off the pitch

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Liverpool have been doing well on the pitch, but they have also been making progress off the pitch. Their latest accounts relate to the first full year that Brendan Rogers was manager and they show a considerable improvement in the club’s financial position. This was in spite of the fact that they did not have Champions League football which is usually worth about £30m.