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3rd July, 2009
PARIS: UEFA president Michel Platini has warned big-spending clubs that he plans to introduce tighter financial regulations within “two or three years” that would put an end to huge spending sprees in football.
Real Madrid has spent euro209 million (US$297 million) to acquire three of the world’s most sought-after players in a matter of weeks. Manchester City, meanwhile, is offering Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o staggering personal terms of 10 million pounds (euro11.7 million; US$16.4 million) a year, which would make the Cameroon international the highest-paid player in world.
“We will do something. We are working on it. But it will take a bit of time, maybe two or three years,” Platini said Thursday in an interview with sports daily L’Equipe. “I want to put some rules into place.”
Platini reacted with indignation to Cristiano Ronaldo’s record euro94 million (US$131 million) move from Manchester United to Madrid.
“Ronaldo’s transfer is striking to me,” Platini said. “Personally, I don’t understand how you can spend 90 million euros on a player. It bothers me.”
In just one month, Madrid’s president Florentino Perez has secured deals for Ronaldo, for Brazil playmaker Kaka from AC Milan, and on Wednesday got France striker Karim Benzema from Lyon.
The 21-year-old Benzema, who had four years remaining on his contract with Lyon, has agreed to a six-year deal with the nine-time European Cup winner and is set to be unveiled soon after passing medical tests.
“I think there’s something abnormal in this,” Platini added. “I don’t like all this, and I like even less the fact that today contracts are signed only so they can better be broken.”
Kaka pledged his future to Milan in January after turning down an even bigger offer from City.
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