BOARD ROOM FOOTBALL AT STAMFORD BRIDGE


Though not particularly crazy about football in general and EPL in particular (except for the World Cup), the news that the “Special One” was fired from Chelsea still struck a discordant note in my mind.

Jose Mourinho is a brilliant, colourful young coach (in sharp contrast to MU’s mouldy Fergie). The results he achieved in 3 short years with Chelsea are irrefutable. Besides bringing Chelsea to the forefront of English Football, he has brought character and excitement to the dull EPL. Sacking him will go down as a grave mistake in the history of English football.

In a 3rd World country like Malaysia, it is the politicians and monarchy that run the show in the FA. The criteria to held a high post is a sports body in not how much you know about the game but rather your political clout or how high is your pegging order up the hierarchy ladder. A good example in point was the recent non-contest election of KK the "son-in-law " to the post of deputy president in the FAM. Is there any doubt as to why Malaysian football is still languishing in the cesspool after 50 years of Merdeka.

In the West, the buying of football club has become in vogue with the super rich. Whether it is for the thrill, spot light, power or political mileage (Thaksin in MC), FC has become a highly visible collectible item for the billionaire club. There is nothing wrong with such a wheeling and dealing in a free economy. It is after all above board and legal except for some bruised nationalist egos.

It doesn’t really matters who the owners are if they truly understand, respect and allow a coach to do the job that he is employed to do. Trouble starts when the game is being manipulated from the boardroom. At Stamford Bridge, Roman Abramovich thinks that he knows more about football strategies than the “Special One”. Any coach worth his salt would walk out with his head held high. To let the Beautiful Game be trampled over by the soiled boots of the nouveau Tsar will be an unforgivable sin.


24 September 2007

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