Chelsea, Barca to control game for
next 20 years
tribalfooball.com - October 17, 2006
Chelsea and Barcelona are forming an unlikely alliance to chart the
direction of European football.
The Guardian says Chelsea chief Peter Kenyon will work closely with
Barca president Joan Laporta after Uefa reforms of its executive
structures and the introduction of a new level of government that
will cede key powers to the leading clubs and leagues.
The European Professional Football Strategy Board, on which Kenyon,
and Laporta, will be prominent members, will effectively dictate
the direction taken by Uefa over the next 20 years.
The development will come as a blow to the political ambitions of
the G14, whose new president, David Dein, had hoped to reopen
formal negotiations with Uefa over the thorny issue of player
release for international matches.
Uefa, however, has vowed not to enter into dialogue with the G14
for as long as it sustains its legal action against the world and
European governing bodies.
Uefa is believed to have been assured by Laporta that he has
successfully lobbied nine G14 member clubs to put their faith in
the new body over the G14, splitting the group down the middle. The
strategic board, due to take its first decisions in December, will
be a supplementary tier of government that nominally sits below the
executive committee.
