Manchester United, the Premier League and European Champions, have spent the whole summer crying and moaning about Real Madrid's supposedly “unethical” pursuit of their crown jewel Cristiano Ronaldo. Meanwhile another English giant, Arsenal, have been equally outspoken against the Serie A and Primera clubs circling around the likes of Mathieu Flamini, Emmanuel Adebayor and Aliaksandr Hleb.
Regardless of who is right and wrong, it is quite clear that both of these outfits require a reality check. Man Utd are one of the wealthiest clubs in the world, yet they still feel the need to poach a young 16-year-old Italian schoolboy called Davide Petrucci from Roma. Petrucci, described by many as a “prodigy” and the “new Francesco Totti” was snooped in exchange for a miserly £200k compensation package. This doesn't seem to bother United one bit, yet when it comes to the Real Madrid-Ronaldo saga, the Red Devils depict the Spanish giants as virtual criminals.
Arsenal have displayed their anger at other clubs coming in for their players, yet nobody said anything when they went to Barcelona and took a young Cesc Fabregas from Camp Nou, a player who has gone on to become one of the best midfielders in the world. Nor did anyone complain when Monsieur Wenger, poached hordes of other kids, Arturo Lupoli being an Italian example. Double Standards? Sounds like it to me.
Fabio Zamblera, Marcello Trotta, Mirko Ranieri, Vincenzo Camilleri, Petrucci – these are just five explosive Italian teenage talents who have been hijacked by Premier League sides in the past few months, leaving the clubs who raised them with a football education absolutely devastated. Ultimately, this has led to new questions being raised over the immoral poaching of the continent's brightest young talents, and the term cradle-snatching has taken on a whole new meaning.
The 'thieving' of players is not illegal, and you often hear the argument that the Premiership sides are merely acting within the rules. This is true, but what they are doing is immoral. Having an affair with your best friend's girlfriend is not unlawful, but it is most certainly wrong morally.
Reggina president Lillo Foti was aggrieved when Chelsea 'stole' Camilleri from the Calabrian club, and launched an official complaint, but both UEFA and FIFA were helpless under the current rules. Roma also blasted Man Utd for prizing away Petrucci, and director Bruno Conti labelled the English club as hypocrites. A few months earlier Palermo's fiery President Maurizio Zamparini, who is never scared to speak his mind, famously compared the English clubs to “pirates taking treasure”.
“These clubs already have the best players in the world,” roared the enraged businessman.
“It is wrong to rob these young stars from other clubs who live off growing talent. It means that a club like Palermo take on a boy when he is 12-years-old, he progresses through the youth academy, then when he gets to 16 or 17 and can sign his first professional deal, he gets taken away.
“The club that raised the player gets nothing. This is profoundly wrong.”
The big teams in England use the pulling power of wealth in order to offer vulnerable youngsters a life of fame and fortune. Accommodation, big money and other incentives are laid on a silver plate in order to ensure the promising players get a taste of what it's like to live the dream, a dream which can often turn into a nightmare if things don't work out.
Giuseppe Rossi was taken by Man Utd from Parma's youth team in 2005 for a pittance. Rossi was then sold by the English club to Villarreal for ¤10m last year, leaving Parma to watch on hopelessly and out of pocket. They also lost Lupoli to Arsenal at exactly the same time. The Crociati have now been relegated from Serie A but it could have been so different had they had the prolific Rossi in their side and, they probably would have, had Captain Blackbeard and the United looters not raided their ship.
It's unfair on the small clubs, as teams like United, Arsenal and Chelsea push the boat out, scoff at their victims and get away Scot free. Nothing has been done to install some firm legislation on this matter but UEFA president Michel Platini has warned that action will be taken to eradicate the ugly trend.
“I have told the European Commission that we should ban the transfer of minors. The first contract a player signs should be with the club who trains him,” said the former France and Juventus legend.
FIFA's 6+5 proposal may also help the cause as it would heap pressure on clubs to concentrate on bringing up home grown talent, which should lead to less, or even no, poaching. However, noises have been made over the morality of FIFA's proposed scheme as critics claim it would restrict the free movement of people, currently protected under EU law.
It would be in England's own interest for clubs to raise their home-grown talent, but with the trend on money and foreign ownership, its little surprise that clubs continue to go abroad for their duty-free. Then, the same people moan when the National team fails so miserably when it comes to major tournaments. The direction that England are going in, they will be a minor international footballing nation within a decade. Some changes and new transfer regulations would surely benefit all parties involved.
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