General Football Discussion

[Kowalczyk]

Yes (log-in problems)...

Raymon informed me that he's working on it, but that it might take a while until this problem is resolved...

K.

[raymon]

Yes (log-in problems)...

Raymon informed me that he's working on it, but that it might take a while until this problem is resolved...

K.

I have changed the automatic log off time to 30 days. This should at least ensure the session is kept alive for a longer period of time. The 'Home' button issue is not yet resolved but a viable work around is not to use it :) 'Forumoverzicht' or 'Board Index' does exactly the same thing and will keep your session alive.

[aveslacker]

Perhaps a ray of hope in the attempt to clean up youth transfers ...

http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... -fifa-fine

[Orange14]

http://www.worldsoccer.com/blogs/dutch-football-decline is a cautionary story of what can happen when a club tries to raise 'cheap' money.

[Orange14]

Perhaps a ray of hope in the attempt to clean up youth transfers ...

http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... -fifa-fine

what I don't understand is how the transfers of various U-18 players to Ajax are OK and these are not. Pretty weird if you ask me but then FIFA is pretty much a black box as far as I'm concerned.

[SPL]

Meant to reply to your last post Orange .

All our non Dutch kids under 18 come from the EU . We have only 4 non Dutch kids in our current youth all signed aged 16 , Bay Danish , Leyder Belgium ,Karlsson Icelandic, and Cerny Czech . Meleg the Serb and non EU signed aged 18.Wang the Chinese lad was also 18 when signed.

The only other current non Dutch players we have signed when they were under 18 are Fischer Boilesen and Andersen all Danish and EU.

Wikipedia for Ajax shows a few Jong and youths with joint nationality but they are all Dutch born but have immigrant parents.

We are clearly within the rules .Any Non EU we always sign aged 18.

[Orange14]

@SPL - thanks for the clarification, I thought that we were on the up and up regarding the youth transfers.

[aveslacker]

The Guardian lists Dennis Bergkamp's goal against Argentina as the number 10 World Cup moment of all time. Seems a bit low to me.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blo ... onder-goal

[rjf1]

Not to take anything away from Dennis -- it was an incredible take down and maneuver to make the shot -- but let us also remember the incredible long distance pass that picked him out to set up that goal, and who it was that made it. (Hint: he's the manager of the team that is about to take its 4th Eredivisie title in a row.)

[aveslacker]

Not to take anything away from Dennis -- it was an incredible take down and maneuver to make the shot -- but let us also remember the incredible long distance pass that picked him out to set up that goal, and who it was that made it. (Hint: he's the manager of the team that is about to take its 4th Eredivisie title in a row.)

Yup. Great pass and amazing first touch.

[Orange14]

I know we only have tree players on the Dutch WC team. Is anyone going to watch the WC???

[Tom_]

Of course! I don't like the Netherlands' chances though... if they finish second in the group they'll probably be up against Brazil, IIRC. Apologies if this offends anyone but I would like to see Belgium do well!

[aveslacker]

I'll be watching. I'll actually be in the UK and Holland for most of the tournament.

[rjf1]

The first Holland game comes on at 3 in the morning here, so I'm going to miss it. Their other games come on around midnight, so I figure to stay up for them. I don't believe we'll be anywhere near as successful as last time around, but I'm hoping for some good games.

[saddlerian]

I know that this should really be in a discussion about ex-Ajax players, but does anyone actually know what percentage of any Suarez transfer fee Ajax would receive? Some say 5%, others 15%....I think that somewhere between 10 ad 20% would be a sensible estimate based on his "low" transfer fee...but, it's probably only a percentage of Liverpool's "profit".....this would be drastically cut as Suarez would be entitled to at least 5% as he did not ask for the transfer!!!

[SPL]

The media all say our cut is 5% so with about 90m euros being the fee we should get about 4.5m euros which is very good.Means we got about 30 m euros altogether for him .

[Orange14]

Vertonghen's agent has suggested that a number of clubs in Europe are after him so we might also get some money here as well. It's pathetic to me that Barcelona are being mentioned right now. They could have bought Vertonghen two summers ago and slotted him in place of Puyols who was always hurt; now they will have to pay a premium.

[martinkohout]

Interesting (if depressing) piece on ESPNFC about Southampton and our old friend Ronald Koeman, perhaps with special relevance for the Eredivisie in general and Ajax in particular: http://www.espnfc.us/blog/espn-fc-unite ... -hierarchy

[saddlerian]

True, it is very worrying...especially when a PL league has their manager "poached" and this is immediately followed by the loss of at least 5 players! Yes, the club is, initially, £60 million better off....but if that money is either wasted, or even worse..goes to "investors".....is another Pompey on the skyline!!! The clubs "with" money will drip feed it in their horrendous fees dwn to the smaller clubs...the wait often being too long!! Do you really think that Real Madrid paid their €100million up front? Barcelona; did they pay Liverpool the £80 million upfront? NO....they'll be drip feeding it....as long as they can pay it!!!
Money is ruining the game....clubs nuturing their own talent are being raided....BUT...11 good individual players DO NOT make a good team.....

Let's hope that Ajax can hold onto their young talent....the return to CL glory is on the horizon....may be distant, maybe not in my lifetime....but it will come!!!

[Orange14]

The big inequality comes from television money English teams always have an advantage over other Euro teams except for Madrid and Barcelona Those two teams negotiate their own TV contracts and as a result all of the other Spanish league teams suffer mightily; this might change in the future but I'm sure that Madrid and Barca will fight all attempts to cut off the money spigot. Barca just announced their financials the other day and reported a net profit of €50M which although it appears large, it's actually all dependent on TV money.

Nothing is going to change at all until we some some real financial reform. I don't know if Platini's attempts will succeed or not as they are largely monetary penalties and clubs can elect to pay them rather than really reform practices.

Finally, I wish I could share Ian's optimism about Ajax success in CL. I would just like to see us make it to the knockout round one of these years!

[SPL]

On the subject of transfers being paid drip feed I remember Zlatan's 15m or so euros to Juve was paid to us over 5 years. Mind this drip feed may be for tax purposes.

TV money in England is hugh but then again so are season tickets. Today on Voetbalzone.nl they listed the cheapest season tickets at all eredivisie clubs. Dordrecht I think were bottom on 135 euros and we were 222 euros in 5th place.AZ ,Twente,PSV were all just ahead and Fword on 260 euros the highest.

My local team Brighton ,in the championship do seasons from approx 450 euros . Thus Brighton charge more for seasons than the whole of Eredivisie.

Would Dutch fans pay more for season tickets? Mind I think seasons over Europe may well be all cheaper than England.Ian or Tom may well put me right.

I wonder if Dutch teams will get any more money being on sky Tv in England this season!! I wont hold my breath.A hugh campaign advertising a new European football channel but all it means is Dutch football added to Spanish.

[saddlerian]

Would Dutch fans pay more for season tickets? Mind I think seasons over Europe may well be all cheaper than England.Ian or Tom may well put me right.

True, Steve...in fact a burger and beer in English grounds is often more than paying for a ticket in many Europen countries!!
I was watching a program on TV yesterday, much of it based around Munich, and it suggests that you can, if you in the right place at the right time, a season ticket to watch the mighty Bayern for as little as €200......watching soccer over there is, possibly, just a little more than in the Netherlands....but they still have, like Ajax, the premium tickets in the best locations for over €50 a match.....still cheap compared to PL and the Championship...I'm lucky here...if I want to watch my local team, I just wander into the ground and pay when I'm seated...if someone comes around with a tin!!!

[SPL]

Thanks for that Ian.

[afcajax73]

did anyone see de vrij moving to lazio?! i certainly didnt see that coming. i think he could have done better...

[SPL]

Agree about de Vrij,thought Man u were after him.Think he could have done better than Lazio. Martins Indi going to Porto also was a surprise ,thought both would go to the EPL.