Nevertheless, as seen on the laissez-faire Wall Street where frothy assets are created and distributed at will, too much of a good thing can be self-defeating and money’s perverse influences have to be kept in check by an effective regulator. As they say, money is the root of all evil.

UEFA President Michel Platini has clearly taken this inconvenient truth to heart and is determined to eradicate football’s biggest scrouge – corruption and match-fixing. In a long overdue but nonetheless dramatic move, UEFA will launch a gambling investigating unit next season featuring experts who will review suspected irregularities in 27,000 matches in the first and second division of 53 UEFA members.

Michel Platini is prone to fatuous outbursts like his personal attack on Arsene Wenger but this time, he chose his battleground wisely by calling match fixing “a serious risk to football.” He said: “I’ll be extremely firm with those who cheat. I don’t accept players who cheat and will suspend them from any activity in football.”

UEFA has started the ball rolling by cutting its regulatory teeth on two obscure football clubs. President of Macedonian football club Pobeda Prilep, Alexander Zabrcanec and former team captain Nikolche Zdraveski – were accused of manipulating the final score of a Champions League qualification match against Armenian side Pyunik Yerevan, on July 13 2004 for their own benefit.

To be sure, match-fixing is an old story being rehashed. The image of English football was devastated in 1965 when 10 players, including the Sheffield Wednesday stars Tony Kay, Peter Swan and David Layne, were imprisoned for match-fixing.

In recent times, Italian football was severely shaken by a corruption scandal, known as Calciopoli, in Serie A and Serie B. The corruption was exposed when Italian police intercepted telephone calls which revealed an intricate network between team managers and referee organizations. Juventus (Serie A champions at that time), Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Reggina were subsequently charged with rigging games by selecting favorable referees.

The onerous effects of match-fixing are obvious. In fact, I rate illegal gambling and match-fixing as bigger threats to football than doping or violence. It destroys the integrity of the beautiful game because of the perception it leaves in the minds of the public, not to mention hurting the wallets of punters.

People will be less enthusiastic for the sport when they realized the web of deceit. It is no longer justifiable to pay money to watch 11 men on each team fighting over a ball for 90 minutes, since the results have long been decided. Neither is it acceptable to learn that referees have received kickbacks for making “honest mistakes.”

I believe a concerted clampdown by UEFA will go a long way towards establishing a clean and fair sport. Since greed knows no boundaries, drafting a specific cross-border match-fixing law in Europe will provide investigators the muscles to bring criminals to justice.

The regulation divisions within each UEFA member also needs to be beefed up. Usually, match-fixing is handled by the same thinly staffed department which are also swamped with other concerns, including discipline, drug testing, illegal transfer dealings and contracts.

Besides match-fixing, we cannot ignore excessive debts in the messy relationship between football and money. Last week, the Guardian reported that senior debts of £425m secured on Old Trafford, the Carrington training ground, the gilded players, season tickets, commercial contracts, etc. have been sold in the City of London at discounted prices of 70p in the pound.

A further £90m of unsecured loans are being sold for 50p in the pound, while the rest of the £667m – £152m “payment in kind” debt, loaned originally by hedge funds at an attractive 14.25%.

I believe the credit crunch may have forced banks, hedge funds and private equity speculators in accepting a haircut on their investments. Deprived of capital and battered by redemptions, they have little choice but to discard prime assets to shore up their balance sheets.

Manchester United’s debts do not qualify as “distressed” unless they are being traded at less than 20% of face value. Lenders will have already given up hopes of payments, ala toxic subprime mortgage based securities. At 70%, this is in line with marked-to-market valuation of most leveraged buyout debts.

Since the lenders are just replenishing their capital base, raising alarm bells on Manchester United’s impending financial crisis seems premature. Notwithstanding the harshest economic crisis since the Great Depression, it makes no difference who is the debt-holder, as long as United can service their interest payments.

If the past year is any indication, Manchester United remain a solid franchise. The money raked in from winning last season’s Premier and Champions Leagues, gate receipts from a 75000-seater in Old Trafford, and sales of merchandise (replica kits, caps, scarfs, posters, etc) ensured record turnover and profits.

However, turning a blind eye to the fact that debts are shaking the foundations of the club’s profitability structure is dangerous. Manchester United’s 2007 net earnings was decimated by an interest payment of £81m (surpassing its operating expenses of £74m which should be the main outflow in most football clubs) and this year, they can expect higher interest with more debts piled up from the acquisition of players, including the £30m signing of Dimitar Berbatov.

Currently, the Red Devils are surviving by meeting their debt obligations, but if they have to start amortizing their debts without viable refinancing options, I wonder where they are going to get the extra money. Something has to give, either the Glazers top up the shortfall (highly unlikely) or capital expenditures to improve branding and buying of players to win competitions are sacrificed.

This Glazer deal leaves Manchester United little room for failure – in fact, they have to capture more fans and post revenue growth every year. In this recession, achieving the same turnover with lesser cash-rich sponsors is a massive challenge. The rising unemployed terminating their subscriptions will cause TV revenue to stagnate. Ticket and merchandise sales are also expected to suffer from lesser discretionary income.

Coupled with the fact that things can spiral down slowly but all at once when United lose the winning touch for titles or worse, flirt with relegation. Confidence crisis affects the best of teams, illustrated by Manchester United’s recent stumble in chasing a Quadruple. The money men may have little patience for team rebuilding at the expense of missed payments.

United’s spokesman, Phil Townsend, must have imbibed some Kool-aid when he enthused about Manchester United’s financial prospects. “With our turnover, we can meet the obligations on our loans and debts, and still buy world-class footballers and provide first-class facilities at Old Trafford and Carrington,” he said.

Phil has the hallmarks of a great investment banker, even if I don’t share his optimism. As a matter of fact, I do not discount the possibility that United’s debts could end up in the hands of merciless sharks and vultures who would jump at the chance to strip the club of all assets at the slightest hint of trouble.

It will indeed be a sad day that Manchester United, one of England’s most prestigious, well-run and popular clubs, with generations of working class and footballing legends contributing selflessly to its rich history, may be brought to its knees by the fair-weathered credit market who has no affection for the sport except making money from money.

I dread to see the current winning formula of bright young talents, veterans and Alex Ferguson being offloaded to pay down the debts and relieve the wage expenses. This will only cause Manchester United to slide further into anonymity as fans will be hard-pressed to support a team filled with fringe players as well as the youth team.

A lot of fans cannot comprehend why Manchester United were able to bankroll Alex Ferguson’s ambitions and rebuilt Old Trafford with cash, yet they loaded up £667m of debt, solely to pay for the Glazer family to take over the club.

To be sure, this arrangement contains murky details, and most will not come to light until financial catastrophe occurs. It begs the question of accountability and transparency. While “leveraged buyouts” are legal, do such financial wizardry make Premier League clubs stronger or even sustainable in the long run?

Another pertinent question is whether football should be treated as a business. If yes, the owners of football clubs should expect a return on their investment – not some kind of charitable donation. So long as the club achieves success, even in the short term, all members deserve to be richly rewarded.

As business entities, the end justifies the means. Leeds’ strategy of short term financing failed spectacularly as it was based on future consistent Champions League earnings which did not materialize. That is not to say other clubs cannot use this strategy if they want to have a brief fling with success.

Whether a club should adopt a shareholder’s business model or operate as a single owner loading the club with debts is a moot point though. A lender’s first consideration is to ensure that principal and interests are being paid. They are not interested in delayed gratification just to indulge your dreams of world dominance in the not so distant future. If you default on payments, they will liquidate your assets.

However, shareholders may not be superior as they can still take out dividends while neglecting club facilities and stadium. Having debtors rather than shareholders forces the management to be ultra-efficient as they are dealing with someone else’s money rather than their own.

Conversely, if football is not a business, regulators have a duty to scrutinize unhealthy levels of debt being ladled on to clubs to prevent their eventual failure to the detriment of heartbroken fans. Football clubs should not compromise the cultural identity by resorting to arcane financial deals promoted by foreign mercenaries.

Michel Platini’s agenda to recognize the “specificity of sport” – that sport holds a special cultural and social significance and cannot be run along the same economic lines as other forms of business/employment is laudable. To this end, he has campaigned actively with the EU to issue a legally-binding directive to recognize sport’s special status.

Platini is also heading for a show-down with football clubs which bet the house to win titles. He is keen to establish a financial criteria which would qualify clubs and allow them to participate in the Champions League and UEFA Cup.

He said: “We need to find the means, with the European Club Association, to help clubs to solve their problems. Defeat should not be a financial disaster. The goal is not to win titles but [to make] money to pay off debts. Look at the debts of Chelsea and Manchester United. Fifa and Uefa owe it to themselves to fight this.”

“We’re starting to work on it, but I am very concerned by clubs being bought by foreigners. I don’t see why Americans come to invest in these clubs, if not to turn them into products. It’s a never-ending gold rush.”

The focus of the revamped rules will be operational profitability, to tie transfer fees and wages to clubs’ turnover. This won’t necessarily cap high transfer fees but it could have a knock-on effect on controlling wages offered to players.

The Premier League is also planning to introduce a “going concern” test aimed at ensuring its clubs are not laden with dangerous levels of debt. The test will work out if debts are manageable by assessing a club’s financial health, including its turnover and cash flow.

Where time and the economy are kind, the number crunching, charts, financial ratios created by investment bankers worked out to a tee and everybody involved in the buyout deal are happy. If not, it is just a tragic story of another football club biting the dust. The banks earn their commission and move on to promote the next target of acquisition.

The failure of Iceland is sobering and Britain could be heading for a bailout of its own by begging for billions of dollars in international aid. It is high time for football authorities to take a holistic assessment of its relationship with money.

I support UEFA’s measures to force clubs to tighten their belts and be more financially prudent. However, all clubs must be subjected to the same rules, else it will simply result in an exodus of talents. That underlines the importance of getting the major European clubs involved.

I am apprehensive though about any plans to restrict the number of foreign players in each club and to regulate ticket prices that each club can charge. What do you guys think of Michel Platini’s crusade against evils of money in football?

Though AC Milan enjoy a better record in Europe with 7 Champions League titles and four world titles, it is Inter Milan who stand proud with their longevity in Serie A, having never been relegated since its birth in 1908.

On the other hand, AC Milan were relegated twice while winning 17 Scudettos, only one more than Inter. In recent times, results were evenly split between the arch rivals. Both sides claimed 4 wins each, from their last 8 Serie A encounters.

Tradition aside, I expect this derby to be filled with competitive fireworks. Jose Mourinho will be keen to seek revenge for the defeat by AC Milan in September. At the moment, the cosmos are aligned in his favor and he has few reasons to be envious of his neighbor.

Inter Milan enjoy a eight-point lead at the top of Serie A over third placed Milan, so even if they dropped points in this derby, the effect on the title race is not decisive. Conversely, AC Milan may be out of the reckoning if they do not grab full points, leaving Juventus and Inter to slug it out in a two horse race.

AC Milan squad is also plagued with injuries, severely compounding manager Carlo Ancelotti’s misery. Aside from Kaka, Milan have Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Borriello, Giuseppe Favalli and Emerson out injured, with Daniele Bonera suspended. Meanwhile, Inter Milan have a full squad except the suspended Mario Balotelli and Douglas Maicon, who picked up a knock in training.

Form-wise, Inter Milan are now unbeaten in 5 games since their capitulation to Atalanta in January. In those matches, their defense distinguished itself by conceding a miserly 2 goals. If Inter’s recent 3-0 demolition of Lecce was any indication, their key players are pulling their weight at the right time. Goals came from Luis Figo, remaining icon of Portugal’s “golden generation,” and the prolific Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

As for AC Milan, they are unbeaten in their last 7 Serie A outings, but such statistics are meaningless with regard to their lack of killer instinct against lesser opponents. Milan are paying for draws at Cagliari, Lecce and Torino as well as those at home to Genoa and Reggina. Conceding late equalisers, rather than not outscoring, were particularly hard to accept, given Milan’s pedigree in defense.

At least, one cannot fault AC Milan for ineptitude this season; the team played well, kept their shape and created sufficient chances. It is just that the Rossonieri need to improve on their consistency and keep their focus for the full ninety minutes.

Vice-president Adriano Galliani was blunt in his assessment of AC Milan’s predicament: “I’ve always said that the problem isn’t (playing against) Inter but the matches before and after the derby. That’s something the club, Ancelotti and the technical staff have to think about.”

Mourinho’s sarcastic statement about AC Milan also struck a chord with Galliani who said: “As for Mourinho I still think he’s a good guy and he simply says the truth: well done (David) Beckham, well done Pato, well done Milan but in the meantime Inter were six points ahead and now it’s eight.”

Jose Mourinho can also count on a lethal strikeforce to put Inter ahead in their age-old rivalries. Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the second top scorer with 14 Serie A goals, while Milan can only wring their hands at the white elephant, Ronaldinho. The Brazilian has scored only half the number of goals as Ibrahimovic and has struggled to feature in Ancelotti’s first XI.

Ronaldinho is a prime example of how Milan failed in their transfer policy by recruiting glamorous footballers who were over-the-hill and deemed dispensable by their former clubs. However, transfer strategy is not something which Mourinho can afford to gloat over.

Jose Mourinho’s acquisitions during the summer transfer window included Mancini, Alessandro Faiolhe Amantino, Sulley Ali Muntari and Ricardo Quaresma. Mancini has started just eight times in Serie A and Quaresma was lambasted by Inter fans for his erratic displays. The latter has been omitted from Inter Milan’s Champions League squad and granted a season-long loan at Chelsea.

Mourinho may not be happy with the discipline in the Inter Milan squad too. Brazilian striker, Adriano, maintains his idiosyncratic approach to punctuality and penchant for late-night parties. Mario Balotelli’s immature attitude did not improve despite a series of penalties imposed by Mourinho.

The Special One cannot help but feel slighted by these repeat offenders who pay little regard to his authority. Milan, by contrast, tout the professionalism and good manners of their newest recruit, David Beckham.

Ancelotti can take heart that the addition of David Beckham has given his team a new dimension in attack. I am not even going to dwell on the commercial benefits which is almost a certainty, once Beckham become a permanent fixture and the T-shirt printing machines are in full force as well as influx of endorsements.

When Milan beat Inter in September, they did so via a rare header from Ronaldinho. The threat from headers are likely to increase with David Beckham’s through-balls and chips into the centres.

So far, Beckham’s long-range lobs have allowed lurking forwards like Kaka to surge into space from deep in midfield and have become a prominent part of Milan’s attacking strategy.

David Beckham’s assists have led to two of Milan’s last four goals in Serie A and he has scored two of their last six, having started in every one of the last six games.

I am not surprised that David Beckham has adapted to the squad and done well. He is a top professional with ambitions and intelligence.Whether his loan spell at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy plays out to a mutually beneficial conclusion for all parties remain to be seen.

I believe the crucial factor to neutralize Jose Mourinho’s tactical and physical upper hand could be Kaka’s fitness; a fracture to his foot during last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Reggina seeming to have ruled him out. Even weaving a moment of magic as a substitute could be enough to turn the tables around.

Beckham and Ronaldinho should also be starting in this derby. If Ronaldinho has been AWOL for most of the season, he can redeem himself by recapturing his early form in this single match and scoring a goal or two, especially when Kaka is absent.

Actually, whether Inter Milan win this derby or not, I have little doubt Jose Mourinho will secure the Serie A title. Consistency has always been Mourinho’s hallmark and that has ensured his perpetual success in domestic leagues. It also helps that he has no urgent need to defeat Ancelotti, and that takes the pressure off his team.

However, even if he is backed to a corner and has to take full points, that should not be a problem given that winning is hard-wired into his system. Mourinho is also not one to take kindly to consecutive defeats.

The irony of the situation is that Jose Mourinho could yet be sacked at the end of the season. He has to better his predecessor, Roberto Mancini, who clinched three Serie A titles from 2006-2008 but was still not deemed good enough to continue as manager.

The Champions League is the yardstick which will be used to measure Mourinho’s achievement at Inter Milan. So winning the derby and Serie A title may not matter or even guarantee his job.

Jose Mourinho has a much bigger shoe to fill at Inter Milan than at Porto and Chelsea. As yet, he has not been in a position where delivering the Champions League title is considered a must and not a bonus. How will this situation affect his preparation for the imminent Champions League clash with Manchester United? Stay tuned for updates.

During his time at Manchester United, Beckham won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. In 2003, he left Old Trafford for Real Madrid and many critics deemed him a loser after four barren seasons. Yet he emerged from his Spanish stint in 2007 with a major trophy – La Liga championship title, before leaving for Major League Soccer.

Recently, his international career picked up… for no apparent reason. All thanks to England coach Fabio Capello, Beckham has been steadily accumulating England caps, without any eye-catching performances. He was fielded as a late substitute in each of England’s World Cup qualifiers this year, playing a total of 28 minutes for his four caps.

The total tally for Golden Balls is 107 England caps and he will equal Bobby Moore’s all-time appearances by featuring against Germany next month. That would leave David Beckham 17 caps shy of Peter Shilton’s long-standing record of playing 125 times for his country between 1970 and 1999.

Shilton is clearly unhappy with the manner in which Beckham has closed in on his record. He said: “I didn’t think it was justifiable at all to bring him on with two minutes to go against Belarus. I couldn’t believe it. You had Shaun Wright-Phillips on the pitch as well and I couldn’t see what reason there could be.”

Certainly, any self-respecting footballer will prefer to earn his cap by making significant contributions to the team rather than to receive hand-outs from the coach. But to be fair, a goalkeeper enjoys longevity and can last the entire match because there is less physical demand on the body.

An outfield player will have to burst his lungs running up and down the pitch, fighting for possession, creating chances as well as enduring malicious tackles. In this respect, I will cut Beckham some slack and accept his role as a substitute, while breaking records along the way.

I am fine with cameo appearances so long as the team’s fortune is not compromised by the 33-year old midfielder whose pace is long gone and can only deliver spectacular free-kicks once in a blue moon. If Beckham can put in even more commitment and hard work than his peers, I keep faith with Capello’s decision that Beckham’s England days are far from over.

Coming back to Beckham’s club career, I am surprised that there is still light at the end of the tunnel. His insipid performances with La Galaxy over two seasons is a disgrace. For the amount of money he wringed from the club while it suffers from a double whammy of falling gate receipts and poor economic conditions in America, I believe not many fans will shed tears over the sacking of David Beckham.

Actually, if Beckham can’t survive in the Major League Soccer, the answer is obvious on his usefulness to clubs harboring title ambitions. Yet, AC Milan surprised all and sundry with their unsettling, if not scandalous, decision. The Italian club has confirmed that David Beckham will join them on a short-term loan deal during the MLS close season.

Golden Balls now has a chance to feature in both Serie A and UEFA Cup matches for an illustrious club and hopefully justify to his detractors, his continued presence in the England team. The LA Times seems to be none too sad about this development when it reported last week that “the Beckham circus could fold its tents and the club could go back to being what it once was competitive in MLS”.

This statement is fair except for the term “competitive” which is at odds with the entire setup at LA Galaxy. In the past four years, Galaxy have accumulated 41 wins, 55 defeats and 27 draws in the regular season. Only Real Salt Lake, a new MLS franchise, has fared worse.

Currently, LA Galaxy lie second from bottom of the Western Standings, with no chance of reaching the playoffs. This is a repeat scenario of Beckham’s first season in California. Galaxy’s record of eight wins, 13 defeats and eight draws represents a failed experiment in creating a “sexy championship team” with David Beckham on the roster.

David Beckham’s contributions to LA Galaxy stands at a paltry five goals and 11 assists. These are hardly the sort of statistics that will interest AC Milan, a seven-time European champion. Yet, the Rossoneri were clearly rubbing their hands in glee, probably in anticipation of more fans and merchandise sales.

Despite Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti’s declaration that the Rossonneri would like to make the proposed move permanent, the Galaxy captain insisted that he will be back in California for the start of the 2009 MLS season. He said: “I will be back. My commitment is to the Galaxy and that has not changed.”

“It’s a two-month spell, maybe a little longer. Milan have got a great team, so I’m not expecting to go straight in the starting line-up. I will have to earn the right to get into that team. I’m in Serie A form. It’s about getting my fitness up.

“I came to the Galaxy to actually win trophies so I want to do that. I’m also very committed to my role as the MLS ambassador as well. It’s been slightly disappointing because we haven’t made the playoffs again.”

Does AC Milan really need the 33-year-old England midfielder for footballing purposes? The squad is already overflowing with exceptional talents which include FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka, along with fellow Brazilian internationals Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato.

Experience is rich with veterans Clarence Seedorf and former sharpshooter, Andriy Shevchenko returning to his favorite hunting ground after a miserable time at Chelsea. And not to forget, an array of Italian World Cup winners: Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Gianlucca Zambrotta, Maldini and Alessandro Nesta.

In such a competitive club, it is difficult to imagine Beckham breaking into the first XI on a regular basis. Former Gunners, Mathieu Flamini, has only played four matches (3 domestic and I European), so it is a wonder if Beckham can even make it onto the bench, especially when he is already old, has never tasted Italian soccer and defense never been his forte.

Traditionally, big name players who were over the hill struggled to carve a name for themselves when they arrived at AC Milan. Ronaldo was overweight and out-of-form when he arrived at the San Siro from Real Madrid in Jan. 2007. The Brazilian scored a few goals but never regained his lethal form.

His ruptured ligaments ruled him out for nine months and AC Milan privately confirmed that Ronaldo would never play for them again even if he made a full recovery. Ex-Italy forward Roberto Baggio was among other top players who failed to hit their earlier heights after signing for Milan.

Financially though, it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both club and player. Initial reports reveal that AC Milan will only take Beckham on a ‘free’ loan, meaning that the Italians would not fork out money to LA Galaxy and would just pay part or none of his wages.

Milan are cash tight at the moment following the purchase of Ronaldinho from Barcelona, so they will be glad to take Beckham for pennies on the dollar. Beckham, as one of the world’s most famous sportsmen, is a marketing machine which singlehandedly propelled Real Madrid to the richest club in the world with lucrative sales of replica shirts and other revenue generating opportunities.

Consider the mania which greeted the club the day after Ronaldinho joined in July. Milan fans snapped up over a quarter of all the season tickets sold up to that point and hits on the website were 10 times the average.

As for David Beckham, the fashion-conscious superstar is already well-known in Italy and models underwear for famous Italian designer Giorgio Armani. Billboards of his half-naked body already span the country, so his effect on Milan fans will be nothing short of spectacular.

However, one has to be careful of Beckham’s waning appeal amid the current economic crisis. Last season, Beckham drew a crowd of 66,237 to Giants Stadium in New Jersey to watch him play the New York Red Bulls but this season the attendance was 46,754.

FC Dallas had a crowd of 22,331 when David Beckham came to Pizza Hut Park in May, up from 14,600 when Galaxy played there without him last June. But the attendances fell to 8,960 and 8,541 for each of Dallas’s next two home games, signs that Beckham’s impact is only ephemeral.

Galaxy’s owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) has not committed to the deal but coach Arena has already highlighted his displeasure: “I don’t see where that benefits MLS or the Galaxy. Given the position the Galaxy is in, it would seem very odd to me if we were loaning out our top players at the start of the season. ”

Despite a sticky start, AC Milan are getting into the groove and looking like Serie A title contenders. The Beckham circus could unfortunately disrupt the balance and upset a few key players. Maldini was reportedly happy with the signing though.

On his team’s good run of form, Ancelotti attributed it to his defense, saying: “Favalli, Bonera, Maldini, as well as all the others, have improved individually as well as in a team sense. But the credit also goes to the strikers, who are able to move well on the pitch without ever leaving too much space behind.”

Ancelotti said of Beckham: “I wouldn’t just loan him, I’d buy him. He’s still a valid player who can be useful to us, and we can be useful to him. He will not be a tourist.”

But he remained ambivalent about Beckham’s role in the team. “If Beckham wanted to train with us, it wouldn’t be a problem for me.” No mention of Beckham featuring for the team.

It will be interesting to see if Ancelotti can find a slot for Beckham and bring out of the best in him. The intense competition with Ronaldinho and Kaka will spur Beckham to outperform himself, which will ultimately work to the benefit of England… that is, if it works out at all.

Wenger and Platini were embroiled in a bitter feud again this week, thanks to an interview Platini gave to Dauphine Libere. Let’s look at the comments which Platini raged about.

1. “I like to talk about football, him (Wenger) about business. We must stop with Wenger and all that.”

2. “It would make me happy that Arsene Wenger never sees it (video assistance).”

3. When asked about his thoughts on Romanian side CFR Cluj’s unexpected victory over Roma in the Champions League last week, Platini said: “That is what makes football so great. It is what people like Wenger do not want, little clubs beating the big clubs, because they want their business.”

Arsene Wenger responded promptly and indicates his shock at being swiped by the president of football’s governing body in Europe.

“I am stunned by the aggressive content of Platini’s words. I am effectively a supporter of video assistance for referees, like all coaches, and I believe UEFA have an important role to play in this. I am for sporting justice and UEFA must be the guarantor of it. I am a supporter of good management of clubs, for financial equilibrium.

“And UEFA must equally support this idea. I am fighting for the future of the game and of football. I don’t see why UEFA should take umbrage at ideas that are different from their own.”

During his reign, Michael Platini was not shy to engage in controversial issues but he was often way off the mark. This latest attack on Arsene Wenger came as a surprise to me, not for its hollowness, but for its ferocity on a fellow countryman.

While I beg to differ with Wenger’s football philosophy at times, especially his selective blindness and reluctance to develop England players en-route to achieving honors for Arsenal; in this instance, I feel Wenger is hard done by.

One minute Platini is lamenting that football clubs neglect their financial affairs, the next, he attacks Wenger for caring only “about business.” Double standards in his concern on football’s developments, indeed.

Why berate about the disparity between the rich and poor in football? The salary scale of super stars is not something new. It was prevalent in Spain and Italy since the 80s, but of late, has taken on mammoth proportions in the Premier League due to the influx of money from foreign owners.

Arsene Wenger is not solely responsible for such trends in football. If anything, he regularly loses his best players to poachers from bigger clubs.

Let’s be clear that I have a healthy respect for Michael Platini’s achievements as a world-class footballer. As captain of the French national team, he steered his country to the 1984 European Championship, where he shone as the best player and top goalscorer. In fact, he holds the record for most goals (9) scored in European Championship despite only featuring once in this competition.

Donning the jersey of Juventus, Platini blitzed Serie A as top scorer for three consecutive seasons (1982 to 1985) and won a hat-trick of European Footballer of the Year awards (1983 through 1985). In his prime, his passing, finishing and free-kicks were legendary. Bobby Charlton once commented: “What a playmaker. He could thread the ball through the eye of a needle as well as finish.”

However, in Platini’s current role as Uefa President, I feel he should help himself preserve a shred of dignity by talking less. It is unbecoming of a football supremo to single out a manager and interfere so ostensibly in his job. Platini has been accused of being a complacent man who is out of touch with reality and his vitriol only serves to reinforce that image.

I suspect a tinge of jealousy in Platini from the way Arsene Wenger has blossomed from a mediocre player into a high-flying manager. Conversely, Michael Platini’s best days are now behind him.

His achievements on the pitch are undisputed, but since his retirement as a player, he has yet to taste the same adulation and fame. The title of Uefa President may seem prestigious but praises don’t come easily in this capacity. To put it simply, holding high office is a different ball game.

Be a leader who sleeps on the job or presses for tough reforms which could alienate the governing body from the fans, clubs and football associations. In either case, getting recognition is a tough act. I believe Platini will like to distinguish himself from past presidents but so far, he has not accomplished anything noteworthy.

Actually, if Platini is intent on gaining respect from his peers, there are several topics which he can champion. The excesses of clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester United and now Manchester City have pumped up transfer prices to a ludicrous level.

If football clubs are self-sufficient and have the resources to splurge, then by all means, but one should tread carefully when heavy leverage and foreign owners are the passport to bulging transfer budgets. What happen to the clubs when the sugar daddies are gone or when gate receipts, merchandise sales, Champions League prospects fall short? Just think Leeds United.

Then, there are issues of racism against players like Emile Heskey, vicious insults hurled on Sol Campbell which affected his mental stability, and the regular outbreaks of violence in the Serie A. If manipulated skilfully and effective steps taken to eradicate these abhorrent behavior, Platini stands to gain significant political mileage.

And not to forget, the plethora of ugly fouls, dubious goals and offside which are clearly at the mercy of subjective judgments from match officials. A revolutionary introduction of video technology and replays may cut down on human errors and prevent teams from being unfairly penalized. Arsenal are not the cleanest players on the pitch, so when they are in support of video technology, the world should give Wenger a thumbs up.

As Mark Twain says, it is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. From now on, Platini should shut his mouth up or at least choose his war judiciously.

What do you guys think of the Michael Platini’s feud against Arsene Wenger?

AC Milan announced on Thursday the completion of Ronaldinho’s transfer at a price of 21 million euros (much less than the amount purportedly offered by Manchester City) and an additional 4 million euros if the club clinches a place in the 2009-10 Champions League.

Ronaldinho will earn 6.5 million euros per season and he was quick to please his new fans by exulting upon his arrival: “It’s true. I really wanted to come to Milan. A lot of things happened and at the end I became Rossonero. I hope I can provide a lot of joy to Milan’s fans.”

Last season, Milan finished a disappointing fifth in Serie A and was eliminated by Arsenal in the second round of the Champions League. They can only qualify for the second-tier UEFA Cup this season. But do not be mistaken, a club of Milan’s stature will not accept mediocrity for too long.

In the 2005 Champions League finals, Milan dominated Liverpool and established a 3-0 lead by half time, but the Reds miraculously forced a 3-3 stunner, snatching the title from right under their nose in the penalty shoot-outs. However, Milan proved their championship qualities by capturing the European crown with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool the following year.

Similarly, I believe Milan will make a speedy return to the Champions League. They signaled clearly their domestic and European ambitions with a flurry of activities in the transfer market. Snagging Ronaldinho is the final piece of the puzzle… or is it?

It is too early to say if this transfer is a masterstroke or a risky venture but on paper, Milan certainly possess a lethal front line. Ronaldinho will link up with Kaka and Alexandre Pato in an all-Brazilian attack that is bound to terrorize any defense. To be sure, when Ronaldinho is at his best, he brings a lot of enthusiasm and confidence to the team.

A few years ago, he was the indisputable best player in the world but his form plummeted of late. Scoring an impressive 91 goals in 200 appearances over five seasons at Barcelona, he was a vital cog to the club’s consecutive Spanish league titles in 2005 and 2006, and the Champions League trophy in 2006.

Last year, Ronaldinho came in for brickbats from all quarters when he notched up only nine goals in 26 overall appearances. His fitness, flabby tummy, a series of injuries (ranging from a foot problem to thigh injury to knee tendinitis) and concerns of late-night partying contributed to him playing the fewest matches since moving to Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain in 2001.

In fact, there are parallels to be drawn from the acrimonious parting of ways at PSG too. Luis Fernandez, then manager at PSG, claimed that Ronaldinho was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than on his football, and complained that his holidays in Brazil would always drag on and never end at the scheduled times.

Ronaldinho developed a reputation for brilliant performances against the bigger teams, but did not pull his weight against smaller teams. PSG eventually ended their relationship with a talented but ill-disciplined player who casued much unhappiness in the dressing room.

Not that there wasn’t any suitors lining up. Manchester United and Barcelona were hot on the heels of this effervescent midfielder. Laporta finally fought off the advances of Manchester United and bought the 2002 World Cup winner for 30 million dollars. It was one of his most successful signings as the Brazilian’s toothy grin and mesmerizing skills immediately won over the Camp Nou faithful.

A golden era of entertaining football descended at Barcelona with Ronaldinho’s dazzling dribbles and visionary assists. Indeed, he even managed to earn a standing ovation at Santiago Bernabeu after scoring a brace in a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid during the team’s second title run.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Ronaldinho’s indiscipline flared up at the peak of his career. His decline began in the 2006 World Cup when Brazil lost to France in the quarter-finals. Some critics put forth reasons of poor conditioning and sloppy play but almost all agree that Ronaldinho, whom much expectations have been heaped after a successful campaign with Barcelona, was an abysmal failure throughout the tournament.

It seems that sex, video games and even complacency are to blame. The star midfielder reportedly sneaked out of his hotel room to have late night romps with his girlfriend, model Alexandra Paressant, after which he would collapse and play the video game FIFA 2006 until the wee hours of the morning. Paressant refuses to accept any blame but because of her French nationality, rumors of a conspiracy abounds.

From the heights of adulation to the much vilified scrum, Ronaldinho’s confidence on the pitch went into the gutters and he was never the same player again. Upon his return to Barcelona, his dip in form reflected on the club’s fortune. Barcelona began to lose ground in the challenge for titles while Real Madrid began a mini renaissance under Fabio Capello.

Anyway, all these is water under the bridge now. Based on the adage that “class is permanent,” and Ronaldinho did not win illustrious awards such as two FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year and FIFPro World Player of the Year by luck, he deserves a fair chance to show his commitment again. At AC Milan, he may just find the right environment and manager to bring out his best.

By the way, AC Milan have also signed defender Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona, midfielder Mathieu Flamini from Arsenal and regained forward Marco Borriello, who scored 19 goals (third among Serie A scoring leaders) while on loan to Genoa last season.

With a good mix of skill, experience and youth in his team, Carlo Ancelotti will be hard pressed to find any excuses for a empty trophy cabinet again.

Apparently, he was still on speaking terms with Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon, dispelling rumors of a fallout since he was given the boot by “mutual consent.” He said: “It was last week that I spoke with people from the club. I wish them always good, I wish them always to succeed, I wish them always to win.”

Asked about his successor in the Chelsea hot seat, Avram Grant, Mourinho said: “I feel nothing for him. I feel everything for the club, but not for him personally.

“I still feel Chelsea is a part of me, I’ll have Chelsea in my heart forever. I left and for five months you couldn’t get a bad word from me in relation to the club and you cannot do it in the future too.”

I can sense the conflicting feelings bottled inside him. On one hand, he still loves the club and it will always be a part of him. But yet he feels aggrieved about the dubious circumstances which led to his staying at home. He wants to “kill” the club to teach Roman Abramovich and Grant a lesson, the former to make him regret his decision and the latter, to show him who is the real messiah.

Such inflammatory remarks may seem like pathetic attempts to highlight his availability and hopefully there will be a ready platform for him to execute his plans. When you join another club, it is obvious that you owe no loyalty or sentiment to your former club. The new club and fans expect a massacre of all their opponents, so the remarks really serve no purpose.

However, I prefer to give him the benefit of doubt that he is not resorting to self-promotion to get a job. This guy warrants respect. Jose Mourinho was a breath of fresh air in the Premier League for his conceited demeanor, always reliable for choice bites and not one to back down from a war of words with rival managers. He led Chelsea to their first Premier League title in 50 years and set records in the process (most clean sheets, fewest goals conceded, most victories, most points earned).

Before ending his reign, Mourinho won another Premier League title, an FA Cup and two League Cups. It is fair to say that his winner’s mentality and defense-minded football transformed Chelsea from a rich man’s club into a serious title contender in the EPL and Champions League, even today.

Whatever capacity Jose Moruinho may return, nobody can take away the fact that he is Chelsea’s most successful manager.  He should get a warm reception and the kinky thing is that he may even get a standing ovation if he deprives Chelsea in the Champions League, with Avram Grant in charge.

I believe any employment prospect will take place next season and his most likely destinations will be Italy or Spain. This season, it has been topsy-turvy for Barcelona but a sliver lining is over the horizon, not so much through their effort but rather Real Madrid are losing the plot.

While I don’t think Jose Mourinho will end up like Sam Allardyce in Newcastle, his ranking as second most hated character in Catalan and preference for negativity in an attacking football culture will nevertheless make such an appointment implausible. The directors will not gamble their jobs on him unless absolutely necessary.

AC Milan are more suited to Mourinho’s style. Ceding supremacy of Serie A to Inter Milan is a taboo and the inability to impose themselves over weak opponents have cast doubts over Ancelotti’s future. Elimination from the Champions League by Arsenal (throwing away a proud home record against English teams) further weakens his position, in spite of glorious achievements over the past few seasons.

Milan are in need of fresh blood and management, not that Ancelotti is incompetent, but a refreshing change can signal a new era. Jose Mourinho in AC Milan, and a substantial Chelsea first XI crossing over, it is a discomforting thought… Serie A teams and Europe have much to fear.

This match was highly anticipated since Milan, already master of Europe from their Champions League glory, enjoyed a fruitful year as world champions by defeating Boca Juniors to lift the Club World Cup in Tokyo last week.

Their playmaker Kaka, was also crowned World Player of the Year by FIFA. On the other hand, Inter are unbeaten on the domestic front and enjoy a 22-point lead over Milan, though the latter has 3 matches in hand.

Despite their success, Inter formed a guard of honor to pay homage to their record-breaking rivals on the field. Inter coach Roberto Mancini did not feel it was humiliating, saying: “That wasn’t forced on us, it came naturally and I think it was deserved.”

Inter indicated their desire to trump their rivals with the first chance of the match after barely five minutes when Zlatan Ibrahimovic volleyed over the bar. They had greater possession and were applying steady pressure with many of their outfield players camped in Milan’s half of the pitch. Nevertheless, Milan’s fortress held firm as they adopted a sit and absorb strategy which made them extremely dangerous on the counter-attack.

Against the run of play, Filippo Inzaghi earned a free-kick on the edge of the box on 18 minutes after Ivan Cordoba dragged him down. Andrea Pirlo stepped up to curl in a wicked shot into the top corner.

That sparked Inter into action and the players pressed with greater urgency to break the duck. The equalizer nearly came two minutes later when Luis Jimenez shaved the bar with a shot from an impossible angle, courtesy of a cross from Argentine forward Julio Cruz.

Inter’s efforts were rewarded 10 minutes before the break in a moment of incisiveness as Ibrahimovic and Esteban Cambiasso passed the ball to Cruz, who did extremely well under pressure from Clarence Seedorf, by firing low past Brazilian goalkeeper Dida.

The second half again belonged largely to Inter as they dominated the proceedings. A seemingly innocuous shot from Cambiasso sent Dida the wrong way on 64 minutes to give the hosts the lead.

Towards the end, Milan roared back into life and stamped their authority on the match. They had more than enough chances to force a draw. Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar was fully stretched as he turned away Kaka’s diagonal drive. Emerson and Massimo Ambrosini then both missed gilt edged chances to equalize as anxiety crept into Inter’s game in the final moments.

The remarkable aspect of Inter’s victory was their indomitable spirit despite an injury plagued season, particularly in midfield. Already counting the loss of midfielders Dejan Stankovic, Patrick Vieira, Luis Figo, and Oliver Dacourt, they paid a heavy price when defender Walter Samuel suffered a ligament damage and could be out for the rest of the season. The consolation is Marco Materazzi’s return from injury which may alleviate the deficiency in midfield.

In fact, Inter was so depleted of resources that their starting 11 consist of nine South Americans and not a single Italian while Milan fielded seven Italian internationals. Ironically, this made them live up to their full name Internazionale.

Regardless of the players’ nationality, Inter showed enough championship form to mount a sustained challenge on Serie A. Once their injured players are back, their full strength is breathtaking in depth and quality and they can look forward to extending their lead at the top.

Indeed, Inter can take heart from their ability to consolidate their position as they opened up a seven-point lead from the pack. “It’s very important to reach the winter break with a seven-point lead on the second-placed team, particularly with all the problems we’ve had,” Mancini told Sky Sport television.

Ancelotti’s hopes of clawing back some points are dashed with this defeat and they are now 25 points behind Inter and in 12th position. But he remained upbeat since the final minutes of the game was very encouraging and the match could have swung his way if he had a bit more luck.

“We’re lacking a point in the standings because a draw would have been a fairer result,” he said. “But we’ll still have a good Christmas as we’re world champions.”

Inter are not getting carried away despite knocking the world champions off their perch. It is merely three points and not the finals yet. Inter captain Javier Zanetti hailed the victory but insisted hopes of Inter winning the title is premature.

“We are aware of our strengths but we have to show it in every match. Scudetto? It’s too soon. There are many matches to be played, it will be important continuing in this way,” Zanetti said.

Overall, this match is not the most exciting of football but it was never meant to be. For fans who are avid students of the Italian art of defense, they will appreciate the technical displays and tactics from two of the best teams in Serie A.

I struggled to watch the entire 90 minutes but I could have been too tired from all the pre-Christmas shopping. Still, I did tape the match, it is a classic, if I cannot glean anything from it, at least it will work wonders for those sleepless nights. Till tomorrow, guys.