Ancelotti: Fat cat days are over
Published 23:00 30/07/10 By Martin Lipton
Carlo Ancelotti last night called time on world football’s transfer frenzy as he claimed: “The fat cat days are gone.”
The Chelsea boss has looked on as Manchester City seem intent on spending as if there is no tomorrow, with £30million Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli their next likely purchase.
That comes after two years of remarkable dealings at Eastlands and Real Madrid’s £137m outlay on Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka last summer.
But UEFA’s new rules on “financial fair play”, which will force clubs to spend no more than they generate over a three-year period, will be in place by 2012.
Chelsea’s former multi-million pound spending days – funded by Roman Abramovich – seem behind them, Manchester United and Arsenal are keeping their powder dry and new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has already been told he can spend only £15m in addition to what he rakes in from sales.
AC Milan and Inter are also counting every penny and even Barcelona had to take out a massive loan to pay their wage bill, meaning they cannot meet Arsenal’s valuation of Cesc Fabregas.
Ancelotti, who admitted his biggest task this season may be getting the World Cup flops in his squad to put the disappointments of the summer behind them, said: “As far as money spent by clubs is concerned, Michel Platini and UEFA have staked a lot of credibility on their financial fair play proposals.
“It will happen over the next two season and will be a bitter experience for many clubs. But the time of the fat cats is over now. Silvio Berlusconi at Milan and Inter could not fail to adapt.
“Even Roman has stopped giving out money everywhere. And do you think any of my purchases, so far, are more important than getting Essien back and fit to play?”
Raising the spirits of players who had a miserable time in South Africa was also a priority. “All my Musketeers – including Drogba, Malouda and Terry – have played a World Cup which lowered their profile,” he added.
Ancelotti’s hopes of landing holding midfielder Ramires appear to be stalling, with Benfica – who own 20 per cent of the player’s economic rights – looking to keep the Brazilian for another year, expecting his value to rise in the wake of a Champions League campaign.
