DISCUSSION: FIFA Emergency Meeting; Chelsea Transfer Strategy

With President Gianni Infantino’s leadership in crisis, the FIFA executive meet for a emergency session in Morocco. Plus Chelsea’s unique close-season transfer strategy. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Hi everyone, and welcome back to World Football, etc., where to quote Ross Geller in Friends, we are on a break. But we thought we would come together for an interim episode on the latest events at FIFA, which have been global news in this last cycle for over a week now. But of course, if you can ticket prices, the FIFA Peace Prize and various other bits of let's euphemistically call it nonsense, then we're talking about months in the global headlines. Joining me, of course, are Mr. Declan Link. Hello, Declan. Hello, John. And Mr. Von Troschka. Hello, Mr. Von Troschka. How is the search for ancient family lands going in the north of Italy?

SPEAKER_03 1:02

Buonasera, buonasera, uh guys. Um I mean uh unsuccessfully, uh, but um for whatever reason you're traveling um through northern Italy, it's always a good reason um because it's just uh a beautiful landscape. And um by now I'm pretty sure that um if I have the financial means available, I would like to spend my retirement in northern Italy. That's that's my new thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

You're the kind of guy for whom you know that old phrase about you wait however long it is for buses and three coming up at once, you'll probably emerge from this trip with three ancient Von Troschke lands rather than just one that you suddenly discover in the north of in the north of Italy.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

I mean, yeah, I I hope so. Uh life has been good to me so far. So um yeah, just press my thumbs and uh hope that I that I don't have to work for anything in my life.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Um before we I think I told you, didn't I? When I when I had a quick trip to Scotland last week, as my wife uh told me after many, many years of marriage that she had all these uh Scottish ancestors. I have never had so much fun chasing around cemeteries, graveyards, and churches for four days.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

No um no family lands in in Scotland. I mean, I guess it's um it's it's a difficult comparison to make from remote Scotland, Scottish graves graveyards and cemeteries to the north of Italy in in uh early August.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Yeah, very much. Hopefully, you're actually having some fun as well, Paul, because you're in the middle of your holiday right now.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

Oh, absolutely, absolutely, yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Um, yes, but before we get on to FIFA and other matters, a few hours ago Declan sent through a couple of news clippings in which, and I quote you, Declan, were described as a 1980s hero, which I think is just great. MacGyver-esque, um, if you like, Buck Rogers almost. And there was also reference to the Isthmian League and the B double, which you won in 1987. Was 1987 your glory year then?

SPEAKER_00 3:03

I'm not sure. I'm I'm I think it's all relative at the end of the day. I think I had a good period in my playing career back in 1985, 1986, and 1987. But again, you're you're you're talking uh 40 plus years ago now, so we can't live in the past, John.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

No, we can't, definitely. But um you scored 61 goals in only 93 appearances, which is Harry Kane statistics.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Yes, I must admit, I was quite proud of those numbers, and uh as as I think I've said on a previous uh podcast, it took um Akin Fenwa, who's one of their famous forwards of recent years at Wickham Wanderers, an extra 123 games to reach the same number of goals as me. So um if I'm if I if I compare the success of Akin Fenwa during his career, now post-career in in the media, um I'll be doing okay. But no, it was definitely a bit of I've got a uh in my home office here, I've got a a picture frame on the wall which shows me winning the Player of the Month award for the previous year with a whopping great bottle of champagne with the big headline in the whatever the paper was called, the Berks and Bucks, something or other. Declan drops a bombshell, as I as I handed in my notice uh at Wickham Wanderers and headed off to the States for my new life.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Yeah, well, there you go. And the rest, as you say, is um, as they say, is history. But yes, let's come to FIFA, who are currently engaged in Morocco at an emergency executive meeting. We obviously haven't recorded much reaction to this uh over the course of the last few days. It's been rumbling, to be fair, as well. It has there's been a lot of back and forth with different countries' reactions and um um incredulous responses, of course, to the fact that not just as we spoke about Jacqueline when we talked about it about a week ago, not just news of the selling off of the World Cup with FIFA for What Enterprise itself, but the fact that it seems that absolutely nobody knew about this except for Gianni Infantino himself, and various uh references to uh the fact that um, well, there's been sort of uh it's been phrased, categorized almost as a kind of blackmail with a limited time for countries to come in and support the venture uh in order to receive a sort of bonus-related uh payment, and if not to sort of be be frozen out, all of which has been a particularly egregious example of Gianni Anvantino failing to read the room and means that he is, I think it's fair to say now, facing a severe leadership crisis, one that is unlikely to be resolved today, but is likely to go into next year's um uh uh election for the position of FIFA. President, um Declan, if we can start with you, what's your reading of where things stand at the moment?

SPEAKER_00 5:54

Well, as we've already discussed, as as we're recording this podcast, the news could actually, or some news could potentially break any time. I mean, ultimately, you know, it doesn't definitely seem on the back of all of the controversial stuff that went on in the in the build-up to the World Cup, during the World Cup, and and after the World Cup, as you said, he's definitely, Gianni has definitely completely misread the room. And it sounds as though, just like Set Blatter in the past, uh it's all gone to his head. I mean, basically, this FIFA forward enterprise, FFE, that he proposed creating secretly, it appears, to handle the commercial and operational aspects of FIFA tournaments, offered um at a 20% stake to Joshua Kushner, um, who's obviously associated with Trump. Um, and then my understanding is that you know, because he's been hobnobbing with these commissioners of the NFL, the NBA, Major League Baseball, etc. etc., his his compensation, uh Gianni Infantino's conversation, has relatively speaking, is is insignificant compared to what the commissioners of the major sports in this country did. So there is rumors that uh he was positioned to lead the the I guess the post-investment arm for a $30 million annual salary after his president FIFA presidency expires in 2031. Hopefully it'll expire before then, but it just smells of of of of of rats everywhere. It's it's a horrible um situation. He's misread the room, and uh I think the vast majority of the uh of the football world wants him to disappear as soon as possible.

SPEAKER_01 7:39

Yeah, and it'll be interesting to see how to how that translates into actual nations removing their support from him um going forward. Of course, it seems as though one of the reasons why this meeting is in Morocco is because he retains a lot of support. In Morocco, of course, the next World Cup is at least in part taking place um there, and the election uh at the start of next year with the FIFA presidency is taking place at there in Rabat um as well. Paul, um, do you is your sense that there, I mean, we've seen a number of countries formally remove their backing for Infantino. Most of those are in the most heavily critical UEFA block, but can you see this um that the touch paper being lit here and it all translating into a widespread um lack of um lack of support uh for Gianni Infantino going forward?

SPEAKER_03 8:31

Um I would absolutely uh say yes at this point in time. Um I was uh before the whole incident, um basically until a week ago, um, I was uh very I would say unrealistically hopeful that somehow um FIFA or and therefore world football could free itself from um from the grip Gianni Infantino developed um over it over the last uh decade. Um but by now I think that um and that's something um I have brought up uh one or two times already in the past is um I mean what is a World Cup without UEFA, right? And I think that that UEFA um just I think they they saw their hand forced to to make this threat, um saying that um if if this would actually go through, if this 20% stake in an FFE would actually, or if this FFE would come uh into fruition and and then the stake would would be sold off as well, then they would not participate anymore in in the World Cup. And and I think thereby they can also, even though some countries in in the global south are still supporting, um, are still supporting Janine Fantino and his bid for presidency, um, can force their hands too um to really reshape global football. And um, and they also made a definitive statement saying that um that basically they don't see uh a real like a productive um way backwards to where things were um a little bit more than than a week ago. Um and I think that that UEFA is is really the most important um important factor uh in how everything will go forward and um and uh and yeah, how how if Johnny Infantino will retain power uh in FIFA and will be able to um to survive uh this completely self um self-inflicted wound.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

Yeah, this um self-immolation, if if you like, which I don't think any of us are um sort of regretful of. I think in large part, I mean, of course, there's uproar about the selling off, the privatizing of the World Cup. But in particular, I think is the ruling by decree bit, which which brings into line his relationship with with Donald Trump as well. If he's clearly seen uh a particular way of behaving there, which he's sort of replicating at FIFA. And it's this, I think, in particular, that um uh the lack of due process, the lack of oversight, the lack of global conversations around the future of of football, which um which are particularly egregious. Um the uh one of the the things I found interesting about UEFA's um comments on this was it started off as um uh them just did discussing and saying that they would not participate in FIFA sort of tournaments. And then that then upscaled to them Leave Regime support by declaring general non-cooperation. So it's as though, Declan, what the UEFA are trying to do at this point is not just say that that uh Jenny Infantino does not have their support, but by saying that if um if they do not cooperate in any in any way, shape, or form with FIFA, that then that will devalue all aspects of global football and are as a result encouraging other uh nations uh that are part of the sort of global footballing body and also other territories to uh to sort of side with them and remove their support for Gianni and Fantino.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

Yeah, and I I I like the fact that UEFA and CONCACAF are appear to be united in their uh and and acting speedily and swiftly here. Uh they are, I read orch what the the report I was reading saying they're orchestrating a dual track strategy to oust Gianni and Fantino, uh combining a formal mechanism to force an immediate uh emergency vote of no confidence with a behind-the-scenes pushback to back a consensus replacement before the November the 18th, 2026 candidacy deadline. So so basically they're building this global block, knowing that without the guarantee, you know, with no confidence without with a vote of confidence, it's it's it's slightly risky without um being able to guarantee victory. So they've got the votes, they've got UEFA's 55 votes, they've got Conkercast 41 votes, uh, so they've got a total of 96 votes, and they're just 10 short of the simple majority needed to simply terminate his his presidency. But this is all evolving. I mean, I'm just reading on Twitter multiple uh news sources, including the Times, uh, your favourite uh news source, John, uh, are reporting that he has apparently offered the holding the World Cup final to Morocco. So the depths to which he's going to try and survive uh is it's just incredible. So I I'm I'm very, very pleased that UEFA seemed to be spearheading. And there's some there's some interesting potential candidates to replace him as well, including the front runner, which is the Canadian guy, Victor Montagliami.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

Yeah, there's um and there's a broader geopolitical component here, which I think tie into the 60,000 migrants crossing over into Ceuta in um in Spain in the uh in the last week or so, uh, because of course uh Morocco is significantly aligned with Donald Trump and the USA. In fact, there are reports of um uh Gianni Infantino having had calls with Marco Rubio uh in order to try and get sort of Donald Trump support on it. And of course, Donald Trump is is uh highly critical uh of uh Pedro Sanchez in in Spain as well. So this could even be seen to sort of fit into this decision to offer the final to Morocco, into that sort of broader geopolitical attempt for support from from Donald Trump and to shore up that base um there as well. As you say, really completely uh remarkable, Paul. Um maybe we could you could just say a a quick word on this um on this component, how uh how Infantino is almost sort of stepping into uh a broad series of international alliances outside of football in order to try and sort of um shore up his position.

SPEAKER_03 14:53

Yeah, I mean he is extremely desperate, right? So um uh the to expect any any morals or any lines he is not willing to cross, um, I think is is quite delusional. Um, same um I think, and that's that's a very important point. Um, with I think that he's just spent a little bit too much time around Trump and uh and his circle, um, because to become FIFA president, you have to really prove um very good political in instincts, right? And um and and since since he uh he got closer to Trump and closer and closer, and the World Cup um came closer as well, uh, in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, uh his behavior um just uh yeah began to to get worse and worse and and and his ideas which he voiced finally culminating in in this uh in this plan to I mean basically sell off the heart of global football with which is the World Cup, right? And a 20% stake eventually uh is is is is not gonna stay uh a 20% stake. And um and so bringing geopolitics uh into this um is is just uh yeah another I think desperate move uh in order to um to shore up support uh from from different parts of the world. Um I think it's also very important, um which uh which you haven't talked about yet, of course, is the um the crown prince of of Jordan um just came uh just came out uh on on Twitter or or X for that matter, um Ali bin al-Hussein. Of course, he is a competitor or a past competitor for the FIFA uh FIFA presidency. Um but he basically accused um and and quite credibly accused um FIFA and Daniel Fantino uh for uh for extortion. He he said that uh that the Jordanians um they by now uh waited several months for the for the prize money of of getting into the Arab Cup final and um and and and many other things. So the team also had to pay taxes in the US, uh, many things which were unforeseen. And um, yeah, in the end, that the the Jordan Jordanian FA, which of course is a very small organization, would get the money if um if they would actually um uh pledge uh support for Gianni Infantino's bid for presidency. Um so that's just uh another battlefield which uh which just opened. Um again, um to to speak about the very bad or worsening political instincts of Gianni Infantino. Um I mean, I'm sure that behind the curtains, stuff like this, um, maybe not to this uh extreme degree, was also happening under Zap Lutter, right? I mean FIFA is uh and was always a very corrupt organization, but to um that that something like this leaks out, and that that Infantino did not foresee this, which is extremely damaging, um, to further damaging to his brand, um I think is uh is is speaking to uh to having spent too much time around Trump and and people who are just acting with impunity, right? I mean, um Trump so far got away with anything, people around him got away with it get away with anything, and if they are sentenced, then they can pay Trump um some money and then they get a pardon. And uh if you of course live in this world, um then then you probably also adapt the menace of um of uh of living in this world, uh which in the end, if you are not the actually the US president, but just the president of FIFA, uh, is not working out good for you.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

Yeah, just a couple of quotes, I think, just to put on the record there. I mean, I'm sure most listeners have heard this, but uh that his uh resigned senior advisor, because it really does seem as though I mean look, when Arsen Wenger comes out and says it's a bad deal, um uh then you kind of know that uh in the day you didn't know anything about it. You know it was pretty much a bad deal. But um, yeah, Infantino's resigned senior advisor, Carlos Codero, he sort of denounced Infantino's plan and he called it a bad deal for FIFA's member associations, a bad deal for football, and a bad deal for the long-term future in the game. And then um uh a particularly sort of stark statement from from UEFA or sentence within the statement was when they described it as, and I quote, a shabby, backroom, opaque deal, and then went on to describe that the leadership, of course, Infantino uh has not only lost UEFA's confidence but that of many other members of the football uh family. So we'll see where this where this goes. I mean, in a way, you know, we've been talking about this for quite a while, but in a way, this has come to a head much quicker than we ever imagined, and entirely based on Infantino's own uh own actions, Declan.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

Yeah, I think he put his um his his his size tens or size 11s right in it uh and did not uh did not started believing in in his own little goldfish bowl, you know, that that he was he was at that level of almost like a global leader. Um so I mean I heard a report yesterday saying that there's 11 of the uh US cities who are actually pressing FIFA as well to get payments that they're owed, uh, that was agreed to before the before the World Cup um for for some type of I think it's a million dollars each. And it's just scandalous that these these 11 individual cities also have to press and push FIFA to get money back that they were promised. Um so yeah, I mean I I I just think uh the game needs a reset, uh a reboot, and uh new leadership to to uh to get back to uh you know what what we we would like to think FIFA should be. I'm not sure it's ever been that way, but we would like to think um it would it's it's it's something that has morals and ethics and everything else and is looking after the best interests of the game rather than selling the game that we love to uh people who have no real interest apart from making money.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Yeah, it's an opportunity, isn't it? Uh of course. Let's um let's move on to a couple of other uh topics. Uh Chelsea signings, I thought was was something worth discussing. Um, in particular, because I think it's kind of quite an interesting. This is Shabulons, of course, has taken over at um at Chelsea, troubled Chelsea. I think it's fair to say, have uh uh have had a lot of money and a lot of expenditure and scant success outside of the Club World Cup um 12 months ago. But their their sort of signing strategy at the moment seems to be based around um top players on the one hand, you're sort of Morgan Morgan Rogers, and then young players from their own feeder clubs, because they have this um sort of official sister club in the French Liga, RC Strasbourg, and they've signed uh Valentin Barco from there, which is a bold move given how hated he is based on his um his semi-final actions against uh England, of course, Argentine Valentin Barco, who who ran onto the pitch and um and deliberately sort of provoked a lot of the English uh players. He's gone across from Strasbourg to Chelsea as well. Um, and then the sort of senior senior figures, um, you know, Jordan in particular. Jordan Henderson and Danny Wellbeck. And I know we've sort of commented before Declan and joked about, in particular, Jordan Henderson's role with the England side at the World Cup as being a sort of almost a non-playing mentor. But it seems as though Xavi Alonso has identified, highlighted, and understood that one of Chelsea's big problems is one of their weak areas, is sort of team culture, and is bringing in these senior players in an attempt to sort of rectify that. I'm not sure that I've seen such an interesting, wide-ranging transfer strategy and certainly at a Premier League club for quite a while.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

There's no question that from Jabi Alonso's perspective, this means that the uh Blueco, the the the ownership uh with Todd Boley and Clear Lake Capital have gone apparently in a significantly different direction with regards to the way that they're constructing their squad and backing Jabbi Alonso significantly because anyone who knows anything about football, and I question whether or not Blueco and Clear Lake Capital know anything about football, uh they were obviously putting together a team of of or a squad of fantastic young talent, but as they always say, you don't win championships, you don't win cups with a a team of of with an average age of 22, 23 years old. You have to have a blended approach, which is which is why Danny Wellbeck, who's a I think a fantastic signing, and Jordan, our friend Jordan Henderson have both been brought in. I think Jordan Henderson in particular will not see significant minutes, but it's almost like he is being brought in to be a almost like a a playing coach on the team to play some minutes, and as we're seeing with the impact that everyone gen generally sort of said he had at the World Cup with England, uh, that he is a very, very popular. Um so uh it time will tell. I mean, they've definitely that they've got their business model that they're they're sticking to, they've just significantly changed the fact that they're bringing in some older players, but it's incredible how Jabi Alonso's had been given the permission and given the ability to uh over overhaul the squad in the close season. I mean, Morgan Rogers is uh is a record signing. Uh they just brought in uh Lacroix from Crystal Palace, uh, who's got significant uh Premier League experience. There's another guy who I'm not familiar with, Marco Palestra from Atalanta, 43 million, another guy from uh Sporting Lisbon, Giovanni Coender, uh your friend Valentin Barco, uh my little ginger friend, Danny and uh Jordan. But there's a couple of others. There's another Strasbourg players, there's a Corinthians player called Denner, uh, there is an 18-year-old from Wigan Athletic, but what they're doing is they're balancing the books as well because they've they've been very smart in in shifting some of their talent, with the biggest one being uh Cucarella, who's gone to Real Madrid, Andre Santos, who went for a significant bit of a head scratcher amount of money to Manchester United, Tyreek George, uh Alejandro Garnacho, uh, who's gone on loan to Villa, and then Trevor Chalabar just left this week to go to Como. Um, they apparently have another deal on the horizon with a guy from Real Vallicano called Pep Chavera, uh, and then they've they're about to shift out um Badashile and uh Axel De Sassi. So they're very, very busy in the Chelsea boardroom, uh, and they'll they'll end up probably netting uh you know positive from the different deals they're doing. But uh to your point, John, significantly changing significant change in direction and strategy, and the fact they're not in Europe next summer means they could probably um very possibly do what Manchester United did because they're only going to be playing in the Premier League and in the Caribbean Cup and the FA Cup, nothing else.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Did you obviously Valentine Barker as you referenced, is redheaded as are you, Declan. I don't know if you saw in the um uh this week that there was a scientific study which said that redhead individuals are able to withstand 25% more pain than individuals with other coloured hair.

SPEAKER_00 26:22

No, I must have missed that one. I will um I'll impress someone with that fact sometime this week.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

There you go, and it's true as well. It's just um apparently it's not all red-headed people, it's 80% of them because some it's a particular gene which most red-headed people uh have. But um, yeah, it stands up to to scrutiny by all accounts. So uh good luck. Hopefully, Valen Zimbarco is one of those because he's any minutes that he has in the Premier League this this season, he's gonna he's definitely gonna be experiencing some.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Jude Bellingham definitely gave him a good clip around the ear in the World Cup, though. Proper proper clip around the ear.

SPEAKER_01 26:52

Yeah, with him and Enzo Fernandez and the Chelsea side. I think uh uh it's good Chelsea gonna be one of the sides that everybody uh definitely uh likes to uh likes to dislike, let's let's say, uh, because also Enzo Fernandes hasn't been quiet about the fact that he's considered leaving England and um that he doesn't he's not interested in the response he's gonna get. He's put himself out there as a victim, let's say. But uh but anyway, uh and aside, of course, on the red-headed individuals being able to withstand more pain. Paul, just as regards Alonso, but it seems to me that one of the interesting things about this transfer strategy, which when Alonso was signed to to Chelsea, is that um there's a lot of similarities between the the sort of the player-led ego-centered difficulties that he experienced at Real Madrid and that he's uh he was potentially going to experience at Chelsea. So this transfer strategy that he's employing at Chelsea is actually almost learnt on the back of the his experience at Real Madrid, much more so, or at least to the same extent as what he's facing at Chelsea.

SPEAKER_03 27:59

Yeah, I mean, um he he has made uh a remarkable career. Um, I mean, both as a player and then as a coach. I mean, uh, we Germans also um could could watch him do his uh his magic more at the at the beginning of his career um as a coach at uh by Aliva Kuzen, of course. And um, yeah, I think especially um I like bringing um bringing uh Quenda together with with Morgan Rogers is a very, very smart move. I mean Quenda is a 19 19 years old. Um Morgan Rogers is a very, very by now, especially after the World Cup, very well established um uh established uh attacker and and striker in in the Premier League. Um and uh and and sort of to uh yeah to um as you said to have a team which um which is more focused on like regulating themselves, um also when it comes to Jordan Henderson. I mean I think it's important to say that um I mean at least his uh the sum was not uh disclosed, but it it's very probable. I think that he he he went for for actually uh not a single uh pound. He went to um to Chelsea.

SPEAKER_00 29:08

He was a free he was definitely a free transfer, Paul.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

He was definitely a free transfer. Um who wouldn't take exactly so who will who wouldn't who wouldn't take a free Jordan Henderson, right? Um I mean definitely lifts up the mood. And um, yeah, I mean uh I think that's uh the the only way to to survive in that game um is learn from your mistakes and uh and to get uh get together with clubs who are actually uh who also have the financial backing um then to uh to help you um yeah um uh basically put put into place your your learnings, which uh Chelsea definitely is. I mean um it's uh not a record transfer, but I mean Morgan Rogers came for uh almost 140 million euros, um which is uh which is a hefty sum. And um Chelsea's doing quite uh quite good right now, as as as Declan also alluded to. I'm probably making and making a profit, and if you look at these transfers, um making a profit um even if you spent so much money on the players from from the club um club strategy side is is really really remarkable.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

Yeah, not they're not do they're not doing so well in their pre-season friendlies, though, because they lost to Tottenham at the weekend. One uh uh Tottenham scored at the end of the game, and then they lost to Juventus uh earlier today. So they've lost the last two games.

SPEAKER_02 30:26

Um yeah, it's early.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

That's um yes, of course, and uh uh just as regards uh Morgan Rogers, he didn't have that many minutes in the World Cup, but when he came on when he started against Argentina, I think I'm right in saying, I thought he was he was a a sort of a standout uh individual in in that match until obviously the infamous last sort of uh 30-40 minutes uh took place. So he definitely comes in, I think, um uh on the back of uh a lot of credit in that certainly with that performance in particular. Um just to finish up on this topic, of course, Declan. In particular, you've been you were really critical of the the sort of Jordan Henderson selection for England, but his um taking him across to Chelsea is a completely different prospect, right? Having him there day in, day out, getting some minutes, setting the the tone and the standard with this sort of young, erred side is completely different to taking him across um as as part of the England squad to to the World Cup where you would already expect everybody to be right on top of their game and right on top of their attitude.

SPEAKER_00 31:27

Yeah, I think we're not really comparing apples to apples there, because I think when you're comparing putting together a squad for uh the World Cup when there's 26 places, that you're giving up a potential option off the bench and and and ultimately when Thomas Touchal froze in the last 25 minutes and uh use those very questionable defensive tactics, you know, he he he he sh he he had one less option on the bench, uh especially as Jordan Henderson by then was injured because of the celebrations after the game in the Azteca. But to Paul's point, you know, if you're gonna get a a free Jordan Henderson because of all of the supposed positives he brings along with him, that's a that's a no-brainer. I mean, I think originally my understanding is that Jabi Alonso did actually want Granite Shacker, the Sunderland midfield player, who was uh the same who played the same type of role for for him when he was so successful as a manager, as a coach at Bayer Leverkusen. Uh, but um Granite Shacker, who's obviously sort of cut from the same cloth as Jordan Henderson in many respects, no nonsense midfield general, uh that they couldn't put that deal together. So as a as a backup to Shacker, um he's not a bad alternative, and I'm sure I've got an ultimate respense respect for Jabi Alonso. I know that things didn't work out for him at at um your favourite club, Real Madrid, John, but I think he's gonna do fine in the in the Premier League. And it definitely seems as though, like I said, at the sound of risk of sounding like a broken record, that Blue Coat, Todd Bowley, um uh egg barley, that they've all sort of given him the the tools to be successful this year.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

Yeah, the building blocks, the the bricks, the foundations are certainly in place. The Chelsea, of course, we'll wait and see what what happens there at the beginning of the season, but um, but it's definitely been, I think the right decisions have been made there. Um, and again, as we've spoken about many times, it's not with all sports, but in particular with with football and with a side like Chelsea, it's also about uh cultural overhauls, and that certainly is what um Xavi Alonso has has um been undertaking here, and more than anything now with Wellbeck and with Henderson, he also has allies um in the in the in the dressing room as well, which is also crucially important. Declan, you've got a number of upcoming games in Orlando you're going to be uh attending. Walk us through uh which of those you are most excited by.

SPEAKER_00 33:59

Uh yes, we start uh for our global listeners, they there is definitely a a momentum in in uh uh in uh Mexican and North American soccer football that the uh Mexican uh Liga MX and the uh MLS are getting closer and closer. So back in uh 2019 uh they had a 14 tournament. Uh uh I'm not sure if it was called the League's Cup then, but uh but basically they now have a a tournament which is arguably a manufactured tournament between uh 36 teams, 18 from Mexico and 18 of the supposed best uh MLS teams. And it's pretty going to be pretty intense. Orlando City plays uh CF Monterey tonight in the uh Explorer Stadium. They're playing Club Lyon on Saturday, and then they play next Wednesday, Atletico de San Luis. Um so it's and and and and there's a whole load of different games going on around the country. And in fact, they did actually start playing, they they they they started playing Tuesday, yesterday, today, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and there's not there's games every day. Uh and it and interesting enough, in the games that that opened the tournament yesterday, Columbus Columbus crew beat at Atlas FC uh 3-1, FC Cincinnati beat uh Pachuca 3-1, Charlotte beat Pumas uh 3-0, Minnesota lost to FC Schwarz Yarwez.

SPEAKER_01 35:40

What is what is what is?

SPEAKER_00 35:41

I'm gonna get slaughtered there. Um Tigras and Real Salt Lake tied, and then Vancouver surprisingly lost to Atlanta, Atlante FC. So uh it's I think it's good. It's something different. Uh the MLS is going to this new schedule uh and getting a new commissioner uh in January next year. Dan Garber, who's the longtime commissioner, is retiring. They're getting a new commissioner in they're going to the normal global uh fixture schedule, which is going to be very interesting seeing games in Montreal and Minnesota uh in the middle of uh October, November. But um, you know, I I have enjoyed uh the the the league's games recently in recent seasons with Orlando City, and on the back of the very pleasant experience we had watching England play in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City a few weeks ago. Uh, you know, the the Mexican fans are going to be there passionately um uh supporting their respective teams, and they're normally very good, normally quite spicy fixtures, and obviously I'll be giving some updated reports as we go through the next week or so.

SPEAKER_01 36:48

Yeah, and um it is now at time of recording, it is now after 7 p.m. in Morocco. Um, the FIFA executive have been in a meeting for a number of hours now. We have no sign of any of um them emerging from there or any statements, which is uh which is interesting. And I think we'll just close off with um the questions, the key questions again, uh the sort of uh the senior advisor to Gianni and Pantina, Carlos Codiro, issued a few days ago when he said, why this deal, why now, what oversight exists, who benefits, was there a competitive process, what governance will be in place, what will investors ultimately gain and at what cost to football? We'll see when um a statement in uh is is delivered from from FIFA. If it is indeed, uh if we hear anything at all today, you would expect so, but uh, if we don't, then we'd assume that it was an especially contentious uh meeting. Uh we'll see whether any of these questions are answered um uh when um when a news conference or a statement at any point later on today is is issued. Thank you, uh uh 1980s hero Declan and uh and of course uh Paul. I I would I hope I imagine you're on a Sun Lounger at this point. Don't tell me whether you are or not, but uh that's where I I I picture you being at the moment. So I hope your holiday continues to go uh to advance in the way that you uh that you hope. Thank you both.

SPEAKER_00 38:19

I'm sure I'm sure I'm sure, John, that Paul was out there this morning at five o'clock sticking his towel on that sun lounger.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

Crucial, crucial German behavior.

SPEAKER_03 38:30

Exactly.