Ivan Gazidis recently claimed that Champions League football is not essential to Arsenal, claiming the Gunners can still cope financially and will still be able to compete for the Premier League title without the financial benefits that come with the Champions League.
Arsenal, who currently sit 15th in the Premier League and are enduring their worst start to a new season in 58 years, are known to be one of the country’s best run clubs that makes profit.
Arsenal have enjoyed a 14 season Champions League qualification streak and while it still remains a priority, Gazidis said it is not a necessity – unlike other clubs that have huge wage bills and increasing debt.
Gazidis insists Arsenal have a sound business model in place. He claimed:
‘We would rather qualify for it but (if we didn’t qualify) we have got a really stable model that could not just cope but do well and compete.’
‘It would be very foolish to build a business model that relied on being in the Champions League for perpetuity.’
‘I don’t think any clubs do that, and if they do then they probably aren’t being run as responsibly as they should be.’
European football’s governing body UEFA have introduced a new Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules this season, this was done to prevent clubs spending more than they earn and Champions League revenues are seen as critical in order for top clubs to compete financially.
Unfortunately, Gazidis’ theory is off, way off. The only thing he is concerned about here is the financial stability of a club that are already financially stable and should not have even bothered looking at the FFP rules. In my opinion, the only way the team can compete for the Premier League title is if they acquire some top quality signings, and what do top quality players truly seek???…CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL!!!
If we can’t offer them this then they would gladly go to another club that could, plain and simple.
So business out of the window and the clubs future, in terms of trophies, taken into consideration, the Champions League is a must for Arsenal, not for financial purposes, but simply to attract top top players to help the club capture some much needed silverware.
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It is obvious that Arsenal has many fans now because though it has not won trophies in the past 6 years, fans believe it has the potential to do so. People are satisfied to pay higher fees for tickets to watch Arsenal matches and the frenzy for the club transcends borders. It will be a very serious derision if the board allows this goodwill to erode the club by negligently refusing to provide quality players to ensure champion league qualification. Remember we just lost two world class players because they needed to move to where they can win trophies. This is just a taste of what will come should we continue to slide.
well there you have it Arsenal has seized being a football club whose main aim was winning trophies and become a business whose main goal is making profits that same way i have seized being a staunch fan and become an avid hater go suck cock you fucking gunners av had enough adios bitchezzzz
Obviously he does not understand that when you invest in big players your brand gets larger, and your club profits from the sales of items related to that club. If you wallk around the San Francisco Bay Area you see Man U, Barsa, Real strips..Inter, ACMilan..and smaller clubs like Arsenal. This in turn makes people like me subscribe to Fox Soccer, or make a pilgrimage to England….Gazidis needs to understand that Arsenal was on the verge of becoming a big brand, this is the reason they went to Asia, the reasons that thousands turn out here in the states to watch Real, Chelsea, Barsa when they come here..clueless and needs to keep his head donw and shutup.
how is a fool like gazidis a CEO of a club like Arsenal. What a nut….