General Asian/Oceanic Football Thread

[clueless1]

Torres turns down Sydney

I can exclusively reveal that Sydney FC bigwigs were approached by the management company of Fernando Torres as a marquee player for the club.

The Spanish superstar has also been offered to the MLS in the USA but the approach to Sydney FC was made two weeks ago.

Torres, who has been playing for Atletico Madrid, scored 14 goals in 49 games last season and is keen for new challenges.

With over 110 games for Spain and a playing resume that includes stints at Liverpool, Chelsea and Milan, Torres is exactly the type of marquee the A-League needs.

The deal had one flaw, however.

Sydney FC were keen until they were told the required salary would need to be $8 million per season.

The commercial realisation stumped any further discussions.

www.sportingnews.com/football/list/secret-agent-a-league-soccer-football-sydney-fc-spain-fernando-torres/nkzkytaxp0bf1hnshilvyip84/slide/1

Torres for 8 million a year, his agent is having a laugh, no wonder Sydney turned it down. Del Piero was only on 2 mill per year. That is more than 3 times the cap. Insane money for a player who, whilst he would be top scorer potentially, it wouldn't be a lot either.

8 mill for the MLS is high also, i think this means he ends up in China or the middle east.

In terms of ROI, their is no real return on that 8 mill

[clueless1]

The Bakrie Group’s tumultuous reign over Brisbane Roar is almost over with the A-League club poised to be sold to a consortium led by Melbourne businessman Daniel Cobb.

Cobb, the owner of energy comparison website Electricity Watch and former Adelaide United sponsor Clean Energy Enterprises, heads a group that has agreed to buy the Roar’s A-League licence from the Bakries – a sale that is subject to due diligence and approval from Football Federation Australia.

The process could see Cobb’s consortium take either 100 per cent ownership of the club, or a controlling share, with the Bakries showing interest in staying on as a minority shareholder.

Cobb recently approached the Indonesian conglomerate with the proposal to buy the three-time A-League champions, subsequently flew to Jakarta to meet key Bakrie representatives, and was made the club’s managing director and interim chief executive officer earlier in the week.

Family head Nirwan Bakrie has also agreed to inject $2 million into the club in a move that will allow coach John Aloisi and football director Craig Moore to begin planning for the new season.

“I’m the managing director of the club because a party that I’m related to has agreed terms with the Bakrie Group,” Cobb told AAP.

“We’ve signed a terms sheet that will see them exit the club and us acquire the club.

“FFA need the club stabilised and we have secured a capital injection from the Bakrie Group during the time which the process with the FFA and the engagement with other stakeholders in relation to the sale is completed.

“
The recapitalisation from the Bakries should mean players and staff are paid on time next Wednesday, avoiding an insolvency event that would have triggered an A-League licence breach and given FFA the opportunity to take over.

Cobb intends to hold a media conference in Brisbane on Friday to elaborate on his plans for the club, but said he was unable to reveal the identity of the other investors.

Cobb’s company Electricity Watch recently became a business partner of Football Federation Victoria.
 Another one of his businesses, Clean Energy Enterprises, signed a three-year, $1 million sponsorship with Adelaide United in 2013.

However, it only lasted a short time before Cobb terminated the deal, and it’s understood there is residual ill will between him and the club.

thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2016/06/08/bakrie-group-sell-brisbane-roar/

Huh?

What the hell.

More out of nowhere than a Randy Orton RKO (on crack).

Also i didn't post it this morning but Daniel Cobb was named the new managing director of the roar. To be fair i wasn't too amused since he looks to have had SFA to do with football but if it leads to new owners i'm in. So long as they sort out the stadium deal, engage the fans and keep us stable enough so that we are challenging like we should (oh, and some cash so that, maybe we don't go crazy like the smurfs, but enough to give us some good players).

Not too happy about losing Henrique (club icon really, this loss hurts more than Bes leaving us) and Donachie (lets face it, Rowles will replace him) but at least we may have some stability. Clean Energy Group is a pretty big solar power company group here and solar power is big time, so it is an interesting idea. Wonder who else is in on the consortium or the size of it (i've been calling for it, so this is good, hopefully we get a victory model or even better, a bundesliga model here, but baby steps).

Can see us totally having a third alternative green strip though.

Either Way, i'm cautiously optimistic. Must be why the FFA didn't do anything

[CaajScot]

  The photo of Sosha Makani (left) was first posted online on 6 May

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36484440

[clueless1]

Jun 8, 2016 18:36:38 GMT CaajScot said:

  The photo of Sosha Makani (left) was first posted online on 6 May

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36484440

Really Iran

Anyway gr8 pants m8 i r8 8/8.

[clueless1]

Nikita Rukyavytsa is moving to Maccabi Haifa from Beitar Jerusalem.

Thats a big move since they're the biggest team in Israel and will probably be in the champions league or at least the europa league group stages.

The Jets are expected to be bringing in 4 players, 2 from Europe and a new assistant as head coach Scott Miller tours europe on a scouting tour.

[clueless1]

Third Marquee for the a-league could be put in place. This is being done in the view of luring in the likes of Tim Cahill, Fernando Torres and that sort of player in.

I say go for it if it leads to better players

I still think though, 3+1 rule, all of them exempt from the cap (so 3 foreign players + 1 AFC (asian) player) or if you want to pay an Aussie in that, you can still bring in a foreigner under the cap or something along those lines.

Oh yeah also intra league transfers please. That way Central Coast and Newcastle can cash in from other teams in the league buying their players (namely Melbourne City the greedy pricks). Obviously their wage should be in the cap, not the transfer fee however. That way the Mariners can pour that money into their academy and Newcastle can use it for their own use. We're a mature enough league to have that at least.

[Tatty]

Jun 1, 2016 5:50:11 GMT clueless1 said:

theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/05/31/cahill-says-league-future-gallop

Tim Cahill back at it again. He's never coming, unless he's 39 and far too old to play anywhere else. I think he'll milk that chinese money, now especially since he's being linked to Shanghai SIPG. So many in the golden generation with huge attitude problems (well in recent times we've seen Schwarz, Neill and Cahill act like eurosnobs and Neill just a twat in general)

Please explain.

[Deleted]

Jun 9, 2016 9:09:50 GMT Tatty said:

Jun 1, 2016 5:50:11 GMT clueless1 said:

theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/05/31/cahill-says-league-future-gallop

Tim Cahill back at it again. He's never coming, unless he's 39 and far too old to play anywhere else. I think he'll milk that chinese money, now especially since he's being linked to Shanghai SIPG. So many in the golden generation with huge attitude problems (well in recent times we've seen Schwarz, Neill and Cahill act like eurosnobs and Neill just a twat in general)

Please explain.

They think they're too big to play in Australia.

[clueless1]

The likelihood of Tim Cahill playing in the A-League next season has nosedived.

Football Federation Australia appears to have failed in an audacious bid to convince the other clubs to allow Melbourne City to sign the Socceroos legend as a third marquee player.

It can be revealed that a meeting of club chairmen on Wednesday gave a resounding “no” after they were asked to allow City to go outside of the rules and field three marquees instead of two for next season so they could accommodate Cahill.

The Australian broke the story earlier this week that the cashed-up Victorian club had been in talks for the past three months with the man regarded as the greatest Socceroo of all time with a view to signing him in a bid to lift their profile.

There has also been interest for Cahill from other clubs, including Sydney FC, but it is understood the clubs are unwilling to meet the financial demands, reportedly around the $3 million-plus a season mark, even allowing for the fact FFA has a fighting fund to help assist.

City, owned by the City Football Group, owners of the Manchester City and New York City clubs, can easily accommodate Cahill’s wages but they are hamstrung in signing him because they already have two marquees on their books.

With Socceroo Aaron Mooy expected to move to Europe, thus freeing a marquee spot, they recently upgraded the contract of Uruguayan striker Bruno Fornaroli after his sensational A-League debut season when he broke all scoring records for the national competition.

In terms of a second marquee, The Australian understands City will unveil a big-name signing they have had under wraps for several months and one that came before Cahill was an ­option.

With City’s quota filled, FFA, desperate to have Cahill’s star value in the A-League, suggested to the clubs at Wednesday’s meeting that they allow the Victorians to have an extra marquee for 12 months.

According to one source, “there was plenty of robust debate” before they all turned down the idea.

“There was certainly a lot of toing and froing but, in the end, everyone was in agreement that it would be a grossly unfair ­advantage for City,” the source said.

The move to have Cahill ­finally play in the A-League comes after chief executive David Gallop resolved a number of issues with the Socceroo while he was in Australia for the two-game series against Greece.

The pair met in Sydney last week and again after the second match in Melbourne on Tuesday and it resulted in Gallop issuing a statement, with Cahill’s knowledge, on Wednesday in which he apologised for some comments he made about the player in February.

It is clear that FFA is now making a concerted effort to have the 36-year-old in the ­national competition.

Cahill’s presence would be a massive boost not just in terms of bringing more people through the gate, but marketing and ­promotion-wise.

More importantly, he is seen as a massive factor for FFA as they attempt to strike a new broadcast deal.

The current four-year $160m deal expires at the end of next season (2016-17) and they are hoping to double it to $80m a season.

Of course, much of this depends on Cahill and what he has planned.

His contract with Hangzhou Greentown expires at the end of next month.

It has been reported there are several clubs in China keen to sign him, including Shanghai SIPG.

There is also the option of returning to the MLS, where he had a highly successful stint with the New York Red Bulls.

www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/football/tim-cahill-unlikely-to-be-in-aleague-next-season-after-bid-fails/news-story/e50dcf17c6e179557ea853082285db39

Well thats no surprise, main thing though is that they have signed a big name to replace Mooy. How good is he actually and is he more like Koren or can he still deliver.

Anyway both Sydney clubs should go for him, he is a Sydney boy after all and both clubs need the goalscoring (Western Sydney would be more likely to employ a false 9 but Arnold could have him play up front with Holosko as well).

FFA did at least try to allow this though so no real blame attached to them.

[clueless1]

Jun 9, 2016 9:09:50 GMT Tatty said:

Jun 1, 2016 5:50:11 GMT clueless1 said:

theworldgame.sbs.com.au/article/2016/05/31/cahill-says-league-future-gallop

Tim Cahill back at it again. He's never coming, unless he's 39 and far too old to play anywhere else. I think he'll milk that chinese money, now especially since he's being linked to Shanghai SIPG. So many in the golden generation with huge attitude problems (well in recent times we've seen Schwarz, Neill and Cahill act like eurosnobs and Neill just a twat in general)

Please explain.

[clueless1]

Jun 9, 2016 9:40:29 GMT @ausred88 said:

Jun 9, 2016 9:09:50 GMT Tatty said:

Please explain.

They think they're too big to play in Australia.

Yeah this, they thing Australia is beneath them (which is false because when they've come most of them have been shite, except Kewell but we knew he was class).

[Tatty]

Kewell was shite too.

[clueless1]

Jun 10, 2016 6:44:45 GMT Tatty said:

Kewell was shite too.

yeah he was but better than Emerton and Neill (especially Neill)

Grella i guess was solid

[clueless1]

So on the signing side of things

Luke Brattan to Melbourne City (to the surprise of no one)
Luke Donachie to Melbourne Victory (they always steal our players so again, to the surprise of nobody)

[clueless1]

Manchester City set to sign Australia ace Aaron Mooy

By Harry Pratt
12th June 2016


MANCHESTER CITY are set to cause a storm Down Under after pulling strings to sign Melbourne City’s Aaron Mooy.

Soceroos fans do not want one of Australia’s shining lights to quit their national A-League.

And they will be furious to see him move between clubs owned by the same man.

Sheikh Mansour is best known for transforming Manchester City – but the billionaire’s global company City Football Group also own Melbourne City.

To make matters worse, City will not even include the playmaker in their Premier League squad next season.

Mooy, 25 is expected to be farmed out to Belgium for a year to toughen up.

Melbourne knocked-back a £1million bid for Mooy from Saudi side Al-Nassr at the turn of the year.

He was on a youth scholarship at Bolton before switching to St Mirren – where he made his Scottish Premier League debut aged 20.



www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/522303/Transfer-news-Man-City-Australia-ace-Aaron-Mooy

So City want to buy him. At least if he goes to Belgium he will get first team football for sure. If Praet or Tielemans are on there way out of their also, Mooy would be a fantastic replacement for them (he's not any worse as a player) him, Defour and Duricic or whoever would be good.

If not their then Clubbe Bruge or trying to restore Standard Liege's reputation as a top club (as the forefront of that team) would be good moves.