The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wed 12th Dec)

https://www.goal.com/en-tza/news/le...lscoring-record-in-/436hxfi9rzc11e4xnj1prm2m8

Latest news on Baghdad

I also did a bit of research as its impossible to compare top flight footy in Qatar to our Premier League, however everything I read puts half a dozen of the top clubs in the same class as lower Premier League teams in UK, Spain, France and Germany. Indeed they compete every Summer against top European teams in our pre season and do very well. Xavi is the team captain and Pedro is also in the team and it was Xavi who brought Baghdad to the attention of top clubs in Europe? We shall see but the link above shows him breaking Qatar goalscoring record

Also,worth saying that he has 4 International Algerian caps and has scored in all 4 games?

 

Then hes crap.

 

League one standard then. Qatar the football is terrible.

 

I guess my only question would be if he is as good as being intimated, why has he never started a competitive match for Algerian national team, he's only started for the Under 23's and in friendlies.

At the last African Cup of Nations, he made 2 substitute appearances for a total playing time of 31 minutes.

Is he worth a punt, maybe. Do we need to big him up though by saying he is playing in a league that is a higher standard than what we are already in. Pre season friendlies, well we all know that is a good indication. The last friendly I see Al Sadd playing against European opposition was MSV Duisberg, who are struggling in the second division of the Bundesliga, and Duisberg won 4-1. Before that they played Trabsonspor In the Turkish league in 2017, and in 2016 they played FC Hammerau, who are some German team, that don't even appear in in the German regional leagues, (ie the 4th tier) and also FC UFA, who are struggling near the bottom of the Russian main league.

In the interests of fairness, I checked the friendlies that the other 5 clubs of the top 6 have played in the last three seasons (that are reported on soccerway.co.uk at least), and I see defeats against Zalaegerszegi Te, a second divisions Hungarian team, Bayern Munich (who won 6-0, with a virtual full strength team), TOP Oss, a 2nd divisions Dutch team, a victory over SC Znojmo, a struggling Czech first divisions team, a defeat against the Villarreal reserve team, a win on penalties against Elche, who are struggling in the 2nd divisions Spanish league and finally the league leaders, have in the last three seasons played SK Bischofshofen , who are struggling in the 3rd tier of the Austrian league, Ahmat Grozny, mid table in Russian league, Akhisarspor struggling in Turkish league The two biggest teams, other than Bayern Munich, also led to defeats by Hannover 96, struggling in Bundesliga, and Bologna, struggling in Serie A.

So I wouldn't say they exactly compete every summer against top European competition. 6 teams in the last 3 years, have played 1 top European team, a couple of teams that most people will have heard of, and a host of clubs that I imagine people would have to google to see who they are

 

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani’s sports firm, Eleven Sports UK, is on the brink of closure in a development which could have ramifications for the Championship club.

Radrizzani’s sports streaming service is at risk of shutting down after only four months amid growing doubts over the financial viability of the company.

It is understood that the 44-year-old Italian businessman has been unsuccessfully attempting to renegotiate deals with established pay-TV operators but Eleven Sports is now considering pulling the plug on its UK company.

Telegraph Sport understands there could now be added pressure on Leeds to achieve promotion this season due to fears over cash-flow issues. It is thought that Radrizzani has already sought guarantees from insurers over financial assistance should the club still be in the Championship next season.

Under former Argentina and Chile manager Marcelo Bielsa, Leeds are currently second in the Championship and only a point behind league leaders Norwich.

Radrizzani completed his full takeover of the Yorkshire club in May last year, replacing the controversial Massimo Cellino, and was recently believed to be one of the main agitators against the English Football League’s £595m TV deal with Sky.

The EFL agreed a controversial five-year contract with Sky which left several clubs, including Leeds, Derby and Aston Villa, "gravely concerned".


Sky's new terms represent a 35% increase on the current arrangement and the broadcasting giant will continue to show the EFL games (including play-offs), Carabao Cup and the Checkatrade Trophy until May 2024.

Radrizzani and representatives from other Championship clubs held a meeting in London late last month in a bid to challenge the deal but, at this stage, there has been no indications on their next move.

The crisis over Eleven Sports UK is now likely to be Radrizzani's main focus and official confirmation of their future plans are expected in the next few days.

In October, the digital-only broadcaster announced that it was to abandon their policy of screening European football games on Saturday afternoons.

Radrizzani had been under pressure for streaming games from leagues including La Liga and Serie A in the UK at "traditional" 3pm kick-off times.

A lifelong Juventus supporter, he launched Eleven Sports in April 2015 and earlier this year pulled off a significant coup by beating Sky Sports to the La Liga TV rights.

 

I think that at least we own the ground now but he may have to sell more of the club to the yanks and maybe we will not be buying in Jan window but other than that its 2 different companies

 

Telegraph specifies that it's the "UK arm" of Eleven Sports which may close, but makes it sound like the parent company elsewhere - everyone else is quoting them, including Phil Hay. We'll just have to wait and see.

Headline:

Leeds owner faces financial difficulties with Andrea Radrizzani's Eleven Sports on brink of closure

Story:

"established pay-TV operators but Eleven Sports is now considering pulling the plug on its UK company".

I knew things were going too well.

 

Hate to say it, but I did say last year that as far as I could establish he was skint.
The vultures will start to circulate offers for our players coming thick and fast if this is true.
Just hope I am wrong for a change.

P.S. Good job Glory isn't amongst us he would have a field day

 

He's here in spirit.

 

On the other hand it may prompt Radrizzani to make a real concerted effort at achieving promotion this season, knowing that reaching the PL would be astronomically financially beneficial to him, either by Leeds United simply playing in the PL and the monetary rewards that would bring, or if he was looking at selling the club, the fact that he was selling a PL club would significantly increase the price he could command.

He's a successful businessman and I wouldn't think he'd opt for a short term fix of a player fire sale in January when the riches of the PL are so tantalisingly within reach.

 

Doesn't sound like it to me. Why did he sell Viera earlier this year, because he/the club was skint, his words.

 

Well it's all relative isn't it, anyone who has put himself in a position of buying a club of the stature of Leeds United, and buying the ground back, is successful in my book.

Plus why, if his financial situation was so precarious at the time of the Viera sale would he have shortly before invested the best part of £3m bringing Bielsa and his coaching staff to the club, seen the progress the team has made because of this investment, only to pull the plug halfway through the season?

As it is it's all speculation and I prefer not to worry about what may or may not happen and instead, for a change, enjoy what's happening on the pitch this season.

I had enough of all that off pitch ****e with Bates/GFH.

 

Fair enough, it's just that I don't trust him and I doubt I ever will, but yes enjoy while we can.

 

He hasn't done anything for me not to trust him, in fact he earnt my trust the minute he appointed the best manager/coach this club has had in years.

 

to be honest I'm not too worried about the financial position of Eleven Sports UK, as surely it is only good business practice that if a part of your business area isnt making money, then eventually you stop propping it up with money from your other businesses, and thus that could also mean it is better for ourselves.

Of course I could be completely wrong, but if you put it into simple football terms, if you have one side of your ground completely empty every game, but the other three sides are attracting enough fans to generate a profitable income , eventually you will decide not to open the side that is empty for financial reasons, doesnt mean you are in financial trouble by doing that, just that you are reducing the cost of those areas that are loss making

 

11 Sports are a massive success in the Mid Asia and the Far East, looks like the UK expansion hasnt worked out, so may have to be binned. Only like Mike Ashley closing a few department stores to stabalise a failing business he bought? That’s unless there are other issues we dont know about.

Anyone spoke to Mike Thornton yet.

Oh and Morbid its the media bigging up Baghdad not me by the way

 

Fair enough Doc, guess I read the wrong media outlets then, as here is the only place I've read anything about him

I was just giving an opinion on the information you presented to the forum, can't really comment about media sources that I havent read