Well, whoâÂÂd have thunk it? A club president in Spain keeping their word. The gentleman to manage this monumental achievement is Sevilla big-wig José MarÃÂa del Nido, with his threat to overthrow the forces of darkness in La Liga.
The Andalusian has had a constant bee in his bonnet with regards to the state of La Liga and the competition-ruining inequality of the carve-up of the TV income between the haves and the other 18 penny-pinching sides that form La Primera.
ThatâÂÂs not surprising considering Sevilla are supposed to be challenging the top two on a regular basis - and criticised heavily when they predictably fail to do so - despite receiving just â¬31 million a year in TV money compared to the whopping sum of â¬135 million doled out to the dilettantes of Barcelona and Real Madrid to keep them in the manner they have become accustomed to over the years.
Last week, Del Nido reacted with some gusto to the thrashings doled out to Zaragoza and Villarreal by the big two by offering the opinion that La Liga was the biggest load of old wee-wee in the world. Del Nido then warned his club âÂÂare not ruling taking drastic measures and having boycotts.âÂÂ
Rather than this being a lot of hot air or fruity trifle with a truffle topping, Del Nido has followed up his threat by calling a gathering of Primera presidents for Thursday - minus Florentino Pérez and Sandro Rosell - to discuss what del Nido perceives to be âÂÂthe unfair division of the television rights.âÂÂ
Del Nido claims 15 clubs have confirmed they will be represented at the meeting with some âÂÂplanning to boycott.âÂÂ
âÂÂThereâÂÂs no turning back,â warned the Sevilla boss at a press conference on Tuesday, âÂÂitâÂÂs a revolution of the masses like the French Revolution. How did the king of France end up after that?â joshed Del Nido to journalists frantically googling away on their smart-phones for the answer.
The Sevilla president claimed that key allies, Valencia and Atlético Madrid, will be heading down south to check out the revolutionary rumblings and will help to start the process of âÂÂmaking La Liga the best in Europe again.âÂÂ
Sandro Rosell and Florentino Pérez are unlikely to have been able to come to the meeting anyway, as both seem to have very full plates at the moment - something that they are sure to have in common with their revolutionary rivals during ThursdayâÂÂs mammoth din-dins session.
The Barça bigwig is preparing for the upcoming annual gathering of club members on September 24, where Rosell will have to get the sponsorship deal struck with the Qatar Foundation through a vote of approval - something that may not be too easy considering the whole affair makes the culé collective still feel a little queasy, despite the sums involved in the â¬30 million a year deal.
âÂÂWe would be a lot smaller,â warned Rosell in La Vanguardia if the partnership was ultimately rejected.
âÂÂWithout Qatar, Barcelona would not be able keep everything it has: the best squad in the world, the best coach in the world, the biggest multi-sport club in the world, the training centre where most money is invested. Our rivals would have the advantage,â argued the king of the Camp Nou.
According to TuesdayâÂÂs AS, Florentino Pérez is busy plotting once again to stick a roof on the traditionally wet and rainy Santiago Bernabeu as well as build a five star hotel with luxury shops and a restaurant in what is currently the car park in front of the main entrance.
The hotel's main purpose, according to the paper, is to âÂÂrent out suites with views of the pitch so that fans can see Real Madrid games (12-0 tonkings of Racing - LLL) without leaving their rooms.âÂÂ
âÂÂIn the most modern stadiums in England and the US this is quite normal,â explains AS to less than enthusiastic supporters who may inhabit the profile of fans who earn under a million a year - a profile that one suspects Florentino would like to eliminate.
LLL is still waiting for word on whether Rayo Vallecano are also planning a similar move. That news is unlikely to come until the end of the week as their president along with many others are more concerned with survival rather than luxury hotels or what to do with the awkward business of a load of free cash from the Gulf.
