Football has an uncanny ability to shoot itself in the foot – a point evidenced by several baffling developments over the past few days.
More worryingly, it would be no surprise if something even more ridiculous happened before the end of the year. Let’s get stuck in.
Maybe Carragher was right after all?
It’s not often that we agree with Jamie Carragher’s views on football, but it appears he has managed to get something right over the last year or so.
Carragher copped plenty of flak when he claimed the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) wasn’t a major tournament during a discussion about Mohamed Salah’s Ballon d’Or chances.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has now demonstrated its ineptitude by stripping Senegal of the AFCON 2025 title they won two months ago.
Their controversial walk-off in the final against Morocco was deemed to be sufficient grounds for elimination. However you flower it up, this is a lousy look for the CAF.
If African football ever wants to be taken seriously, its rulers need to stop acting as if their ‘major tournament’ is a bush league.
Chelsea’s fine for secret payments is laughable
The Premier League’s decision to fine Chelsea £10.75 million after they admitted making £47m in secret payments to unregistered agents and third parties over transfers is laughable.
While other clubs have been hit with points deductions for lesser offences, the Club World Cup winners have somehow avoided any sporting sanctions.
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Everton and Nottingham Forest have every right to look at the outcome and question why there is one rule for the rich and another for the not-so-rich.
When you factor in that other clubs are being forced to sell players to comply with nonsensical financial rules, the decision is even more head-scratching.
For a club with a squad worth around £1.5 billion, a £10.75m fine amounts to nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
Expect Man City to be awarded a payout
The Chelsea verdict will fuel optimism within Manchester City, who are still awaiting the outcome of their case involving more than 100 alleged financial breaches.
Unlike Chelsea, who admitted the breaches once they’d been caught with their pants down, City have vehemently denied any wrongdoing and have contested the charges.
The league’s commission hearing the case ended 15 months ago, yet we are still no nearer knowing which way the verdict will fall.
Man City may be completely innocent. Or they may not. Either way, the lengthy wait for the outcome does nothing to enhance the Premier League’s integrity.
Given Chelsea’s pathetic sanction, City will probably be awarded a payout by the league for the trouble they have been caused.
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