Champions League qualification failure won't financially cripple Arsenal, but a player exodus might!
With Arsenal languishing in an unfamiliar fifth place in the Premier League, the prospect of the club not qualifying for the Champions League next year is becoming all too real.
Indeed, Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood haseven been moved to dismissed fears that a failure to qualify for the elite competition would be catastrophic for club.
"There is no denying that it would be a real financial drain on the club if we didn't qualify for the Champions League next season,” says Hill-Wood. "Even if we were in the Uefa Cup and enjoyed a long run in Europe, that would not come close to making up the shortfall.
"But although missing out on the Champions League for one year would be a big disappointment, it would not mean financial armageddon for Arsenal.”
That might well be the case, as Hill-Wood claims that Champions League qualification was not fingured into the repayment schedule for the new stadium.
But as a paying customer, I think he’s vastly under-playing the significance of the European Cup.
Failure to qualify could result in a lot of disgruntled players and Arsene Wenger having to struggle with keeping his squad together, rather than trying to strengthen it...
A run to the Champions League final can earn a club about £30 million and as the old saying goes, you’ve got to be in it to win it, so I pray that the Arsenal board have the foresight to realise thatan investment in new players now could pay off significantly in the months to come.
Non qualification would not be the end of the world, but Le Gaffer might have a fight on his hands to hold on to talent such as Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, Theo Walcott and others who surely have the ambition to play at the highest level.
The club’s ability to attract world class talent would also be undermined. We all know about the club’s debilitating wage structure, but we have been able to counter that with the ability to offer players Champions League football. Lose that and signing for the Arsenal suddenly becomes a thornier issue.
Then there’s the prospect of Wenger himself leaving. The manager has famously never broken a contract. However, it is his stated ambition to win the Champions League and failure to qualify for next year’s tournament would mean that Arsene would go into the final year of his contract needing to win club football’s biggest prize.
So Mr Hill-Wood, missing out on Champions League action might not mean financial armageddon, but you and your fellow directors should sometimes remember that it’s success on the pitch that your customers - that’s us fans, by the way - want to see. Not a meticulous balancing of the books as our team slips dangerously close to mediocrity.
Spending £20-30 million now on two or three experience players could make the difference in earning the same each season for many seasons to come.
There are still three days before the transfer window closes. Let’s hope the Arsenal hierarchy can secure some new talent in that time to allow their manager to mount an assault on the top four places.
GM
Reader Comments (20)
Bergkamp came to Arsenal when we were in the UEFA Cup. We all want to play in the CL, but if a better reorganisation will come with us in the other lesser cup, then so be it.
Good post- It is more than apparent that PHW and the majority of the board think that this SPort or in their world business isnt about winning or being successful but purely about staying in the black- ridiculous! Go run a bank Hill-wood as it is obvious that you dont give two hoots about running a football club. Who really honestly wants to hear our chairman say that finishing 5th yes FUCKING 5th is not the end of the world????! I bet not even Randy Lerner or Billy Bob Kenright tell Moyes or O'Neill that shit so why should we hear it??
I doubt there will be a player Exodus. The playes know they owe Wenger and wont walk just like that. AC Milan, Valencia and Munich have had seasons in the Uefa Cup. And Players like Kaka Ronaldinho Pato Pirlo David Villa, Silva, Luca Toni and Ribery can all play in the Uefa Cup then so can Cesc, Robin and Theo.
Wenger wouldnt go either. He is not a man to turn his back just like that.
But I do agree we need to invest in the squad more, sensibly.
HW is out of touch. If Arsenal can't get the cl spot there will be many who will want to leave. What then?Sign players no better than those at the ES.He must have some sense of perspective.Allow me to recap.
If you look at the story of Arsenal from the late fifties and to early seventies Arsenal did not wina title until 1971. The next title came in 1989.Then another barren spell until 1998 when AW took the double.
Since the early 90s MU have been dominating without scared of going broke by smashing the transfer reords a few times.The ES was built to allow AW to compete.
Sad to say after the stadium has been built all kinds of stories about funds being avavaible/na have been published.
If AW had bought a few players in the summer for the problem areas things could have been different. As it is Arsenal are slugging for a cl spot.
The transition was supposed to start in 2005 and we are at it agai.n.
Arsenal and AW and the board better be caredful . If not Arsenal could like any of the teams fighting for a UEFA spot.
Please mate, lets not scream doom before we have to. Juventus got relagated to serie B, Milan took a year off from CL, after we sent them out, and they didnt seem to have players leave. Actually they recruited some of the worlds best players in that term. I mean, sure, if the only good thing about Arsenal were that we played CL, I would understand, but is that really your point? We have nothing but our forth place, CL qualifier? In my oppinion, we have lots to offer, a brand new stadium, a brilliant manager (despite recent form), great colleagues, lots of functional systems already in place and a long glorious tradition. People (fans and players) doesnt forget that acutal status of a club over just one year. Thats why real big players doesnt want to go to man city, and man city players are flattered to be linked with the Arsenal. Seriously mate. Dont worry. In. Arsene. We. Trust. So should you. ;P
I agree that the board and AW do seem to be sitting on their hands too much. Missing out on the CL could be the kick up the backside they all need. AW seems to have become complacent and although I admire the youth system and have high hopes for the future it could have long term consequences if we miss out this year. I do though, remeber the last days of Graham and the years when we were a mid table team. Many fans seem to have caught the liverpool disease of thinking The Arsenal have soem divine right to be at the top of the table.
We aren't Bayern o AC Milan - we don't have that pedigree...let's hope Gazidis kicks butt and wakes the sleeping board up!
those who referred to milan bringing in players after missing out on cl take note that milan has been taking on good/star players year in year out anyway
agree we should not scream for phw's head ahead of time but phw should know better than to spill out such rubbish in the media and belittling arsenal ... he appears to care only about arsenal plc rather than arsenal football club. if so, please f-off to manage banks and there are plenty needing your service, and if wenger shares the same thoughts pls take him with you
hillwood has spoken to prevent some of the tosh being wriiten about an arsenal financial meltdown.anybody whos knows anything about our club will tell you its run properly unlike some manure spuds chavski the list goes on and on.pedigree who hasnt heard of arsenal fc some of the crap people come out with is unreal.sorry no meltdown no loss of players stop talking shite
irrelevant, no chance of arsenal not reacing the top 4, alsolutely no chance,
we will catch villa and liverpool with ease,
Fabregas and RVP will leave Arsenal if they fail to qualify for the CL.Its time HW woke up to the real world.The lack of ambition at the club over the last 2 seasons is breathtaking.The likes of Flamini,Helb and Diarra all leaving and none of them being replaced.We will be left with more players of the quality of Eboue and Song.Not qualifying for the CL will be a disaster
Great post. The board seems to be consumed with balancing the books. If they spent a little less time worrying about their planning consent for building more flats and a bit more time on the health of the team, then we would not be in this position.
I'm fed up of people saying that the club is run in a proper manner. Arsenal is currently the biggest property developer in London and the board has tied its hands by sinking every available penny into building flats, rather than simply selling the land to an experienced developer at the start and getting on with using that money to run the football club.
We've heard a lot from the directors about them never saying no to Arsene Wenger - he'll always be given what he wants. Want about what us fans want???
Bitter to shallow but it does seems it will happen to us afterall. I am beginning to feel we will taste Uefa cup but who to blame? WENGER of course!!!
Yes he is working with fools who know nothing about the game of football but why on earth has he remained quiet? I am sure he is not gagged, besides he is no kid that should be gagged but why on earth has he refuse to tell we the fans that care to listen the truth?
If he keeps telling us he has the support of the board then he has deliberately allowed players such as Reyes, Pires, Flamster and others to walk out on us. If he has the support of the board why wasn't their contracted discussed before they it got to the last year of it?
If Wenger at his age keeps telling us he makes his decision then it is probably not the fault of the board that we don't buy players but Wenger's fault.
The situation is getting ridiculous and annoying but I really do not blame them, it is because we the fans have been brain washed to believed in the none existing future that we have been believing for years ( 5 years and still counting).
It is because the fans still manage to attend games even with the sky high ticket prices. Yes we have a big future ( financially at least) but how are you suppose to spend the money when no one wants to join u?
Hey don't tell me Dennis Bergkamp joined us when we were playing in the Uefa cup. They joined us because we were a team with ambition not a team that can be beaten by the likes of Hull city, Stoke city, Man city ( we are city jinxed ) Aston villa ( the derby county, ipswitch, sheffield united, southampton of those days).
We claim to be rebuilding but didn't United undergo the same rebuilding process? Did they lose as much player as we lose every year? Isn't their books almost as balance as ours? OKAY accepted they have got much debts than we do but aren't they more marketable than we are?
If the board thinks we will still be very much brandable by playing in the Uefa cup then they should think again as it is a big lie of thiers? No one will be willing to spend millions on a Uefa cup team. No one will see Villa or Everton playing in the champions league and not want to sponsor they.
OKAY we may get sponsors but I am pretty sure no one will risk his life or the life of his family to go watch the team play Uefa cup in far away European countries. This is annoying, disgusting and insultive. The fans must act now, we must act before we become regular Uefa cup team. The board is more interested in making money than making the fans who are making them the money happy.
I may be overracting but sincerely these fools are taking us for a fool.
http://soccerfanbase.com
I actually don't think those players will leave and I actually think Arsenal will be force to make big changes as far as new players.
This kind of talk sickens me.
The weaknesses in the squad before the season started, especially with the loss of Flamini, were all too obvious to every fan. What was done to plug them - nothing.
It's no use worrying now about the possible loss of income if we do not qualify for CL next season, why wasn't something done to prevent the situation.
Even now with the January transfer coming to a close, where is the world class goalkeeper ( I was so hoping Given was coming to us), the dominant centre back, the defensive midfielder to replace Flamini. Without doubt Arshavin would be a great addition to the squad, but not the answer to our immediate problems. Still no other action - cannot they see the abyss approaching.
Unless you play in the resverves or are an Arsenal junior and you don`t see your name on this list may I suggest you consider looking for alternative employment in the summer.
Almunia, Fabiansky, Sagna, Clichy, Fabregas, Nasri, Rosicky, Walcott, Vela, Van Persie, Wilshere, *Arshavin, Toure, Djourou, Eduardo. Have I missed anyone?
* if he joins.
I have omitted seven first team regulars for which I do not apologize.
In the above reply I have not mentioned the names of players I have omitted, I don`t need to however I have put a collective conservative transfer fee of 45 million pounds on the seven. This would finance the purchase of two more world class players to compliment the likes of Van Persie, Fabregas, Rosicky and others and allow prominent juniors to be promoted into the first team squad. Then we can get serious.
The only benifit I can forsee from not reaching the CL is that any the board will be forced to react and improve the team. And that we wont get arrogant players that are only here looking to catch the eye of bigger european clubs.
The idea that players wont leave is absurd . you couldnt even keep hold of hleb and flamini after a good season lastyear . Yes i to would stay at milan for a hundred grand a week with no champions league , but you cannot and wont offer those wages nor have you managed to lure any world class players to the club since the departure of henry . I love arsenal and im not even a gunner , but these are grave times for your club and you need to except that your not even half the team you wer up untill henry left . Dont remember wenger making excuses of teams like west ham being to hard to break down when you won nearly every game 3 or 4 nil , with the likes of pires and henry ripping teams apart in minutes .
P S as good as teams like west ham and everton are , if you cant create chances against these teams and break them down home or away your never going to win anything nor are you a top four club as your current position states . tables dont lie ! COME ON GUNNERS ARENT YOU GETTIN SICK AND TIERED OF WENGERS EXCUSES OF WHY YOU CANT BREAK TEAMS DOWN AND GET CONSISTENT RESULTS !!