Unai Emery

[LeeB]

Maybe no-one complained then because they didn't do it with a huge financial advantage.

Italian dominance was very much financial.

A maybe a dollop of match fixing and a bit of the old blood doping.

[TopDeck113]

In the mid 80s and early 90s the top Italian clubs were hoovering up the world's footballing talent.  And Mark Hateley.  Wasn't that the reason behind the three "foreigners" rule in European competition?

[Brazilian Villain]

Maybe no-one complained then because they didn't do it with a huge financial advantage.

Italian dominance was very much financial.

Sometimes aided in the form of brown envelopes.

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

Maybe no-one complained then because they didn't do it with a huge financial advantage.

Italian dominance was very much financial.

Ah balls! I didn't watch much football in the 90's. Anyway, the bastards!

[PeterWithesShin]

Italian football was the best that money could buy. In more ways than one.

[Somniloquism]

Maybe no-one complained then because they didn't do it with a huge financial advantage.

They did have a financial advantage for quite a while.

The transfer world record shows that only two teams from England have ever set it in the last 75 years and that was Newcastle with Shearer in 96 and Manure with Pogba in 2016. Otherwise it was dominated by Italian or Spanish teams until PSG spent 200mil on Neymar. If that stupidness hadn't happened I suspect England would be in their more with the Grealish transfer and Fernandez/Caicedo at Chelsea and pretty much dominated since.

[PeterWithesShin]

'fun fact'

Every world record transfer from 1952 through to Shearer to Newcastle in 1996 was by an Italian club (16 times) or Barcelona (3 times).

[PeterWithesShin]

I reckon Neymar won't be beaten for yonks. One, lack of players worth that, maybe Yamal. Two, financial rules make it near impossible for anyone to spend that much.

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

Does anyone know the reason behind their financial dominance back then? I'm guessing it wasn't broadcast revenue like it is now for us.

[PeterWithesShin]

You often didn't need to be THAT rich. English football was on its arse and no one had loads of money. But a lot of Italian clubs had wealthy backing from big companies.

[Brazilian Villain]

'fun fact'

Every world record transfer from 1952 through to Shearer to Newcastle in 1996 was by an Italian club (16 times) or Barcelona (3 times).

Villa have paid the world record transfer fee as many times as Barcelona, and any non-Italian club apart from Real Madrid and Sunderland. Small Heath and Falkirk have paid the world record transfer fee more times than Liverpool.

[Skipper_The_Eyechild]

Ah right, cheers.

[Monty]

Fiat, Parmalat etc. It all ended really well.

[PeterWithesShin]

It's why Platt was determined to go to Italy.

These are made up examples to show why obscene money wasn't needed. 1k a week for a player in England, they get 3k a week in Italy. Significant increase for the player but not a massive outlay for a club backed by Fiat.

[Somniloquism]

I assume also whilst we were getting 15k fans at Villa in a good day in the 80's/ early 90's, they were getting 50-60k.