THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi I

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[Bagg10]

[Jamoldo]

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[Jamoldo]

[RomaShield27]

[Jamoldo]

[RomaShield27]

[Jamoldo]

[RomaShield27]

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[RomaShield27]

Roma expenditure over the last four seasons:

Total spent (then in brackets, total spent minus player sales)(source: ) :

07/08: €34m * (€+18 )
06/07: €13m (€-4.3)
05/06: €4m (€-2)
04/05: €36m (€-20)

Total Spent: €87
Total spent minus players sales: - €8.3


Man Utd expenditure over the last four seasons:

07/08: €86m (€+42)
06/07: €27m (€+2.5)
05/06: €32m (€+23)
04/05: €61m (€+51)

Total Spent: €206
Total spent minus players sales: + €118.5


Figures are taken from Transfermarkt.de, which seems to be a fairly reliable source with detailed breakdown of figures, but of course, are probably debatable, and all worked out in my head (so think of it what you will). This shows the difference in were Roma are compared to the cream of Europe's elite. In total, taking into account income and expenditure purely from player sales, Roma are approximately €126m behind a club like Man Utd. Of course, other factors play a large part in this, like TV deals and prize-money and such.

This highlights were we are in the European game. We have managed to build a solid side capable of making it to the quarter-finals of Europe on a nothing budget, developing players in the mould of DDR and Aquilani, uncovering unknowns like Mancini, Doni (although both debatable now) or Vucinic, or resurrecting careers of average players like Perrotta, Tonetto or Cicinho. We hope it is enough to mount a serious run, but with the absence of a few key players and coming up against the best we struggle to keep pace. Its not all necessarily bad, as it is quite an achievement to reach such stages, but at present probably not enough to reach any higher.

It makes you wonder what we could do with some money. Our management has made a profit from the transfer market over the last four years, action which was understandable at the time after our excessive spending a couple of years before that. And the way things are now with the Sensi's, nothing is likely to change anytime soon. We may buy a big player or two for big money but it will be at the expense of outgoing players and never will we see large spending without structures in place to regain some of that money.

I got thinking about all this after the defeat last night to see where Roma really is in the European ladder. It is not all that bad, and as I've said, we have done well on such limited resources. When you compare to the the opposition – with a bench the likes of €25m Hargreaves, €20m+ Tevez, €25m Nani etc. – it really puts us into perspective. It not only demonstrates the financial issue's which only Roma face but for all Italian clubs, as well as clubs from all around Europe, when compared to the financial monster that is the EPL. They 'big four' have the money and simply buy the best players, which makes them better overall squads more well equipped for the European game, as demonstrate this year with all four still left in the CL with probably three of them progressing to the semi's. This leads to never-ending calls of the 'best league in the world', but I prefer to see it as the most powerful league in the world, one with the richest clubs, but still lacking in overall technique, quality and calibre, especially when you look outside the so-called big four.

Roma does have the cability to beat any side on its day, but over the course of a long hard season battling on all fronts its clear we lack that extra bit of quality and strength when compared to the likes of Man United. A scudetto may well be within our grasp, but at present perhaps the CL is a bridge too far.

[Italiamia]

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[Italiamia]

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