Lee Wellings – Inside World Football

Lee Wellings: Premier League managers shouldn’t be the stars

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 10:46:14 +0000

There can’t be many parts of the planet where people are not excited by the return of the English Premier League. They are watching from Times Square to Timbuktu. Global interest has made the league a licence to print money for two decades.

There will be plenty of entertainment, but increasingly this is being provided OFF the pitch by the preening childish arrogance of the men managing the biggest clubs.

And that can’t be right.

Lee Wellings: FIFA still putting on a show

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 08:59:53 +0000

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any crazier at the HQ of football’s world governing body, along came Simon Brodkin. That’s the British prankster who suddenly showered Sepp Blatter with fake dollar bills in his attempt to “secure the 2026 World Cup for North Korea”.

Despite being led away by Swiss police eventually, he achieved the publicity he wanted. Though the mess he created with his party piece could never rival the one that already existed at the house of FIFA.

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Lee Wellings: ‘Brand Brazil’ suffering from failure

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 07:15:21 +0000

One year ago they suffered the most painful, humiliating defeat in the history of football. Somehow things have got worse. To the extent that remarkably we have to ask ourselves: is there a way back for Brazil? Can the nation synonymous with football ever regain its special status?

I was in Brazil for the astonishing 7-1 beating at the hands of Germany and still not sure it has sunk in for any of us.

Lee Wellings: Time for a woman to run FIFA?

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:28:13 +0000

In the world of smoke and mirrors, behind the spin and the secrecy, the lies and vested interests, the tangled webs of international diplomacy, or lack if it, the posturing, the blinkered views and denials, one thing is sure about the astonishing FIFA crisis and its large global ripples.

That it’s a situation caused by, managed by and mismanaged by…men.

Yes it’s a man’s game, football, and it was almost exclusively so when the deals were done that have undone FIFA.

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Lee Wellings: Women can shine in World Cup spotlight

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 20 May 2015 07:39:11 +0000

By a distance Canada 2015 is the most excited I’ve been about a women’s World Cup. In my job, it’s about the story, and there will be stories no doubt.

But this time the backstory, the equality, the standard, the progress of the women’s game, might all be able to take a back seat. Because this time it shouldn’t be about analysing women playing football, it should be about who wins and loses,

Lee Wellings: ‘Fair share’ in La Liga at last

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 05 May 2015 20:29:32 +0000

“You are only as strong as your weakest link.” It’s been difficult to apply this to La Liga where two clubs have been so financially dominant.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are semi-finalists in the Champions League yet again. The three best players in the world wearing Real or Barca colours, and there is a competitive, thrilling finish to the league title race, unlike Italy, Germany and England. And we mustn’t forget the achievements of Atletico Madrid,

Lee Wellings: Disrespectful FA Cup clash is bad business

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:35:01 +0000

That English football sold its soul to television many years ago is hardly a contentious subject any more. And partly because the small screen has enabled to us to consume and enjoy more of the game from across the globe than we could ever have imagined possible. But with football and TV ever more reliant on each other, is there really a need for football to have humiliated itself for television in the way it did for the FA Cup semi-finals?

Lee Wellings: Time to consider Euro expulsions

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 05:24:23 +0000

I don’t envy the position UEFA are in with hooliganism on and off the pitch in their territories. It’s easy to criticise. What would you do? But I know what I’d like UEFA to consider when they read the referee’s report and decide in action. Something radical.

It’s about time nations – and it would almost certainly be more than one – were under threat of being actually thrown out of competitions.

The latest unacceptable situation unfolded in the most problematic of regions for UEFA,

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Lee Wellings: Keepers have lost their value

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 13:01:16 +0000

How many goalkeepers are in the top 100 football transfers of all time?

Has their importance in football become strangely underrated? Has the lack of glamour in the position compared to the twinkletoes of outfield players blinded us, and indeed the transfer market, to the real value of a goalkeeper to a football team?

The thought keeps occurring to me watching not only the marvellous work of De Gea and Courtois,

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Lee Wellings: Champions League – In it to win it?

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:16:47 +0000

The Champions League. The pinnacle of European and indeed world football. Oh the glory. That music. Popular in all parts of the globe. And it’s all about winning isn’t it? Isn’t it?

Well answer me this. How many times do you hear conversation and punditry about the desperate desire a club has to win the trophy. And contrast that to how many times you hear about qualifying for the Champions League,

Lee Wellings: The European clubs doth protest too much

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 12:24:06 +0000

So there is a limit to the power of the English Premier League. Indisputably the most entertaining, popular money-spinning league in world football, the world does not, it seems, revolve around it. At least not yet.

Fresh from a remarkable UK television deal worth $8 billion, the Premier League has been told it must fit in with the Qatar 2022 World Cup in November and December. At the Taskforce meeting in Doha for once their voice seemed no more important than any other league,

Lee Wellings: Internal affair for FIFA presidential candidates

Paul Nicholson — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:03:16 +0000

The FIFA Presidential election has absolutely nothing to do with public support, or indeed media backing. Around two fifths of nine tenths of NOTHING. I reiterate that after an in-depth Talk To Al Jazeera interview to be aired over next few weeks with Prince Ali, the candidate considered the main challenger to Sepp Blatter.

It came after a weeks of nonsense, even by FIFA standards. The bookmaker-backed David Ginola situation was an embarrassing distraction for all those who felt compelled to cover it,

Lee Wellings: Too black to coach?

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 12:17:00 +0000

How many of the coaches at the Africa Cup of Nations are black? Three. How many coaches in the world’s most watched, celebrated, multicultural league, the Premier League, are black? That’s right. None. Do these figures sounds acceptable to you?

That was the starting point for a special Al Jazeera programme. Sport Matters – too black to coach? The idea was not to point a finger of blame, but to explore a subject that football is only just starting to wake up to.

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Lee Wellings: When fans are asked: ‘Pay What You Want’

Paul Nicholson — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:59:59 +0000

Exactly how much should you pay to watch your football team play? What can you afford to pay? How much should those players be paid? How much should you pay for your football-dominated television package? How much is your club actually worth?

These are questions that we usually answer figuratively, probably in the act of complaining about something football-related. The classic terrace chant: ‘what a waste of money.’

But supporters of Scottish Premier League team Inverness Caledonian Thistle had to answer the key question literally.

Lee Wellings: Let’s Enjoy the Saints’ ‘Miracle’ While We Can

Paul Nicholson — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:30:17 +0000

It’s just not the way the Premier League is expected to work is it? What on earth are Southampton doing up in the Champions League qualifying places?

A simply wonderful achievement, hugely deserved, and a giant pin in the bubble of those with the money, size and entitlement – Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal – Liverpool and Tottenham to an extent as well.

I haven’t expected their lofty position to last.

Lee Wellings: Is American soccer really moving forward?

Paul Nicholson — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 12:17:36 +0000

There was a time, when Beckham’s Miami project was first gathering pace and New York and Manchester City first joined forces, that I suggested in this column a crucial period for club football was emerging in the States. Or more accurately franchise football.

But three thirtysomethings from over the Atlantic indicate things haven’t actually changed that much from the 70s. The idea back then was to hire legends like Pele, Beckenbauer and Moore to sprinkle their stardust over the league.