Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he fears that foreign takeovers of English clubs will erode the role of managers in the Premier League. At the same time, he disputes that English teams are following the mainland European model of employing directors of football with the responsibility of finding new players.
“I am scared not that clubs are becoming more like those on the continent but even less,” Wenger said. “On the continent, at least you are informed on what players you buy. It looks like some are not even informed any more.” Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan and West Ham’s Alan Curbishley have both resigned recently after claiming they had not been informed about new player purchases.
“It looks to be going a very worrying way,” Wenger said. “Managers face responsibilities and we stand up for it, but at least you want to feel you are responsible for the decisions you are judged on.” He also said newly enriched Manchester City’s talk of signing 18 new players and paying $250 million for Cristiano Ronaldo is bad for the game’s future.
“Clubs should live within their natural resources. If you push that too far, there are no rules any more and there is too much destabilisation. Football is not a supermarket. The football bodies have to make sure that money is ruled properly and used well for the ethic of the game.”