Money Talks & Football Walks In Fulham Europa Stitch Up

[White Noise]

http://sportingblogs.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/%e2%80%9811%e2%80%99-2-did-ukrainian-tv-deal-cost-fulham-second-leg-home-advantage/


'1+1' = 2: Did Ukrainian TV deal cost Fulham second-leg home advantage?


August 5, 2011



Earlier this afternoon the draw for the play-off round for entrance to this year's Europa League proper took place with Fulham being drawn against Ukrainian side Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, with the second leg scheduled to take place at Craven Cottage.

However, shortly afterwards the announcement came that 'UEFA [had] reversed the home and away legs,' with Fulham no longer the beneficiaries of the widely-accepted advantage of having the second-leg at home. Coyly, the London club have offered little further comment, and no explanation is yet to emerge from UEFA, although one assumes an official announcement will cite the move being made either for television reasons or to avoid fixture clashes with other Ukrainian and English teams in the competition.

Interestingly however, it might be of note that Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk are controlled by the Privat Group, an international business group with – for want of a better phrase – many fingers in many pies, and not just Ukrainian ones either (steel, oil, media, food, banking amongst others, across the Ukraine, Russia, the US, Ghana and beyond). It is a far reaching web.

Where this gets interesting however is that the Privat Group is essentially controlled by three men, Henadiy Boholyubov, Oleksiy Martynov, and Ihor Kolomoyskyi, the latter of whom is the most prominent, the wealthiest, and of most interest.

Kolomoyskyi, who just last year was reported to have amassed a personal fortune in excess of $6bn (yes, six billion US dollars!), is reported to now own a significant amount of the Ukrainian television channel 1+1, the free-to-air broadcaster that just yesterday was announced to have been 'awarded the media rights for the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.'

The amount of ownership Kolomoyskyi enjoys, and indeed the price he paid, varies according to different sources, with some saying he paid $100m for 49% of channel 1+1, and others reporting a figure of $300m for the entirety of Central European Media Enterprises Ltd.'s stake in the channel.

Regardless, it remains unavoidable the fact that the man who in a roundabout way co-owns Dnipro and 1+1 has recently agreed to pay UEFA a suitably pleasing amount of money for the right to host the television coverage of European football in the Ukraine, and following the draw for the Europa League play-off matches, has seen UEFA reverse the tie between Dnipro and Fulham so that his side will benefit from the advantage of having the second leg at home.

Furthermore, as of yet none of the other English teams in the draw (Tottenham, Birmingham and Stoke) have had their fixture rearranged, with the same applying to the four other Ukrainian sides in the play-offs – Metalist Kharkiv, Vorskla Poltava, Karpaty Lviv, and Dynamo Kyiv.

Although there is such a thing is innocent coincidence, it does not take a rocket scientist to put two and two (or perhaps that should be 1+1) together here – what stance you take is entirely your choice. Officially, at least, it is likely to be declared that the Fulham-Dnipro tie has been reversed ultimately for television purposes, or to avoid fixture congestion (perfectly viable given the fact Tottenham also have their second leg at home), however it would be foolish to completely disregard the political machinations in the background.

Surely it is at least worth bearing in mind...

[Peabody]

This just stinks, and apparently our club has given in without a protest.

[Pata]

Or it was switched to avoid having two European matches in London on the same night with Spurs getting first dibs due to qualifying as the higher-placed team. Alternatively, they could've made Fulham play on a Tuesday but that would've left the calendar too congested.

[Burt]

In theory, assuming the draw was live and auditable (as you would expect) then it should be very straight forward to establish what happened.

In reality, the murky world of football administration strikes again...

[White Noise]

Or it was switched to avoid having two European matches in London on the same night with Spurs getting first dibs due to qualifying as the higher-placed team. Alternatively, they could've made Fulham play on a Tuesday but that would've left the calendar too congested.

That is the official line and probably the truth but I want to take to the barricades and this is the perfect excuse. 086.gif

[fulhamguy]

Or it was switched to avoid having two European matches in London on the same night with Spurs getting first dibs due to qualifying as the higher-placed team. Alternatively, they could've made Fulham play on a Tuesday but that would've left the calendar too congested.

Give over, how often do London teams play on the same day in the league?

[Blingo]

we'll do em anyway so what's the problem?

[clintclintdeuce]

we'll do em anyway so what's the problem?

makes no difference when the aggregrate is 6-0 in favour of the Fulham

[Jimpav]

Or it was switched to avoid having two European matches in London on the same night with Spurs getting first dibs due to qualifying as the higher-placed team. Alternatively, they could've made Fulham play on a Tuesday but that would've left the calendar too congested.

Give over, how often do London teams play on the same day in the league?

Exactly- especially when you consider Spurs is approximately 10 miles away and we share no transport links.

[Jimpav]

Sod it. Playing at home first will give us the incentive to kill the tie off. If we can keep a clean sheet we will be fine :028:

[Scrumpy]

Or it was switched to avoid having two European matches in London on the same night with Spurs getting first dibs due to qualifying as the higher-placed team. Alternatively, they could've made Fulham play on a Tuesday but that would've left the calendar too congested.

What a load of BS, if that is the reason being given. Every weekend, Fulham, QPR, and either Tottenham or Arsenal play at home, along with plenty of Championship sides, with loads more away fans than some dodgy Ukrainian outfit.  063.gif

[Pata]

Or it was switched to avoid having two European matches in London on the same night with Spurs getting first dibs due to qualifying as the higher-placed team. Alternatively, they could've made Fulham play on a Tuesday but that would've left the calendar too congested.

Give over, how often do London teams play on the same day in the league?

Exactly- especially when you consider Spurs is approximately 10 miles away and we share no transport links.

Seen UEFA do this before, including Liverpool's last European match:
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/braga-dates-confirmed
Porto to Braga is over 50km.

[Pata]

For example, last year, they had 3 London sides in the CL group stages - they never played on the same day, though Chelsea and Spurs would play at home on successive days. In the 1st knock out round, Spurs and Chelsea were at home for the return leg but moved to different weeks.

Also see Aris/PAOK in the Europa League group stages, Panathinaikos (CL)/AEK (EL).

[Scrumpy]

OK, fair enough Pata. It must be about TV income though, mustn't it? Surely, the police forces of the country hosting the matches would know best whether they can handle 2 matches on one evening. I'm amazed that UEFA can have such influence. I would have thought that they arrange the draw, maybe inspect the stadiums, and then leave it to the Clubs to host the ties in a fit and proper way.

Oh for the days of the Freight Rover Trophy!

[Logicalman]

I think, before we all start jumping onto the total conspiracy theory, ending up with  Kolomoyskyi really being Elvis (well, would YOU have bothered looking in the Ukraine for him?) we have both League and Cup (all levels) matches moved at the whim of TV executives, and other 'business interests' so where's the surprise in this little move? Then again, if you were the cops, would you want both the Ukrainian ANF Scottish mobs in London at the same time?

Bottom line, we all KNOW its just a flob, but nothing we can do about it, and it'll make no difference anyways, we're still going into the group stage (not that I can say that about the spurts  :011: )

[StevieC]

Then again, if you were the cops, would you want both the Ukrainian ANF Scottish mobs in London at the same time?

FC Dnipro will probably only bring a handful of supporters. It will be hard for them to get travel and visas sorted at such short notice.

Anyone wanting to travel to Dnipropetrovsk will not find it easy either, unless there's a chartered flight getting organised?

[ScalleysDad]

hate to quosh the conspiracy theory but it was a constabulary decision with a touch of transport concern.




The Met really are run by Spuds !

[FatFreddysCat]

I'm 100% sure Fulham couldn't be forced to change, so i'm thinking we've been bunged well, much like the 2'30pm Hertha Berlin game at laugharse rd, where we went out. We took the easy money, and paid the price. Excited at last by the Europa as these lot could be dangerous unlike the shite we have played before. As Blingo says we will stuff em . COYWS.

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

I'm 100% sure Fulham couldn't be forced to change, so i'm thinking we've been bunged well, much like the 2'30pm Hertha Berlin game at laugharse rd, where we went out. We took the easy money, and paid the price. Excited at last by the Europa as these lot could be dangerous unlike the shite we have played before. As Blingo says we will stuff em . COYWS.

hertha Berlin game was a 6 pm kick offo

[Nick the Swede]

In the words of reverend Tom, WTF! 
 
Not only do we lose the advantage that was given to us in a fair draw, we now have to return from Ukraine (the longest away trip of the year) just to travel away again 3 days later to Newcastle (the longest(?) away league game of the year)...   063.gif
 
On top of that we (as in a group of FFC Sweden fans) were just robbed of a great trip over to England starting with an EL fixture at the Cottage followed by Magpies away...   090.gif
 
Bollox to that! I blame the MJ statue! 080.gif