The Glazer Out Blog

2022 World Cup. 2011 Asian Cup. Barcelona. Manchester United?

Now the press have finally dropped the World Cup issue for now, I look at it in a very different way. Some may say the Russia and Qatar bids were all about money and you might be right or wrong. I go for right. What ever the question is that doesn’t really matter and England has its own problems to sort out. First off public transport if Cameron is going to promote that as one of Englands big benefit above other countries. The Germans for example have a vastly better organised transport system than we will ever have. The 2022 World Cup bid by Qatar was as serious as any other bid, unbelievable to win or not. With big more already spent one or two stadiums and with the British construction company Arup having already developed the brand new air conditioning technology for the stadiums what is very clear is it was a credible bid. Am sure many of the construction projects will involve British firms and we developed the technology for their bid to be serious. The Qatar winning 2022 bid could be blamed our British know how and knowledge. A number of us Brits will end up over there working building the stadia or other projects which go with it so its not all bad.

If you think the 2022 bid was bad, you should have seen hosts for the 2011 Asia cup bids. It included Iran, India and Qatar. No South Korean or  Japanese bids as many people might expect. Also alot of the teams consist of teams like North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Jordan and Syria. States considered by the Americans as Terror states who are their with football teams. You don’t hear Asia screaming out over countries in their bid so many the press have over reacted. Qatar also won the Asia Cup bid by some way and although on a smaller scale, it should how what we can expect. Maybe we English shouldn’t have written Qatar off as a mad choice. A country saying it will be build all new stadiums, spending big money before its won any bid and they easily won the Asia Cup bid. I’d say on the face of it that’s more effort than England would have put in. I know we already have the stadiums but was the Government going to fund expansions of many other grounds or was it down to the clubs themselves to fund this. Clearly in Qatar this won’t be a problem, over here will the UK Government fund a new stadium in Liverpool or Birmingham? No, they won’t. We’d end up what we have now plus one or two improvements if the clubs choose to fund the development with possible part funding by the government. This can no way be compared to what the Russians and Qatar can put forward. So on the subject of Qatar, they are unknown but they are going to host two major footballing tournaments over the next 12 years.

Tournaments aren’t the only areas they have aimed at. Last year Manchester United played and trained there, for which Qatar paid United for. They have in the last week paid Barcelona for their first proper shirt sponsorship deal ever and as ever with Middle Eastern countries next they must have buying a European club on their agenda. Its unlikely they could ever buy a German or Spanish club. That leaves Italian football and English football as two main areas where Qatar may choose to invest in European football, such as Abu Dhabi did with Manchester City. With big money spent on two football bids, a huge sponsorship deal with Barcelona what is next?

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out Qatar buying Manchester United is a possible option. With them reportedly ready to spend £41 Billion on the World Cup which lasts one summer, the country paying £1 Billion or £2 Billion or even £3 Billion for Manchester United which is a very valuable asset, must look like an easy choice for them. A cash cow machine in top European football and with this PIK debt being paid off either via a 3rd party member such as Qatar or replaced with new debt. Both for the Glazers are win win options. They can say to Qatar ‘you can buy United for £1.5 Billion’ and that shouldn’t bother them one bit. Of course they will wait until the correct moment but when the club is sold it will happen fast and take everyone by surprise.

You can follow me on twitter.com  and my twitter name is @wewantglazerout