Football has lost its senses

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor—
WORLD football was left reeling yesterday from the after-shocks of a transfer tsunami triggered by Barcelona’s announcement that Brazilian superstar Neymar has been granted permission to complete a record $256 million move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain. The 25-year-old forward’s move to PSG could cost about $500 million in total costs, according to a CNN report late last night, when the huge fees for agents and others are taken into consideration.

It will dwarf the $116,4 million that Manchester United paid, in transfer fees, to Italian giants Juventus to bring French midfield powerhouse Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford last year. He will earn a staggering $788 212 a week.

PSG are owned by Qatar Sports Investments, who are owned by the Qatari government.

English newspaper, Metro, using the £198 million transfer fee PSG are set to pay for Neymar, said the money was enough for the French giants to put together a new team — from a goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders and three strikers — using 11 footballers who completed deals this off-season.

Metro said PSG would have acquired goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who moved from Chelsea to Bournemouth for £10 million, Swedish defender Victor Lindel who moved from Benfica to Manchester United for £31 million, 20-year-old defender Jairo Riedewald who joined Crystal Palace for £7,9 million and Harry Maguire who left Hull and signed for Leicester City for £17 million.

The midfield will have Juan Cuadrado, who turned his loan move from Chelsea to Juventus into a permanent deal for £17 miliion, Ruben Nevis, the 20-year-old defender who left Porto to join Wolves for £15 million, Nemanja Matic who completed a £40 million move from Chelsea to Manchester United and Mohamed Salah who moved from Roma to Liverpool in a record-breaking club deal worth £34 million.

The attack, according to the newspaper, will have another Liverpool recruit, Dominic Solanke, who arrived from Chelsea for £3 million, Sandro Ramirez who moved from Malaga to Everton for £5,25 million and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez who returned to the English Premiership in a £16 million deal from Germany.

All the 11 players, put together, combine to match the transfer fee which PSG are paying to bring Neymar to France.

Given everyone appears desperate to put this mind-blowing deal into context, for their people to try and get an understanding of why it has sent football world into shock, we also did our part to try and break it down.

Former Warriors skipper Benjani Mwaruwari’s combined transfer fees to Portsmouth and Manchester City were $10,5 million with Pompey paying a then club record for his signature.

For the two clubs to match the amount that PSG are paying for Neymar, it means they would have to complete about 25 more deals, similar to those involving the amount they paid for Benjani’s signature.

In short, the Neymar deal is:

• About 24.42 times the combined amount, $10,5 million, Portsmouth and Manchester City paid for Benjani Mwaruwari
• About 160 times the amount, $2,1 million, Birmingham City paid to get Peter Ndlovu from Coventry City
• About 102.6 times the amount, $2.5 million, which Mamelodi Sundowns are demanding for Khama Billiat
• About 135 times the amount, $1.88 million, which Hoffenheim paid to get Knowledge Musona from Kaizer Chiefs
• About 967 times the amount, $264 556, Scottish giants Celtic will pay Ipswich as compensation for Kundai Benyu
• About 932.72 times the combined amount, $275 538, paid for Simba Sithole (Sundowns), Nyasha Mushekwi (Sundowns), Method Mwanjali (Sundowns), Tafadzwa Rusike (Ajax Cape Town), Gilbert Mapemba (Moroka Swallows), Ramson Zhuwawo (AmaZulu) and Carlington Nyadombo (AmaZulu)
• About 32 times the combined amounts involved in the transfer deals involving Benjani (Man City and Portsmouth); Peter Ndlovu (Birmingham City); Musona (Hoffenheim); Benyu (Celtic); Mushekwi, Sithole, Mwanjali (all Sundowns); Mapemba (Swallows); Tafadzwa Rusike (Ajax Cape Town); Zhuwawo and Nyadombo (AmaZulu) and the price tag which Sundowns have put on Billiat’s head

Does that make any sense at all? If it doesn’t, let’s try to start all over again.

Cameroon won the 2017 Nations Cup in Gabon this year, where the Warriors were the only Southern African nation at the showcase, and the Indomitable Lions took home a cash prize of $4 million which, in itself, was a 64 percent increase from the money won by Cote d’Ivoire two years ago.

Now, suppose the Nations Cup prize money isn’t increased again, it means there will be a further 63 winners of Africa’s biggest football tournament for their combined earnings just to match Neymar’s transfer fee alone.

Given the Nations Cup is played once every two years, that could mean a period spread over the next 128 years.

CAPS United played in the CAF Champions League this year and, after making history for themselves by qualifying for the group stages for the first time, they earned about $550 000 although the amount will be less than that when some costs, including television production, are taken into account.

Let’s work on the $550 000 figure and for CAPS United to get somewhere close to what PSG will spend in bringing Neymar into their camp, in transfer fees alone, the Green Machine will need to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League — in the event the amount given to the clubs isn’t improved — for 465 years.

The team that wins the Champions League will get $2,5 million this year.

If it still hasn’t made sense, by now, then you are not alone.

“If you do not feel the earth move beneath your feet then you are simply not paying attention,’’ Ed Malyon, writing in The Independent, noted yesterday.

“Neymar’s move to Paris Saint-Germain is an era-defining transfer, a deal that most, including much of the Barcelona hierarchy, never thought would happen and now a clear signpost in the history of modern football.

“We are already well along the path to financial absurdity.

“So much so, in fact, that we may have entered through its gates under darkness and, as the sun comes up on a world-record deal that will no doubt be eclipsed again inside a couple of years, we look around us and wonder where we are.”