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MONEYBALL


In a Champions League awash with Money; a tournament where Man City and PSG can just waltz into with a blank cheque book (and before that Chelsea) it’s worth remembering where that road can lead.

Our opponents last night are the poster boys for European Corruption in football

The 1992–93 UEFA Champions League was the 38th time that the European Cup had been contested only this time it was now UEFA Champions League

It was also the first season after the break-up of the CCCP and Yugoslavia which meant a large number of new teams entering
as Champions of their leagues into the competition.

The first time winners of the ‘new’ Champions league were Olympique De Marseille, who beat Milan in the final.

But this victory was tarnished, as soon after allegations of match fixing were leveled at Marseille and their president Bernard Tapie. The allegations were of match fixing in a league game where Marseille had fixed their title-clinching Division 1 game against Valenciennes thus allowing them time to focus on the Milan Final. This, in effect, was a handicap that may have  prevented Arsene Wenger's Monaco from  claiming the title

Marseille were stripped of their league title by the FFF (although not their Champions League title). Further punishment was forced relegation to League 2 and a ban from defending their European title in the 93-94 season. Neither were they permitted to take part in the 93-94 Supercup

A salutary lesson in the ability of money and power to corrupt.

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