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[View in browser]( [The Independent]( March 11, 2022 [The Independent]( Miguel Delaney's Reading the Game Written by Miguel Delaney A week when months happened... A crisis that could be an opportunity for ChelseaWhat has happened to[Chelsea should be a lesson for the game](. This was always the danger of football selling its clubs to the highest bidders without ever asking any questions, of allowing the sport to become so enmeshed in geopolitics. The [sanctioning of Roman Abramovich]( has plunged the club into the unknown. We could speculate on what next, like whether the Reuben brothers can pull off a deal with the government, but itâs simply impossible to say. The only thing we can state for certain is that Chelsea just wonât be at the same level again. Their status as a super club is under threat. That need not be such a negative, though. Chelsea are still based in one of Londonâs most lucrative areas, and have a lot of potential revenue streams. A club run according to its means can still be successful. Most importantly, it could be a beacon for the future. This at least leaves open the possibility of the supporters having some kind of golden share. That was an aspect mentioned in Tracey Crouchâs fan-led review of football which has gone quiet now. That is partly because there is some consideration being given to updating the review, to focus on ownership. The initial publication evaded these bigger issues, showing how short-sighted it was. Itâs all in full view now. That makes it all the more surprising that Crouch herself has been invisible on this. So many unknowns make up players' minds As goes without saying, the uncertainty over Chelsea has clarified the futures of some of their players. Those out of contract like Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta have made up their minds to leave, but then they wouldnât even be able to sign a new deal under the current circumstances. [Chelsea are in negotiations]( to get the details of their licence changed, to free them to actually operate as a football club rather than just fulfil fixtures. Pochettino willing to jump if he isn't pushed? Another ownership lesson comes from Paris Saint-Germain. The nature of the club as a Qatari state project has led to the worst excesses, an obscene wastefulness. It also led to some comic sights at the Bernabeu on Wednesday. Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director were reported to be charging around the stadium in fury, mostly at the perceived foul on goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma for Real Madridâs opening goal. They should really be looking at the response of their team, because none of that offers any excuse for another embarrassment of a collapse. It is a consequence of the lack of proper sporting culture at the club, that has made it impossible for any manager to impose a tactical structure. The expectation is that PSG will dispense with Mauricio Pochettino, but he would not be too bothered. The Argentine was willing to leave in the summer, even to return to Tottenham Hotspur. It has not been an enjoyable experience. Even his relationship with Leo Messi is tense. United offered new opportunities of their own A few possibilities have opened for Manchester United, just when it looked like their manager search was getting chaotic. Up until Wednesday, they had âno ideaâ who they were going to appoint, and connected sources say that Ralph Hassenhuttlâs name was mentioned. One of the interesting questions there is not even whether he would be beneath United, but whether he would take it. The Austrian is said to enjoy a lower-profile lower-stress life, and Southampton quite suits him. United may be able to re-assess more high-profile options. Pochettino will almost certainly be available in the summer, and even Real Madridâs interest has changed after Carlo Ancelotti eliminated his PSG in rousing fashion. There is also, naturally, interest in Thomas Tuchel. Ceferin may have to change policy to see off ESL The European Super League is very much back on the agenda, [and The Independent wrote on Tuesday](how the future of the game is dependent on a forthcoming European Court of Justice case. That will essentially decide whether clubs can set up their own competitions. A problem for Uefa is that a Super League victory may be appealing to Europeâs vast tier of big clubs from smaller countries, because they havenât been able to grow in their domestic leagues. The TV markets are too small. Uefaâs only possible weapon against this may be to finally sanction regional leagues, something Aleksander Ceferin has so far been unwilling to consider. Sources say that is starting to change. As regards the wider repercussions of this, many in the European governing body were wryly commenting on the delight the Real Madrid players showed in beating Paris Saint-Germain, to reach the quarter-finals of a competition the club hierarchy seems desperate to destroy. An intriguing visitor at City On the evening of Monday 28th February, just as the wider game was wrestling with the repercussions with Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine, employees at Manchester Cityâs training ground were ordered to turn the cameras off. A helicopter then descended, at around 10.30pm. There is nothing untoward about this, of course, itâs fairly standard procedure for negotiations over star signings. Thatâs especially the case when you want to give them the tour. The question is who. Erling Haalandâs people are denying it is them, but then they would. Top stories [Football must learn a lesson from Roman Abramovich and Chelsea]( [Momentum builds behind second Super League plot]( Miguel's Dispatches It was great to return to the Bernabeu for the first time in over two years on Wednesday, as it is personally my favourite stadium in Europe. Thereâs the location, so close to Madrid city centre, and then the epic grandeur of the ground. Thereâs a steepness to the stands that seems so befitting the football history that patch of land has seen. It just wasnât quite the Bernabeu as we knew it. There is ongoing renovation work which really amounts to reconstruction work, given their changing the entire profile of the stadium, and drastically updating it. If youâll forgive such a typically entitled journalist gripe, it meant the international media seats were moved. They went from desks in the fourth tier, where you get such a great vantage point of the epic nature of the stadium, to little radio boxes down in the first tier with the view obscured by the bottom of the stand above. It wasnât quite the view weâre used to. The epic action more than made up for it. Quote of the day "Abramovich is associated with a person who is/has been involved in destabilising Ukraine and undermining and threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, namely Vladimir Putin, with whom Abramovich has had a close relationship for decade." The UK government statement notifying that Roman Abramovich has been sanctioned Reading the game quiz Since 2013, eight players have signed for Manchester United, played for the first team but won a top-flight title at another club. Name the eight. It can be from any country. (Answers: Juan Sebastian Veron, Arjen Robben, Hernan Crespo, Tiago, Ricardo Carvalho, Lassana Diarra, Maniche, Claudio Pizarro, David Luiz, Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Juan Cuadrado, Thibaut Courtois [Refugees Welcome]( Essential reading [We should change the way we talk about Ralf Rangnick and Man Utd]( [Liverpool âabsolutely delightedâ with progress made in Anfield redevelopment]( If you can spare a minute weâd love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's football newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent's football newsletter, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Football_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent,
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