Does football need a salary cap?

The Guardian's website reported last Thursday that the Premier League is thinking about trying to put a salary cap into place before the money from the next televison deals for 2013-2016 comes in. Footballer wages have been climbing for years, and led to a lot of discussion about whether players deserve so much money for kicking a ball on a field. As football, and the Premier League continue to expand and with TV deals getting bigger, it seems the trend will be for wages to get even higher in the future if left unchecked. With this in mind, I think a salary cap has got to be seen as a good idea.

Salary caps are used pretty successfully in North American sports, including Major League Soccer, and in rugby in England, France and Australia, with teams having a maximum amount they are allowed to pay out for player contracts each season. In 2011, the NFL salary cap was $120 million, while the NBA's 2010-11 cap was $58 million. Caps are agreed before each season, and take into account team revenues, so the cap is at a reasonable level for every team and it's level of income for that year.

Benefits of a salary cap are that, in theory, it prevents rich teams from signing a large number of highly-paid stars and dominating because they perhaps have a wealthy owner. It should also level the playing field so that leagues stay competitive, and you don't have the same teams winning everything every year. European football could probably benefit from being more competitive, with most of the top leagues now being won by the same teams that spend the most each season. The second main benefit of a salary cap is to guard against teams signing high contracts to try to gain success, then ending up with financial problems down the line; aka Leeds United syndrome. Because a cap has already been worked out based on the team's income, it can't live beyond its means and so should be relatively protected financially.

The drawbacks to bringing in a salary cap seem to mostly centre around how to go about implementing it. For the Premier League to be able to bring one in, 14 out of the 20 teams would have to agree, and as the Guardian article mentions, the teams have not seemed too interested so far. Another drawback is whether there would be any player related problems. In 2011 the NBA experienced a lockout where the start of the season was delayed from November 1 to December 25 because of a disagreement between owners and players about the salary cap. Could we see a similar thing in football?

The next drawback is deciding how salaries should be capped. Should teams have a total amount they have to be under with their entire squad like the NFL and NBA, should they have a maximum amount they can give a player, £180,000 a week for example, or should they be restricted to spending a percentage of their turnover from the previous few seasons?

The final potential drawback I can see is whether a salary cap would need to be applied by every league in Europe at once to be effective. Like governments always warn when asked to tax high earners more, there could be an exodus from England and the Premier League to other leagues without salary caps. However, even if European leagues managed to get together and agree a cap we could see players following Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o to places like China and Russia on huge contracts, or anywhere teams didn't have to worry about a cap. I could argue though that this could be a good thing, with talented footballers bringing up the levels of developing leagues, and adding another factor that could increase competition.

All in all, a salary cap could bring seismic changes to football, changing the game for the better in my opinion. In the NFL, the New Orleans Saints went from finishing their 2008 season with a record of 8 wins and 8 losses, not even making the playoffs, to winning the Superbowl in 2009. That sort of unpredictability would make football even more exciting, and I think a salary cap could help do it. It seems as if a cap would be extremely hard to bring in, with a lot of parties in football possibly not seeing it in their interest, but I think it would do the game a world of good.

Serie A Returns

Calcio lovers rejoice, Serie A is back today! The Italian league usually starts after most of the other big European leagues have kicked off, which is quite annoying for those of us eager to get underway. However, it always feels like the football season has started properly once Serie A is off and running.

This term Serie A feels quite strange. Firstly there's the matchfixing scandal that has been running all summer, with a large amount of players and teams charged and punished. These charges have led to points deductions, player bans, and the strange sight of champions Juventus having their coach Antonio Conte suspended for pretty much the whole of this season, although bizarrely he will be training the team on a day to day basis, he just won't be allowed to sit on the bench or give instructions during matches. For that a member of his coaching staff, Massimo Carrera, is standing in.

The second reason Serie A feels strange this season is because of the global economic situation. A lack of money has meant that there have been no big transfer signings by Italian clubs, with many having to sell their stars, the best example being Milan with Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva. Italian clubs have been forced to make signings on the cheap, mostly using loans and co-ownership agreements. Milan fans expecting a big name to replace Ibrahimovic have so far had to make do only with Giampaolo Pazzini, gained by swapping Antonio Cassano and 7m with Inter, although Kaka has been linked with a return all summer. This transfer drought means that many clubs will start with no recognised world class players, a shocking development for a league that used to be graced with the best players in the world.

This financial situation has contributed to make this look like what will be the most open and unpredictable season for a long time. Juventus start as favourites for the title, as current champions, and also with probably the strongest team as a whole. The Old Lady will still have to deal with their coaching situation though, as well as juggling European football commitments in their return to the Champions League. Behind Juventus, there's a wide field of several teams that could challenge; Milan may not have had the best transfer window ever, but they are still a big team. Inter had a poor last season and have reacted by trying to rebuild, with several new signings, and attempts to move on players like Maicon, Julio Cesar, and Lucio. As an Inter fan I believe this season could go either way, with either a title challenge, or another poor season as the new signings fail to gel. A lot will also depend on how rookie coach Andrea Stramaccioni does in his first full Serie A season. Another possible challenger is Roma, who hired coach Zdenek Zeman, known for wanting nothing less than spectacular attacking football, that can be beautiful but which also sometimes leads to his sides being stung in defence. Possible outsiders for a title challenge are probably Udinese, who qualified for the Champions League for the second season in a row, but who sell some of their best players every summer, and Lazio, who had a surprisingly good last season behind the goals of Miroslav Klose.

Serie A has had a difficult summer, with all the scandal and its financial situation, but this season promises to be exciting and open in a way not seen for a while. I can't wait to see what happens.

Take a look at the first few fixtures of the season here

London Olympics Love-in

After years of build up and 17 sport-filled days the world's athletes are on their way home, and the 2012 London Olympics are over. I must confess to feeling a twinge of sadness, which has entirely caught me by surprise, because like many people I started out as a cynic. For a long time I felt no connection with the games, they were just an event I had nothing to do with, going on in another part of town. Also, with all the money spent on them, the gloomy economic situation, and the typically British pre-event media pessimism, I expected a spectacular cock-up or at the very least to be extremely bored. Then, I sat down to watch the opening ceremony and cynicism died and I became a believer.

I hurried back from the pub with a group of friends to catch the opening ceremony. I think we were expecting nothing more than a slightly scaled up school disco, with some coloured lights and a couple of the sort of fireworks you could find in the back of a corner shop; nothing to compete with the growing financial muscle of China. Salute to Mr Boyle though, he amazed the world and exceeded all expectations, leading to a scene where a group of lads in their 20s gathered in our living room cheering Mr Bean, the Queen's skydiving skills, and the good old NHS. It was beautiful.

From then I felt the stirrings of pride in London, the city I grew up in and have lived for most of my life, and an eagerness to watch as much of the games as possible, best expressed as the thought "Might as well, its the Olympics".

If nothing else, the Olympics are an opportunity to watch sports that never usually would get the time of day on mainstream channels. Handball, water polo, archery, fencing, the list goes on. I tried to dip in and out to see what was going on in different parts of the games and really experience it all. Luckily, the BBC's coverage was formidably comprehensive, with all of its channels including BBC Three and Four putting in overtime. Most of my watching however was done through the amazingly efficient BBC Olympic schedule website. A website laid out for users to choose any sport to watch live, or to catch up if you missed things, that marked each stream with highlights so you could rewind and find them easily; this brought it home to me that we are truly living in the future. Much congratulations to the BBC; this is why it needs to be defended at all costs, so we don't end up with an #NBCfail situation where we have advert breaks in the middle of events and broadcasters making us wait till primetime to see things, instead of watching live.

I also have to comment on the 100m final, aka the most electric 9.63 seconds I can remember. It is amazing how much you can enjoy something that is just so basic and natural as running; enjoying seeing a person go as fast as they can is just human nature, even from childhood seeing who can run fastest in the playground or down the street. Watching the race was my undoubted sporting highlight of the games, with all the anticipation, the absolute silence in the stadium before the starting gun, and then seeing the athletes powering up and going, with Usain Bolt pulling away in the end. Amazing.

So that was the Olympics. I was so proud; seeing how excited everyone was about which big events were scheduled each day, seeing Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park and Big Ben and countless other historic landmarks as the backdrop of events, reading media reports by journalists from other countries on how welcoming the city and the country were and how impressed they were. The only dip was probably the closing ceremony, although could it ever have lived up to our newly raised expectations? Besides, getting absolutely everything perfect is not the British way. Regardless; well done London, you did it.

6 Star Albums

Part 3: The Blueprint – Jay-Z

Ah Jay-Z. Who can fail to love the Jigga Man? For years he's been one of the most respected artists anywhere; hugely popular in the hip hop community, but also with the mainstream. He was the first hip hop artist to headline at Glastonbury, headlined the 2012 Hackney Weekend festival, and is half of one of the biggest power couples in entertainment.

The Blueprint is probably where Jay-Z's road to international superstardom began. Although his two previous albums both reached number 1 in the US charts, The Blueprint was the first to chart in countries such as France and the Netherlands, and the first to make the top 40 chart in the UK. The album was also awarded hip hop magazine The Source's highly coveted 5 mics award, and has been named in top album lists by everyone from Entertainment Weekly, to Rolling Stone, to NME. Something else interesting to note is that The Blueprint also probably marks the beginning of Kanye West's rise, with him becoming known as one of hip hop's leading producers for his work on this album.

Musically, the album has an extremely soulful sound, created through its use of samples on most of its tracks. Some of my favourite songs such as 'Girls, Girls, Girls', 'Never Change', and the excellent 'Heart of the City' stand out for me precisely because of their 70s style soul instrumentals. Another standout song, 'Song Cry', is an emotional track where Jay-Z uses the soulful beat to discus past relationships and regrets.

Another landmark for this album is its place as part of the first major rap feud since the East Coast vs West Coast battles of the mid-1990s, which ended with the death of 2pac and the Notorious B.I.G. The track 'Takeover' was aimed by Jay-Z at Nas, at a time when they were the two most respected rappers in New York, battling to be best in the city, a title left behind by B.I.G. 'Takeover' is a powerful statement to Jay-Z's rivals, delivered with a driving beat. It was a song that many hip hop listeners thought would leave Nas unable to respond and possibly end his career. This was until Nas came back with the explosively aggressive 'Ether', from his own classic album Stillmatic; a response that surprised listeners and increased Nas' reputation hugely.

Other notable songs that make The Blueprint are 'Hola Hovito', with one of my favourite beats and its singalong chorus, 'Izzo', one of Jay-Z's most popular singles ever, and 'Renegade', featuring Eminem. Renegade was used by Nas to insult Jay-Z in 'Ether', with the line "Eminem murdered you on your own shit". This is a line I've heard many hip hop fans agree with, but me? I'll just say Eminem's flow on the track is amazing and contrasts with Jay's less spectacular lines.

The Blueprint is a damn good listen, and a cultural milestone, with its links to the rise of Jay-Z, Kanye West, and even Nas to an extent. Its legacy has allowed Jay-Z to become the biggest star in hip-hop, make a fortune of over $450 million, and gain a reputation as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Most Expensive European Transfers of the Summer So Far

Its almost August, and there's just over a month until Europe's summer transfer window shuts. This is one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans, as we wait to see how our teams will shape up ahead of the season and whether we can raise our expectations, or start planning for disappointment. Its also always interesting to see the big money deals teams will spend to try and pick up a star. With that in mind, here are the most expensive European transfers of the summer so far.

Eden Hazard to Chelsea £32m

One of the most coveted young players in Europe for the past couple of seasons, he scored 27 goals and made 25 assists in his last 76 appearances for Lille. Big things are expected from him, with some in the media, probably prematurely, comparing him to Lionel Messi.

Olivier Giroud to Arsenal £13m

Giroud scored 21 goals to help Montpelier to their surprise Ligue 1 championship win last season, persuading Arsene Wenger to make him the latest in his long list of French signings. Giroud has worked his way up to the big time, having had spells in the French Division 3 and Ligue 2 before signing for Montpelier in January 2010.

Shinji Kagawa to Man Utd £13m

Seen as the man to insert more creativity into Man United's midfield and be the heir to Paul Scholes, Kagawa scored or assisted 26% of Borussia Dortmund's 80 Bundesliga goals in 2011-12 (21 in all), according to Opta Sports. If he can replicate that type of form in the Premier League, perhaps Paul Scholes will be able to pass on the mantle, and finally hang up his boots.

Jordi Alba to Barcelona €14m

After having an excellent European Championship with Spain, Barcelona signed him on 28 June, the day after Spain's semi-final victory over Portugal. Judging by his performances in the tournament and especially his well taken goal in the final, he will fit into the Barca system with no problems, and be another dangerous weapon for them as they look to take the title back from Real Madrid.

Ezequiel Lavezzi to PSG €30m

Despite spending big last summer, PSG were shocked by little Montpelier and lost out on the French title. Lavezzi's signing is one attempt to make sure they don't fail next season. Part of the attacking trident that inspired Napoli last season, Lavezzi was a hero to Napoli fans who saw him as the replacement for Maradona they'd been waiting for for years. He often had to be driven around the city in his car boot to avoid being mobbed, and will maybe relish a quieter life in Paris.

Thiago Silva to PSG €42m

Annointed as the heir to Alessandro Nesta at AC Milan, Thiago Silva's sale came as a surprise to most AC fans. He was rated extremely highly in Italy, but AC decided to cash in as the club is seemingly struggling with its finances. His sale has caused uproar from fans, who held a mock funeral for the 'death' of the club, while a particularly persistant group also threatened to file a class action suit for false advertising because Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were on the adverts for the new season ticket. AC's Board of Directors have dismissed these fans however, and offered refunds to anyone who bought a season ticket.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic to PSG €25m

Originally thought to be part of a joint deal with Thiago Silva, Zlatan's deal took longer to conclude as negotiations over wages dragged on. The giant striker seemed to be settled in Milan, he was in stellar form last season, scoring 28 goals in 32 appearances, and had come out to say he wanted to end his career at AC. To be fair to him, it was probably the AC Board's decision to sell him to save on wages, but he's never seemed the type to worry too much about moving clubs and will enjoy the opportunity to strike fear into the hearts of Ligue 1 defenders next season.

Oscar to Chelsea £25m

Tipped to be one of the stars of the Olympic football tournament, Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Junior, to give him his full name, completed a move to Chelsea as I write this. He is the latest Brazilian creative midfielder to be labelled as the 'new Kaka', and will be the chief playmaker for Brazil at the Olympics.

Possible Big Future Moves

• With his contract set to run out next summer, Arsenal look like they will try to cash in on Robin van Persie. Juventus and the two Manchester clubs have made offers, but Arsenal seem to want to hold out for £25m-£30m.

• Juventus have identified their attack as the key area they need to strengthen and have also been linked with Fiorentina's Stevan Jovetic, although Fiorentina have slapped a €30m price tag on him.

• Manchester United and Internazionale are both making approaches to try and sign 19 year old Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas Moura

• Luka Modric is trying to force through a move to Real Madrid, but Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy is playing hardball and refusing to sell for less than £40m. PSG are also now reported to be interested.

• Malaga midfielder Santi Cazorla has agreed personal terms with Arsenal, who are now waiting to see if their €20m offer will be accepted by the Spanish club. 

Rio Ferdinand and Ice Cream Flavours

Just as everyone was waiting for the dust to settle after the John Terry racism trial, a new race related football story broke over the weekend. Every newspaper has been reporting that Rio Ferdinand replied to a Twitter user and appeared to agree with them calling Ashley Cole a 'choc ice'; an insult that could be interpreted as saying that Cole is black on the outside and white inside. 

Now I'm not writing this to condemn or defend anyone. I can't interpret what was in Rio's mind or how he meant the comment, and he has already come out and said he didn't mean it in that way. Ashley Cole has also come out to say he is cool with Rio and hasn't taken offence. What I want to do is explain why there is all the uproar over what seems to be a pretty tame insult, and why I feel insults like that are about the worst you could hear as a black person.

When I was about 12 years old, I was spat at and insulted during a breaktime by a boy who was a few years above me, because he saw me talking to a girl of a different race. The boy was Indian, and he was angry at me, a black guy, for talking to this white girl, who I only happened to be friends with from my form class. 

Calling someone a choc ice, or a bounty, or anything similar is the same sort of principle. Its someone saying that you're a traitor to your race, and want to get in with people of a different race because you want to get ahead, because you want to be a different race, or because you hate who you are.

It is today's equivalent of calling someone an Uncle Tom; saying that they would sell people down the river just to look good to another race. Insults like this are also basically saying that everyone should stick to their own race and fit a certain racial stereotype, otherwise they are betraying their people. I'm not having that. Its the 21^st century and we should be past this. Therefore, I do hope that people can see why I hope to see terms like 'choc ice' die out.

Almost Andy, Almost

The dust is settling for another year on the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, or really, just Wimbledon to most people. I'm not usually a tennis fan but you have to make an exception for Wimbledon as a summer tradition. For two weeks every summer the country takes falls in love with the sport, even though it rains most of the time and there hasn't been a British singles winner in many people's lifetime. But then I guess that's what Britain is about, bad weather and losing gracefully but giving 100%.

For the rest of the year, apart from Wimbledon, Britain doesn't seem so interested. I think its possibly because a lot of people feel isolated from the sport, as it is rarely on free TV, because you don't many tennis courts around, and because it does seem a little like a sport for the more priveleged who can get access to tennis courts, can afford good equipment, and can get good coaching.

When I was at secondary school the school got some concrete courts and would put the nets up during the spring and summer. Kids would eagerly borrow racquets and balls from the PE department and spend break times happily trying to have rallies with their friends, but there was little in the way of proper coaching and most people lost interest after a few days of trying to hit to each other and then having to run round and fetch the ball after missing it for the millionth time.

Still, Wimbledon is always enjoyable, and this year Brits had the added bonus of seeing Andy Murray become the first British male to get to a final since Bunny Austin in 1938, facing Roger Federer, who will surely go down as the best to ever play the sport.

After a close start where Murray took the first set, and looked to be troubling him, Federer started motoring in the sixth game of the third set, a set that lasted 20 minutes and in which Murray tried his best to hang on, but was unable to live with shots from Federer that sent him all over the court. That game was probably a turning point, and Federer went on to win with some truly masterful tennis. Credit to Murray, he took the first set well and played some good tennis, trying his utmost to give the fans their first home winner. His reputation will be enhanced by him breaking the long wait for a British finalist, and for making a good fight of it with Federer, the now seven times winner.