One World Sports: Cosmos in Cuba, FFP Revisited, A Juventus Final Test




Beyond The Pitch show

Summary: Now that all of the top European Leagues have declared champions and many have set a course for busy off-seasons and important summer preparation tours, we shift gears to focus on an historic match in Cuba, new concepts being discussed by UEFA over Financial Fair Play while Juventus prepares to face down Lionel Messi and friends in the Champions League Final. To start the proceedings, Chief Operating Officer Erik Stover of the New York Cosmos gives us an up-close view of how a friendly match with Cuba became larger than life while reflecting on an enduring legacy of the club. We examine how it came together, the growing significance on the international stage and how the team this season has progressed undefeated in the Spring season with new arrival Raul and how the early season looks to be defined as three key matches are on deck. Then regulatory attorney Daniel Geey of Field, Fisher Waterhouse joins Anto for a deeper look into what may be propelling a fresh look at Financial Fair Play on the heels of new sanctions leveled at new football clubs that have fell afoul of the regulations and what it could mean across a variety of scenarios as speculation mounts over how the standards could be relaxed and revised. We discuss the potential of new investment models, impact from third party ownership and whether new owners need new strategies to compete from outside the Champions League drawbridge in order to gain competitive balance and a whole lot more. Then in the final segment our partners at Football Collective and David Tenenbaum of JuveFC.com finishes the show with a look a Juventus Football Club as The Old Lady seeks to complete an historic treble of its own against favored Lionel Messi and Barcelona in the Champions League Final.