Juventus Valued Higher Than Man United
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
MILAN (Sep 8, 1998 - 11:49 EDT) - Manchester United may have had a staggering offer of 575 million pounds, but Juventus is worth even more than the Premiership club according to Italian businessmen.
Reports of the proposed takeover at Old Trafford by Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB television company have shocked the moneymen here, who believe it must be part of a wider plan to create a Super League.
Claudio Pasqualin, head of the national soccer agents association, said: " It's a sensational offer, and clearly excessive.
"The Stock Exchange value of Manchester United is far lower than the 1,700 billion lira offer and you can't justify that figure with even the most optimistic prediction for merchandising sales."
Trying to explain the move, Pasqualin said: "Murdoch's criteria are clearly different. They must fit in with a larger project, perhaps one that includes the Super League.
"Certainly, though, he's not being guided by his emotions. Considering his track record, it must be something concrete."
However, Pasqualin had no doubts about the value of the jewel in the crown of Italian football.
"Juventus? 2,000 billion lira," Pasqualin told daily Tuttosport on Tuesday.
"By the usual method of assessing a company's value, it would be less. But since Murdoch is not taking contracts, merchandising, TV rights and ticket sales into account, Juventus is clearly worth more.
"It's a more important club than Manchester United, it's got more tradition and more prestige," he said of the team who have won three of the last four Italian league titles and reached the last three European Cup finals.
Sergio Berti, manager of Lazio's 50 billion lira signing Christian Vieri, was more pragmatic, and pointed out the differences in fashion sense among Britons and Italians.
"The merchandising sales in Britain are influenced by fashion," he said. " less likely to buy certain articles of clothing."
But Berti, like Pasqualin, also saw United fitting into a wider plan for European football, and one that includes the breakaway Super League.
"The figures are simply out of this world," he said, "and can't be explained by the ownership alone of the club. There is a bigger project, and football is only the means to the end.
"Perhaps it is a Trojan horse, to enable (Murdoch) to buy the rights for the Super League."
Juventus director general Luciano Moggi said: "The offer seems an exaggerated one, but the surprise has to be offset by the reputation of the man behind it. Murdoch knows how to do business, and he looks a long way ahead."
