Comments on: About Last Night

By: semper_ubi_sub_ubi

semper_ubi_sub_ubi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:15:35 +0000

What the fuck – can people from the UK go any sporting event in the world and not become violent? (just read the BBC article on Rangers)

I suppose that’s like asking if Spaniards won’t show racist signs or gestures.

By: Magnakai Haaskivi

Magnakai Haaskivi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:07:48 +0000

I think that the tax benefit to the player is the allure; Spain’s not got some of the perks the EPL has, but this tax thing is huge. Jermaine Pennant’s a good example; he makes less money on a per-week basis than he did at Portsmouth, but he’s taking home more because of the tax breaks. He probably would’ve stayed in England otherwise, so the tax break was doing it’s job: bringing a worker in.

I’d imagine, though, that you’re right: Pennant’s paying less taxes than a Spanish player would, which potentially displaces Spanish players. But in Spain, there’s so much nationalism that I don’t think you run into the issue of clubs importing players anywhere nearly as often as you do in England.

Of course, I don’t know shit about taxes, this is just guessing. But I do work near a Holiday Inn Express…

By: semper_ubi_sub_ubi

semper_ubi_sub_ubi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:04:15 +0000

I posted a response to the message board defence of Liverpool’s transfer spending that was posted after I went to bed last night. It was just something quick and not based on research, more examining the methodology/assumptions of the author than anything else.

http://www.plainsoccer.com/2009/11/defence-of-benitezs-transfer-activities.html

By: WhiteSpeedReceiver

WhiteSpeedReceiver — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:44:40 +0000

Quit using logic to poke holes in my slap-dash assumptions.

If what you say is true, it looks like the potential repeal of the Beckham Law is either a) Populism at it’s finest or b) An actual attempt by the Spanish government to levy taxes on all wages and compensation earned by an individual. If an employer is paying taxes for one of it’s employees, that’s a tax benefit (IE: the employee is making money by not having to pay his taxes).

By the way, I need serious help. I don’t mind talking about the impact of taxation on corporations and individuals, and that’s just not healthy.

By: Magnakai Haaskivi

Magnakai Haaskivi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:13:19 +0000

I’m not sure there’s been this huge exodus from England to Spain, really; there’ve been high profile moves, sure, but you’re not really seeing places like Betis and Tenerife picking up players from the Prem like England picks up players from Spain.

I’m pretty sure that under the Beckham law the club picks up the other half of the player’s tax (i.e., the tax rate’s 46%; the player pays 23%, the club pays 23%); since it’s not really a tax break, and the clubs seem to like it, I’m not sure why anyone actually cares. Spain also has much more restrictive rules on foreign players (I think you can only register 3 non-Europeans), so they’re a lot less likely to lose their national identity than England.

By: WhiteSpeedReceiver

WhiteSpeedReceiver — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:57:53 +0000

If Spain repeals the Beckham Law, it doesn’t seem like it would “kill the league” like some officials are crying. Actually, I think it would put it back on par with England and slow the exodus from the EPL (suck it, Barclays) a bit.

By: 2 Yellows

2 Yellows — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:50:21 +0000

There’s a real “fiddling while Rome burns” feel to this trickling takeover by Kroenke. Every day there seems to be some new assurance that he’s not interested in a takeover and every day he buys more shares.