Sunshine

A day without the sunshine is like the night.

- Douglas Adams

Wish You Were Here

Balneare: Loads of Ghadira. Bits of St. George's Bay. Ghadira rocks. Beach volley rules. Sun burns and Carpigiani Ice-Creams reign supreme.

Culinare: Vino Mio, down the road from the cinemas - Absolutely fabulous, do try the swordfish. The Kitchen - Tower Road Sliema - incredible, duck with chocolate is divine.

Relax: Top marks go to Kazin tal-Banda Vittoria in Mellieha. Atmoshpere is fantastic. Locals relaxed. Teas are out of this world at 15c a glass.

Minus points: The petards for Madonna tal-Karmnu feast waking me up at 8am. The excessive heat at certain times of the day. Taxi bloody drivers.

Tomorrow the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen beckons. And this gentleman will be there.

Wish you were here.

PS still contactable on 7975 1111

... to the fires of Mordor

Jeez... it's hotter here for sure.
Nudity should be mandatory in this island.
Saw Pierre on the plane... with his Belgian riviera tan.
My maltese phone number is currently "decommissioned" should be resuming working order this afternoon.
Go mobile is a wonderful efficient service confirmed to P&T luxembourg. Prosit.
Tonight - beangrowers and freddie at the beer festival.

More later.

Jeez it's hot.

Exit from the fires of Hell

From the station.lu, today's local news:

Domestic News

Bridel Forest Fire [28-JUL-06] "A fire broke out in the forest between Bridel and Kopstal in the early hours of yesterday morning. ..." >>> more >>>

Cooking Explosion [28-JUL-06] "A woman had a lucky excape on Wednesday when a fire started in the kitchen of her home in Luxembourg..." >>> more >>>

Another Field Goes up in Smoke [28-JUL-06] "On Wednesday evening another field succumbed to the parched conditions in Luxembourg's countryside. ..." >>> more >>>

Hot-air Rising until end of Week-end [28-JUL-06] "For the tenth time the “Cercle luxembourgeois d’Aérostation” (CLA) is organizing t..." >>> more >>>

Woman Dies in House Fire [28-JUL-06] "A woman from Trier has died in a fire in her house. The incident happened in the early hours of Thur..." >>> more >>>

and the cheery part of it.... train leaves Luxembourg station at 2.20pm. Leaving the fires behind. A big "adi" to Luxembourg... will be back when the weather should be a little bit more clement.

P.S. Ciao to Rolando il Crucco Napolitano.... see you in Heidelberg.

Come il fondo senza la Norvegia

Vincere senza Juve come nel fondo trionfare senza Norvegia'

(ANSA) -PINZOLO, 27 LUG- 'Spero che la Juve torni presto in Serie A'. L'augurio, rivolto a Nedved e a Deschamps, e' dell'oro nel fondo a Torino 2006, Cristian Zorzi. 'Vincere senza di voi - ha detto Zorzi, che e' tifoso interista - non c'e' alcun gusto, e' come per un fondista trionfare senza i norvegesi'. Zorzi, alle Olimpiadi oro nella staffetta, oggi a Pinzolo ha regalato un paio dei suoi sci Madhus a Nedved e a sua volta il biondo fuoriclasse ceco gli ha fatto omaggio della sua maglia e delle sue scarpette bianche.

Now that is class... remember j'accuse saying how hollow a Serie A victory without having to challenge the bianconeri would be? I hope Rossella Sensi has sweet dreams.

Condolcezza's Sustainablility*

And now Lebanon.

The rest of the world (that is the rest of the world less the US of Duh!) called for an IMMEDIATE ceasefire in the hostilities . That's where both sides stop shooting and the international community steps in to see if there is a solution that doesn't involve killing lots of civilians. If either side violates the ceasefire then the moral weight of the international community goes to the other side.

Condolcezza Rice has suggested a different ceasefire - a SUSTAINABLE ceasefire. To get a sustainable ceasefire you go on shooting until one side cannot shoot anymore. Although civilians probably get killed in this scenario the idea is that once the ceasefire starts they probably won't get killed any more. The next step after the sustainable ceasefire is for an international force to take over southern Lebanon. Condolcezza has not yet explained which countries are still prepared to follow the US of Duh! in their madcap solutions to international problems.

* with thanks to zefrank.com

Campioni d'Italia (reprise)

How times change. Yesterday afternoon the scudetto was practically sewn onto the nerazzurri's shirt. The Sfi*ati d'Italia are sfi*ati no more. They have finally broken the jinx of the thirteenth scudetto.... or have they? It seems that no one is in the mood of celebrating. The surreal effects of the Calciopoli decision still hang on the fetid marshland of the unpurified campionato.

Even this decision to assign the title to the Interisti is shrouded in doubt. Why not Milan? If they are good enough for the Champions league then they must be innocent enough to be the rightful team to steal the baton that Juventus earned deservedly on the pitch with the team that half of Europe want to buy. The mediatic exercise and the frenzied decision-making and scapegoating tends to ignore the fact that the team crowned champions last year was witch-hunted out of its title by the very same media and public pressure. In the court there is still no proof that anything illicit happened in the 2005-2006 league. Besides, the team that allegedly needed a helping hand to run away with the league in that manner had 8 World Cup Finalists in its fold... not your average Rigetta for sure.

Any faith one could have had in the cleaning up role of this Calciopoli vanished with the various moves that have been made in the last couple of hours. And like the victims of the first mediatic wave that crucified La Grande Signora thanks to a couple of phone calls made in true Mediterranean show-off style, us die-hard Juventini are beginning to believe in the new conspiracy theory that is brewing. Maybe it is true that everyone was guilty. Maybe it is true that nobody deserves to be playing football in Serie A next year. Maybe the Sensi - Moratti clans are really behind this farce in their final twisted efforts to dethrone the team that could win notwithstanding - and not thanks to - all this farce.

In our hearts (and in the hidden, honest part of many many other people's minds - the one that is silenced by blind passion) La Grande Signora remains Campione d'Italia. And we thank her for it.

My heart goes out to Ciro Ferrara who had his record eighth scudetto tattoed onto his leg. When asked whether he was sad to lose the two scudetti, the man who also gave his part to Italy's World Cup win replied: "I never lost those scudetti, I won them deservedly on the pitch".

You're so right guaglio', so right.

Read and be read

The Killing Joke - Anthony Horowitz
L'enfant Noe' - Eric Emmanuel Schmitt
Generation X - Douglas Coupland
Une terrible vengeance - Nicolas Gogol
Ce que disent les morts - Philip K. Dick
La Vampa d' agosto - Andrea Camilleri

That should do it. In Malta between the 28th of this month and the 14th of the next. A little sabbatical from j'accuse will probably be in order - though, knowing me, having blogged in Cuba I will probably add a post or two in Malta. I am amazed at how the supposed summer lull in readership has never really occurred. Some people must still be stuck in their offices... so I will try not to disappoint you guys.

So here's to RK in Luxembourg... good trip home, the Roberts' in Lux too, CB in Malta (don't get too cocky and still waiting for the first guest post) and all the usual suspects. I just hope Twanny is wrong about the jellyfish.

Contact number while in Malta: 7975 1111 - feel free to call - this wankellectual has no inhibitions!

Non Sequitur #58

Delayed Relegation

The final Calciopoli decision means that Juventus will be playing Serie B football for the first time in their 109-year history. The only team that can challenge this record in Italy is Internazionale who will, in all probability survive another 12 years in Serie A and become the team to have played Serie A football for the most consecutive years.

Juventus are not the only long-standing bastion in Europe to fall. In Hungary, the once-great Ferencvaros have been relegated to the second division because of the sad state of their accounts. Their record stands at 105 years in the Hungarian first division. Vasas Budapest will probably return to the first division in their place.

Significantly both teams still hold the record of not having been relegated on the pitch - something like when hell freezes over.

Blind Justice

The Appeal in Calciopoli decision is out - and it's a scandal. Anybody with an ounce of reason will notice that the ultimate aim of this decision is not the reform of football but the great revenge against La Grande Signora. The summary is simple - irritated at seeing the most successful team in Italian football win year in year out, Italian football's losers came up with the greatest scam of all time. They would take all that is ugly in Italian football and use Juventus as a scapegoat. the by now infamous "capro espiatorio".

If you're thinking that this is a biased fan's cry following yesterday's... well, think again. Here are a few sweet picks that arise after yesterday.

Franco Carraro - PARDONED (just 80 000 euro fine)
Passaportifazulli FC (internazionale) - Qualify for Champions League
Fideiussiorolexpassaportifazulli (rigetta fc) - Qualify for Champions League
AC Berluska (milan) - qualify for champions and kick off next season with -8

So first of all, the clean up is no clean up. It is like sending openly declared doped athletes to the Olympics. Worse than that is the fact that, apart from Juventus, no real punishment is meted out to teams that were found guilty of acts that bring the beautiful game to disrepute. This is not a defence of Juventus. It is a declaration of disappointment - disappointment in the system of Italian football that has shown (as mentioned at the beginning in J'Accuse) that the Lampedusian theory of leaving all things as they are while illuding oneself that they are changing is still the norm.

France Carraro has been pardoned. Let off the hook. Tomorrow he can take on another post in some sports committee as though Calciopoli never existed. Maurizio Crosetti described the Appeal decision as a "sentenza democristiana". He did not mean this as a compliment.

AC Milan was proven to have sent an idiot to negotiate its referees. Next year the Forza Italia team will play in the Champions League. No problem here of course. UEFA will only have to keep an eye on all Milan personnel... even those not listed on the team list of Officials. Who knows? It might be the bus driver doing the work this time.

After the World Cup everyone, myself included, laughed at the possibility of an amnesty. This was meant to be the chance for Italian football to show a new face. To remove people like Galliani from the head of the Lega because a team president can never be super partes. Do you know who is the pro tempore head of the Lega now? Moratti - president of Inter FC. The man who wants Inter to be awarded last year's Campionato. In case you forgot, no wrongdoing was proven in last year's Campionato. Moratti wants to win that one thanks to the legal twists by ths eunuch Appeals court.

There will be no new football in Italy. It is play as you were. Obviously Lucky Luciano and Giraudo will not be making their "telefonate spavaldi" but Rossella Sensi and her passport experts will still be there. Lotito and Della Valle's teams will still be trying to make sure that the new power that will develop will not prejudice their team - on and off the pitch. Moratti's league of foreigners with great grandparents of Italian origin will be vying for top spot. And Milan, who on the face of the facts proven in court were not very far from the shameful acts committed by Juve directors will be gracing the stadia of Europe with their inimitable style.

Juventus should shut up and get on with the game. We have had one Campionato stolen (that of last year) and we have the punishment we deserve. No amount of legal appeals should soften the minus seventeen in Serie B. What is sad is that this decision punishes Juve and only Juve. It is the decision that the plebeians in the street and the blind fanatics of the provincial losers love to see. Their blindness gets to the extreme where they do not mind playing in the mire that Italian football has become - so long as winning does not involve having to beat La Grande Signora.

The only positive effect of this decision comes from the region closest to home. With the reinstatement of Messina, for the first time in my living memory we have three Sicilian teams in Serie A. Forza Palermo! Forza Catania! Forza Messina! I cannot wish them much against the "incuci" (let's say it means corrupt agreements) of the Great Escapists of the latest but not the last scandal to have hit the Pensiola del Pallone. But anyway...we'll be back. I am sure... and my prediciton is that if we do start off with minus seventeen we'll be in the top 8 by Christmas and celebrating promotion come June next year.

Meanwhile - Zaccone has not proven to be much of a lawyer. So if Juve are still looking for one I openly declare my availability.

Do not miss: Il brutto epilogo del grande processo - Maurizio Crosetti

Canicule

Got into my car: inside temperature - 42 degrees celcius. Thank god for air conditioning. The weather here is stifling. So much so that on Friday, when I land in Malta, the only difference will be the proximity to the sea and the possibility to get to the sea. I can guarantee you that Luxembourg has nothing to envy the Med insofar as the heat is concerned. Showers are useless, you sweat before you dry. Any activity is a general heat generator. Wunderbar.

And it is in this heat that I await impatiently for the appeals verdict in Calciopoli which should be out around 20.30. And I will be unable to check it for a while since I have been invited to a Fete de St. Jacques and the host has no TV or internet.

Xi shana!

Bandwagon Specialists

The Maltese class of political opportunists has once again squirmed out of its usual hideout. The occasion this time is the European Commission's request for information regarding Malta's departure tax. To begin with, someone should explain the nature of a request for information - and who better than someone who deals with this kind of procedue daily? :)

So, the European Union has a set of laws that are there to be observed. One of the duties of the Commission is to see that all Member States implement the laws of the European Union and that they do not have any internal legislation that goes against or creates an obstacle to such laws. When the Commission (either through its own investigations or through a complaint) has reason to believe that a State is in any way violating European law, the first step is to request information (normally giving a deadline of two months). This is an informal phase of "discovery" where the State is given a chance to explain its situation. Importantly the request does not constitute a "decision" of the Commission nor does it mean that any violation has been proven to exist. If you like we can call it an inquisitorial phase. (FATTA please take note).

If the Commission is still not satisfied with the answer it will send a letter that starts the formal proceedings with a further deadline (lettre de mise en demeure). This letter will be a little more specific with regards to what the Commission suspects the State to have violated. Following the deadline, the Commission will send what is called an Informed Opinion (Avis motive') to the State outlining its main charges in the Infringement Proceedings. All through this, the State has time to prepare adequate defence and/or show the Commission that any violation has been remedied. If the Commission is pleased with the state's answer it will desist from any further action (desistement) while if it still feels that the State either continues to violate or that its violation could have prejudiced individuals and could give rise to individual claims it will start infringement proceedings before the European Court of Justice (recours en manquement).

The ECJ will declare whether the state of violation exists.

There. That is a rough summary of what lies ahead in proceedings like the one regarding the departure tax. In between lie an exchange of legal argumentations based on interpretation of the law, possible exceptional circumstances and more. Which is the part I cannot comment about.

What is interesting on the other hand is how suddenly everyone is on the side of the Commission. In a way it is a positive move - and a clear signal that the EU is working in our island too... in another it is sad to see that many voices have started to croak only now that the boat is set in motion and that the government has already partially given stating that a tweak to the tax might be necessary (and it is not necessarily right). It is sad that some people do not have the balls to speak and call a spade a spade when the question is still uncertain.

But they will surely be there shouting victory and I told you so when the tax is probably revised/removed. Do note that the government stance that "it might have to revise the tax" allows it to shout victory even if it is forced to reduce it to Lm1. Sic transit gloria melitae.

The Special One?

Following Wenger and Bayern, Mourinho too has his say about the Juve exodus:

"Abbiamo cominciato a pensare al mercato già sul finire della passata stagione. Per esempio abbiamo contattato Ballack la scorsa stagione. Le altre squadre invece hanno aspettato le sentenze del calcio italiano per poi fiondarsi come avvoltoi sui club coinvolti. Sarebbe molto triste portare al Chelsea giocatori prelevati da un club in difficoltà. Quando penso a una grande squadra in crisi come la Juve con i giocatori che vogliono abbandonare la barca che affonda, mi intristisco" - Mourinho

He could be a special one after all.

I.M. Jack - 1st edition

I.M. Jack... the weekly saturday roundup on j'accuse

a. War
The war in Lebanon continues and there is no end in sight as Israel prepares for a ground offensive in the South of Lebanon. Israeli reservists called in and South Lebanese urged to evacuate by the Israeli authorities. A sort of "I'm sending all my means of mass destruction in your direction... so please move a bit to the side... I don't want to hurt you. Kerblog link added to j'accuse - Majzen is a Lebanese blogger taking an apolitical / humanitarian stance during this war.

b. Relegation
Calciopoli moves to appeal stage. Juventus lawyer published the text of his appeal submissions on the Juve fan forum. The exodus of major players continued but surprisingly Buffon, Nedved and Del Piero confirmed their allegiance to la Grande Signora.

c. Immigration
Malta dug it's heels over a boatload of immigrants picked up in Libyan waters by a Spanish trawler. The obstinate refusal to take in more immigrants led to the stressful situation making the headlines across Europe and to immediate action by EU authorities. The flux of immigrants continues to increase and notwithstanding this showdown there were still no clear, long-term solutions in sight.

d. Pensions
MLP declared it will nullify any efforts to alter the pensionable age in the same week that Alfred Sant announced that the new Labour projects would be the result of intense studies and consultations. MLP still believes it is reasonable that despite our ageing population the pensionable age should not be increased. "It's the economy stupid?" all over again.

e. Cheap, Cheerful and Entertaining
The week began with the EP plans to introduce the green tax on flights across Europe. We then discovered that the European Commission has taken the first step in what could possibly be infringement procedures against Malta with regard to the departure tax. J'accuse is unableto comment on either the Commission's reasons or on the Maltese government's responses that were hinted at yesterday by Minister Fenech. Which is sad. Because there is loads to say.

f. Heatwave
The Grand Duchy has had a hot, hot week with temperatures hovering around the 30 mark. Looking for a swimming pool is no longer a possibility but a must.

and the open swimming pool at the Parc Hotel Alvisse in Dommeldange is where this working week was ended yesterday afternoon before a fine dinner on the terrace at Rue De Bragance on jarret de porc avec pommes au four followed by a dessert of apples in cinnamon with pistachio ice-cream all downed with laring-cello from the island of Gozo.

Ta' ta.

Non Sequitur #57

Cheap'N'Cheerful Flights....?

from today's Times of Malta :

INFRINGEMENT PROCEDURES BY EU

The government could be forced to eliminate the unpopular departure tax altogether as the EU finally initiates infringement procedures against the country, The Times has learnt. The European Commission has written to the government saying it deemed the Lm20 tax discriminatory on two counts.

The government's decision to double the departure tax in the 2004 budget was met with a chorus of disapproval as many lamented that it hindered their freedom of movement in an island where air travel is a must. In July 2005, the Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents lodged an official complaint with the EU, claiming, among other things, that Maltese agents were put at a competitive disadvantage should they want to team up with foreign agents.

The arguments put forward by the EU are two-fold: Firstly it deems it discriminatory that the tax is levied on anybody travelling out of Malta while those taking a "flight" to Gozo are not. The tax was found to be in breach of EC Regulation 2408/92.

The Commission also believes the tax is making it difficult for the Maltese to provide and receive services. For example, the EU deems it a disincentive that lawyers or doctors cannot easily go and see clients overseas.The EU was informed that the departure tax was introduced merely for revenue purposes and, in the circumstances, is deemed to be out of line with EU legislation.

A letter of formal notice has been sent to the government, which now has to submit its observations within two months. When contacted, Joanna Drake, the head of the EU Representation in Malta, confirmed the Commission's decision.

"The Commission has expressed reservations on two legal basis. This is the first move in infringement proceedings," Dr Drake explained. Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil was among the first to point out that the hike in the air departure tax was incompatible with EU law and would need to be revised or repealed altogether.

Apart from the Lm20 departure tax, passengers have to pay a fuel surcharge, a passenger service charge and a security charge.

*****

Beirut

from Kerblog - a Lebanon-based blog written by Mazen Kerbaj

for the israeli musicians, painters, writers, thinkers, intellectuals and for all the israeli in israel and around the world who sent us supportive emails and comments,

we know you are here.
we know you are hearing us.
we know you are hearing the bombs getting down on civilians and kids.
kids from lebanon.
kids from israel.
kids from al over the world.

we know that like us, you feel ashamed.

we know you are not a lot.

but we shall meet one day.
when our people will wake up.
in 10.000 years.

A tutta B

Buffon
Birindelli
Nedved
Del Piero
Bojinov
Chiellini
Marchionni
Legrottaglie
Tudor
Kovac
Palladino
Zalayeta
Balzaretti
Giannichedda
Zanetti
Olivera
Paro
Piccolo
Sculli
Zammuto
Zebina

Next?

11 leoni

Partenti:

Cannavaro (Real Madrid)
Emerson (Real Madrid)
Zambrotta (Barcellona)
Thuram (Barcellona)
Vieira (Inter ?)
Ibrahimovic (Inter ?)
Trezeguet (?)

Cheap'N'Cheerful Flights

It's over for Brittania tours. And for many others. The festival of erroneous and misleading advertising in the air travel business is facing the final curtain. The dubious business practice of the famous asterisk where a price tag of "From Lm 49" would be footnoted with an asterisk saying "Prices exclusive of taxes, airport charges and fuel tax".

"Under new rules from the European Commission, airlines have to display what customers will actually pay, including all fees. Many airlines advertise rock-bottom prices, but then when passengers book they find that they must pay charges for fuel, baggage handling, tax, insurance, security checks and even wheelchair access. These charges can double the price of a ticket and, in extreme cases, increase them almost a hundred fold."

Speculation was rife that Ryanair was the main target of these new regulations. In fact, booking a flight advertised for 19p on Ryanair could result in a price tag of 15.97 sterling. Ryanair denied this rumour stating that its customers are clearly aware of the factoring in of taxes when booking from its site. I fact, considering that Ryanair booking is made exclusively online I do agree with Ryanair that most customers are aware of the added costs that "bloat" the price up to the 20s of euros instead of the single euro return ticket.

I would say more. The customer of an LCC is also educated enough to know that the price of the trip must also consider coaches /taxis / trains that link peripheral airports to his final destination. I do not think that the Commission rules had Ryanair in mind - although they too will be affected. One must consider that most non-LCC's have a more expensive base price as well as a higher amount of taxes to pay (not fuel wise but in airport taxes and taxes on services). It is therefore logical to assume that it is in their case that these rules will be most effective. Also, most LCCs have websites that seem to be purposely encrypted for giving the least information possible to the customer.

I have in mind SN Brussels Airlines for example. Their site has the particular trait of being able to switch the dates of your booking on the final confirmation page. It might be a design fault... but it smacks of planned trickery. I fell foul of this trick when booking for a group of 8 traveling to Malta. I ended up having over 2000 euros frozen at SN Airlines since their policy of reimbursement for mistaken bookings is to wait for two months.

Want to be really surprised with abusive usage of websites? Try SN Airlines or Lufthansa. I have noticed that all too often a flight which is queried too many times suddenly develops an unexpected price hike. In a matter of hours I have seen flights to Malta go up by 100 euros. And then there is this practice I have seen on Lufthansa. When sitting at the same desk on the same computer you can get four different prices for the same seat on the same flight. The only difference is whether you input your residence as Luxembourg, France, Germany or Belgium in the beginning. Ridiculous. This too will be curtailed by the new Commission rules.

For more information see this news clip on BBC.

Lussemburgo Città Violenta

From Station.lu News:

Man Caught Under Car in Echternach
On Sunday morning a man had been caught under his car in Echternach. He parked his car on a hill and went to feed sheep on a field. His car rolled of the hill, turned over and caught the man under it, eyewitnesses say.

The Luxemburgish Air Rescue came and was able to free the man who was only slightly injured.

*thanks to RK for the pointer.

Pas de Soldes

It's sales season in Luxembourg and France and it would seem that many football teams are hoping that the best sales will be in Italy... more particularly in Turin. Previous summers would rarely see footballers - particularly Italian ones - leaving the peninsula for other pastures. Foreign teams did not want the mammoni and they had this rare inability to settle in a land far from mamma, pizza and pasta.

Calciopoli has changed the rules of the game and has divided the international market into two camps. On the one side there are the vultures - those who without any scruples swoop down on the teams currently embroiled by the matter and try to force a bargain sale. On the other hand are the purists - those who are disgusted by this kind of mercenary activity that also exposes another ugly side of "football since the Champions League".

For the fact of the matter is that the Rumenigges and (I never thought I'd say this) Wenger's of this world are right. It is immoral and disgusting for a team to take advantage of another teams woes. This is not to say that they should not be trying to buy the player who does not wish to stay in Serie B for one or two seasons. Rather, it is the attempts at cutting the price that are unshamefaced and verging on the unethical.

These vultures know that any bargain purchase will drive another knife into the already harshly punished teams by pushing them further on the brink of ruin. They know that had they been in the same place (and some of them like the glorious Real Madrid have been - only to be saved by a King with endless pockets - everyone would love to be bankrupt one year and spend a world record transfer fee on Zidane the next) they would be screaming with the same amount of indignation as Cobolli Gigli is doing now.

The punishment is still not settled. Everybody except Procuratore Palazzi and the wishy washy supporters of loser teams who can only hope to win by gettng the great out of the way seem to think that Juve, Fiorentina, Lazio and Milan deserved more not less in terms of punishment. I was surprised by the decision. In legal terms the same burden of proof and the same measure found Juve guilty of playing with two matches, Fiorentina one, Lazio one and Milan one. It is impossible to ask any reader (especially supporter of loser teams described above) to read the decision objectively but in legal terms the distance between what the court found as being proven and the punishment is immense.

Some might oppose that the burden of proof is different in sports law. True. But it is under that very burden of proof that the results were found. And the distance between those results and the punishment is abysmal. Especially relatively speaking - between the teams punished. I await the appeal with confidence. In the meantime I hope that any deals for sales being trumpeted will really be loan deals (ohlom). More than that I really really hope that Dudchester United and Real Dudrid have a really really bad season next year... a bit like the one we are used to seeing Rigetta perform year in year out.