Poku is actually semi-tied to Ghana because he doesn't currently have U.S. citizenship. He will have to apply for a wavier to play for the U.S. once he gets his citizenship.
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I am all for whatever Kwadwo thinks is best for his family. Selfishly, I want him here. But he's making $60,000 a year. Anderlecht will offer him that much money every month. He SHOULD go overseas if the money is right for him. This is a young man's game and he is already 24 years old. He probably has 6 top level years in him and he needs to cash in on it. I would actually be surprised if he comes back.
It would be interesting to know/see how Poku's strengths fit into the style of play and methodologies PV will preach and promote. Leaving aside whether there were any other issues influencing JK's view of Poku, Poku's style of facing goal and barreling forward doesn't fit well with JK's marriage to possession, safe-touch, etc, soccer (as stubborn as JK's tendencies may have been). Anyone have any insight into how they think PV would/could utilize Poku in a way that fits the PV (MC) style of play? The great thing about PV, as compared to JK, is that he could work with Poku to adapt to a system, rather than simply conclude he doesn't fit into one.
This is what seems crazy to me about MLS, and I just can't seem to get used to it. $60K is barely enough to live comfortably in New York, and you won't be able to save much for retirement for when your knees give out when you're 32. With salaries like these the league will never be able to rise above EPL League 1/Champions level. Merely decent players make that *per match* in the EPL.
You can't live off of $60,000 a year anywhere near New York City, save for some not so savory locations.
I'm all for paying players (and everyone!) more, but that is an absolutely absurd statement. There are literally millions of New Yorkers - many of whom probably consider themselves to be living well - for whom that salary would constitute a raise. I would be surprised if the club does not have some way of helping players with housing as well.
I don't think he will need to apply for a waiver since he will have lived in the U.S. for the last five years prior to gaining citizenship. The waiver is for people like Zelalem, who became a U.S. citizen while living overseas (he was eligible because his dad had just gotten citizenship).
I assume he lives with his wife, who is a nurse and an American citizen. Between the two of them, I am sure they are living comfortably. Plus, if he doesn't transfer, I bet he gets a nice raise - he deserves it.
And we can't afford it. If aldernacht offer one million USD for Poku that would result in NYCFC getting 600k of that total in allocation money. 600k in allocation money and some judicious purchasing will unfuck our roster quite nicely. Additionally I do want to see Poku do well financially and a euro club will simply pay him a lot more than we can.
I can't argue with the first part of that. As I said above, we've got 5+ guys suitable for 2-3 spots in central midfield, and so we are going to have to convert some of that surplus into defenders and wingers. If we can accomplish that without getting rid of one of Mix, Poku, Pirlo and Frank, great, but I doubt it.
This is what the statue says:
Any Player who ... [assumes] a new nationality and who has not played international football [in a match ... in an official competition of any category or any type of football for one Association] shall be eligible to play for the new representative team only if he fulfills one of the following conditions: (a) He was born on the territory of the relevant Association; (b) His biological mother or biological father was born on the territory of the relevant Association; (c) His grandmother or grandfather was born on the territory of the relevant Association; (d) He has lived continuously for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 on the territory of the relevant Association...
If a Player has more than one nationality, or if a Player acquires a new nationality, or if a Player is eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international matches to the Association of another Country of which he holds nationality, subject to the following conditions: a) He has not played a match (either in full or in part) in an Official Competition at “A” international level for his current Association, and at the time of his first full or partial appearance in an international match in an Official Competition for his current Association, he already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play...
Any Player who has the right to change Associations in accordance with par.1 and 2 (par 1 is the middle paragraph above) above shall submit a written, substantiated request to the FIFA general secretariat. The Players’ Status Committee shall decide on the request. The procedure will be in accordance with the Rules Governing the Procedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber. Once the Player has filed his request, he is not eligible to play for any representative team until his request has been processed.
If a Player has more than one nationality, or if a Player acquires a new nationality, or if a Player is eligible to play for several representative teams due to nationality, he may, only once, request to change the Association for which he is eligible to play international matches to the Association of another Country of which he holds nationality, subject to the following conditions: a) He has not played a match (either in full or in part) in an Official Competition at “A” international level for his current Association, and at the time of his first full or partial appearance in an international match in an Official Competition for his current Association, he already had the nationality of the representative team for which he wishes to play...
Any Player who has the right to change Associations in accordance with par.1 and 2 (par 1 is the middle paragraph above) above shall submit a written, substantiated request to the FIFA general secretariat. The Players’ Status Committee shall decide on the request. The procedure will be in accordance with the Rules Governing the Procedures of the Players’ Status Committee and the Dispute Resolution Chamber. Once the Player has filed his request, he is not eligible to play for any representative team until his request has been processed.
You can't live in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island for $60,000 a year. You could live in Harlem (some places), the South Bronx or some spots in Brooklyn for $60,000 a year. Assume you pay 10% of your income in taxes at that salary, you are left with $54,000. You then need housing, transportation and food. I assume he pays next to nothing for clothes every year because he gets free Adidas stuff. You need to eat, get around and find housing for $4,500 a month. Not impossible, but not easy either.
You could probably do that in parts of down county Westchester (Yonkers, Mt. Vernon).
Median Income, per household, based on most recent census data:
Staten Island $70,295
Manhattan $66,739
Queens $54,373
Brooklyn, 44,850
Bronx $38,900
The median is the point at which half have more income and half have less. Lots of people living in NYC for less than $60k. Agreed that it can be hard (a lot depends on how many people in the household, etc). But many do it. And if Poku's wife is a full time nurse, and an RN, the median salary for that in NYC is about $81k. Even if she's making $60 that puts them combined around $120k.
Pretty sure the team has training tables set up for eating. I remember seeing a picture of Lampard eating in a cafeteria setting (SUNY dining hall?) with academy players sitting around him in discussion. I'd venture that they have breakfast too at the training facility (SUNY) if they arrive early, and if they have afternoon/evening appearances I'd bet the team springs for dinner too.
One morning over the summer, I was on my commute into the city and getting off my train at Grand Central when I saw a group of young men in NYCFC warmups carrying NYCFC bags waiting at the end of a platform. I figured they were staff until Nemec strolled by me and up to the group. Then I realized these were players heading up to practice in Rye.
I would guess many of these guys have the same type of 20-something rooming situation that a lot of recent college graduates have here - probably including having teammates as roommates.
I would guess many of these guys have the same type of 20-something rooming situation that a lot of recent college graduates have here - probably including having teammates as roommates.
I feel like there has to be a Nemec joke here somewhere, but I'm not witty enough to come up with it...
Khiry roomed with Mix, right? I always assumed Mix might have covered more than a 50-50 share of the rent.
Wasn't the last time Nemec was seen with his bags heading away from NYC.
I agree with your larger point about Poku. There is no doubt that he is underpaid. And no doubt that 60k is uncomfortable for any professional athlete given that most of them will see their earnings fall rather than rise later in life.
But your "calculations" are laughable. Most obviously, In New York City someone on a 60k salary with no dependents is going to pay closer to 30% than 10% of their income in taxes.
And yet, people live.
MGarbovski's numbers are for household income. If it were individual income, 60k would likely be above the median for every borough.
Actually no. Even if NYCFC receive a hefty transfer fee, they can only use a % of it against the cap. Otherwise if they sold him for $6 million it would quadruple nycfc's cap. Thems the rules.
