When Lula won his first presidential elections in Brazil, during the campaign of that trade unionist that the markets feared so much, the investment bank Goldman Sachs interfered in it by creating the “lulometer”, an economic indicator based on “algorithmic” formulas that it measured daily. the relationship between Lula’s chances of victory, the real exchange rate and the country risk premium. If the intention to vote of the PT candidate rose, the real would collapse and the risk premium would skyrocket. And backwards. Such an electoral audit had never been carried out. What is left over is the past, the future is what we are lacking.
This is how one of the great destabilizers of the world economy proceeds. Responsible “subsidiary” of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, a tireless craftsman in the design of the diabolical “subprime” mortgages causing the biggest international financial crisis since the Great Depression, and of disguising the fiscal balance of Greece by lighting the perfect monetary storm in a Europe with the euro dancing drunk on the edge of the cliff. Definitely. A gem.
Goldman Sachs belongs to that shadow bank, of shady bankers, who do aggressive and clandestine banking, off balance sheet, chasing “bonus” millionaires robbing countries from the darkness of their offices. That sublime epic of prey. Now the bank of the “muppets” (puppets) – that’s what they called their clients – has decided to bet its peg leg in the usual international football auctions. The investment bank has disbursed 600 million euros in its attempt to restructure the debt of Fútbol Club Barcelona. The capital injection raised some questions about the ownership model if the entity fell into the hands of its creditors. The opposition to Joan Laporta, president of the club, warns that said indebtedness may cause guarantors to assume the role of shareholders in a covert and privatized Sports Limited Company. “Now it’s time to re-float the club to prevent other boards from being forced to take the step towards a SAD,” replies María Elena Fort, institutional vice president. The taboo was broken. The leaders “cules” speak of partial privatizations between pints and squid. Something unthinkable a few years ago. For the moment they rule it out. They say that the ownership model is not discussed, but management. This is where you start, some “cules” tacheristas with a human face secretly laugh.
Soccer is also high politics. A few weeks ago Newcastle United became the richest and most powerful club in the world. The sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF, for its acronym in English) disbursed 350 million euros. The purchase was backed by a financial consortium that includes the PIF, the investment fund PCP Capital Partners, RB Sports & Media (of the millionaire Reuben brothers), and the usual suspect: Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The investment bank took refuge behind the enigmatic and powerful figure of Amanda Staveley, a British businesswoman and owner of the investment firm PCP Capital Parterns. The former model convinced the Saudi monarchy to bet on the Premier League, as a counterweight to the influence of its historical enemy, the Qatari monarchy, owner of the BeIN chain, owner of the Premier’s broadcasting license in the Gulf countries. Felix Jakens, British spokesperson for Amnesty International, denounced it as a “clear attempt by the Saudi government to wash away its abominable record on human rights.”
The universe of oligarchic football, that of four friends, privatizing, is consolidated. Philosophy does not serve to leave doubts, but to enter them. Soccer too.
Former Velez player, and World champion Tokyo 1979
Lula da Silva
