With Monaco’s firm reputation as a tax-haven and refuge for the super-rich, one could be forgiven for spending a few euros in this part of the world. This summer, however, Dmitry Rybolovlev has completely re-written the rulebook on how to live lavishly on the Riviera. Monaco fans next season will find themselves spoiled for stars with the advent of some of the world’s biggest players after a remarkable spending spree from their beloved Russian owner.
The Russian billionaire has caused a stir amongst Europe’s football elite with the signings of Radoman Falcao, João Moutinho and Ricardo Carvalho. Not only has he transformed the fortunes of a club which only a few weeks ago had been playing its football in France’s Ligue 2, he has also angered such figures as Roman Abramovic with his domination of the European transfer market, and the acquisition of many of the transfer targets of the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Having made his fortune in raw materials and the banking industry, in 2011 Rybolovlev set his sights on the world of European football purchasing a 66% stake in AS Monaco. Rybolvev’s arrival signalled the end to one of the darkest chapters in the history of a club which has won 7 Ligue 1 titles, 5 Coupe de Frances’ and more recently reached the Champion’s League final in the 2003/04 season under the guidance of France and Monaco legend Didier Deschamps.
The team that year also featuring such legends as Fernando Morientes and Ludovic Guily. However, at the time of Rybolovlev’s takeover, Monaco found themselves languishing in the depths of French Ligue 2 having been relegated at the end of the 2010/11 season.
Rybolovlev’s first success came with the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as manager on 30th May last year. Ranieri, a former manager of Chelsea and Inter, led the club to the French Ligue 2 title this season. This title, which restored Monaco to Ligue 1 status, was ironically the only honour in French football the club had not yet won.
With the help of Ranieri, Rybolovlev’s Monaco last summer secured the signing of Argentinian rising star Lucas Ocampos for a reported €11 million. The 19 year old Ocampos has been hailed as one to watch out for as a potential Argentine international. He also secured the services of renowned Danish international Jakob Poulson who signed for a reported £1 million after a disappointing Euro 2012 with his national side.
These signings, although important, cannot compare to the dealings of Monaco this summer. In the past few weeks Rybolovlev has succeeded in luring some of Europe’s most talented and most wanted players to the Stade Louis II. First came the signing of Radamel Falcao a month ago. The Columbia international and Atlético Madrid star snubbed Chelsea and Manchester City in signing for Monaco for a reported fee of €50 million.
Rybolovlev also secured the signing of another Chelsea target, João Mouthinho, 4 days later. The 26 year old Portuguese midfielder Moutinho moved from Porto for a figure of around €25 million. Moutinho’s move to Monaco was confirmed along with the signing of James Rodriguez in a combined deal worth £60 million.
It seems unlikely that Rybolovlev will stop here though, as there are more and more players being linked with a move to Monaco by the day. Here are just a few of the candidates linked with a move to the Riviera;
Luiz Nani
Portugal and Manchester United winger. Often found himself surplus to requirements at United. Could a move to Monaco prove fruitful for the 26 year old as he looks to rejuvenate his career and make a name for himself amongst the giants of European football?
John Terry
Current Chelsea captain. Can he be tempted to abandon Abramovic and a club who’ve fostered his talents since age 18, and end his career in style at the employment of another Russian millionaire?
Christiano Ronaldo
Will Rybolovlev swoop for Ronaldo and offer a world-record transfer fee of €100m? The 27 year old has been strongly linked with a move to Monaco, could he become the biggest signing of the summer so far?
Many parallels have been drawn between Dmitry Rybolovlev’s attempts to conquer the French league and Roman Abramovic’s revival of Chelsea in 2003. Certainly it seems that he will go to any means to ensure success at his new club. Could it really be that a club whose attendance figures last season peaked at 6,102 and averaged only 5,841 will one day be champions of France and/or Europe? For now Rybolovlev and Monaco seem content to turn heads and raise eyebrows before the talking stops and his dream-team take the field in August.