7 Sep 2013

European managers want shorter transfer window

5:59 am on 7 September 2013

Leading European football managers are supporting an earlier closing of the annual transfer window which, under the current setup, can lead to clubs losing players they've groomed to rival clubs amid European competition.

Speaking after a meeting held by European football's governing body UEFA, Tottenham's Andre Villas-Boas underscored the coaches' differences with club financiers, who want to boost their transfer market war chests with lucrative Champions League revenues.

While the transfer window closes as the European summer winds down, the qualifying rounds of the Champions League run from the start of July until late August.

Managers are unhappy that drawn-out transfer sagas, like Tottenham star Gareth Bale's recent world record move to Real Madrid, can cause havoc in their planning for the domestic season.