On a winter day in 1979, fans, journalists and onlookers surrounded a car that stopped at the door of Nottingham Forest in the English football elite at the time. From within came a man in suit and tie named Trevor Francis, who entered the history of sport in England. Alongside the coach, legendary Brian Clough, Francis was presented as the first British player to be bought by £ 1 million.
At the news conference, they asked if so much money would be a career weight. “I hope not. When I enter the field I need to forget that,” he said. Months later, he scored Forest’s goal in the final version of the Champions League.
More than 46 years later, the figures catapulted. The end of the European window this week was marked by grandeur: Liverpool bought Newcastle’s Alexander Isak for £ 125 million, the most expensive transfer in English football history, and broke the record of investments in players, with more than £ 400 million ($ 2.9 billion).
Premier League clubs spent £ 3.1 billion ($ 22.7 billion), something that had never happened. It is easy to answer because European football is so superior to the Brazilian: it’s the economy, stupid! But this phenomenon also causes discomfort.
English clubs felt comfortable spending so much because they have a new and lucrative TV broadcast contract; Six will be at Champions and another three in other European competitions; Manchester City and Chelsea won, respectively, £ 40 million and £ 80 million (R $ 290 million and R $ 580 million) in the Club World Cup. Great transfers, such as Isak’s, were among England clubs and the money circulated internally.
In the case of Liverpool, it is also the result of efficient management, major sponsorship contracts, awards and sales of players who balanced the accounts.
But these numbers also opened the abyss between the Premier League and the alloys of Germany, Spain, France and Italy.
In net values, £ 1.2 billion (R $ 8.8 billion) was what was spent in England, compared to 157 million (R $ 1.1 billion) in the German Championship, in second place. It is more than the other four alloys added.
Middle -table clubs at Premier League today can buy major team players in Europe, but this will not make the championship more balanced. They are still very far from giants like Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City. As everyone wants as much revenue as possible on games days, entries are increasingly inaccessible. Of the 20 league clubs, 13 increased the price of tickets for the staffing partners this year.
More longing critics have spoken here as the connection between athlete and fans is getting lost. With as many loans and sales, how much is emotional involvement if the player may not even be there the following season?
If Liverpool is so efficient in his management, good for him. But while an example, the imbalance caused by so much money is not ideal for the sport. And it bothers you.
Sports powers do not like to be left behind (see the attempted Superleague, clubs that did not dispute the World Cup of irritated clubs).
Football may end up becoming the victim of his own success.
Gift Link: Did you like this text? Subscriber can release seven free hits from any link per day. Just click on F Blue below.
