European royalty has hit our shores this week. Real Madrid, Manchester City and Roma will play in Melbourne, Liverpool and Brisbane and only two months ago we had Chelsea in Sydney.
These are the giants of world football, with values in the billions, supporters in the millions and trophy cabinets bursting at the seams.
However, and in many ways reflecting the real life situation facing many on the continent, the rich are getting richer, the successful are becoming more regularly and routinely successful, and the poor are just being left to fend for themselves.
Europe’s biggest clubs have never been more dominant and the factors of international ownership and skyrocketing broadcasting revenue means we’re only moments away from breaking point.
UEFA has tried to curtail the issues with regulatory interference on the exponential spending but we’re far too gone for that to arrest the momentum.
A European Super League is on its way; the continent’s greatest playing one another every weekend in a league of their own.
First publicly mooted by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in 2009, noteworthy as Los Blancos are undoubtedly the most valuable sporting franchise in the world, Europe’s biggest and greatest would break away from the cyclical and underwhelming domestic competitions and create their own perfect storm.
Perez said: “We have to agree a new European Super League which guarantees that the best always play the best.”
Galatasaray’s president then backed up Perez’s vision two years ago, adding: “It is a concept that (has been) under discussion for a few years.
“The first 15-20 big clubs of Europe all agree with this – nobody will say no. Manchester United, Paris Saint Germain, Real Madrid.
“The future for European clubs and the future of football, nobody can say no to this. At the moment, it looks like a dream, a vision. I am sure, sooner or later, in a maximum of five years’ time, it will be a reality.”
Here’s why this meteoric shift in the way we know European football is almost upon us, and to do this let’s start by looking at the Champions League.
For the top clubs this is now the title they really want to win. Domestic league titles are a fait accompli for the superpowers, little energy is required in ensuring that. Domestic cup competitions are long forgotten as its continental success that is now the greatest source of worth.
We have come to a stage where Champions League broadcast rights are almost on par with domestic leagues with the overtake surely to happen within 10 years, a truly staggering trend.
In England, the Premier League rights bring in a staggering £1.25 billion a year for the next four years, which comes out at just under £3.3 million a game.
However BT Sport have just paid £900 million for the Champions League rights in England for the next three years, which comes out at £2.5 million a game. The figure for the last rights was around £1 million a game.
And where the TV money increases, so does the transfer fees, which have blown out so much that UEFA saw need to step in and rule over the unsustainable future the game faced.
However, and bringing this back to the elite clubs in Europe, 85 of the top 100 transfer fees paid in the game’s history have been paid by just 16 of its clubs.
Since the 1999 move of Christian Vieri from Lazio to Inter Milan for £28 million, a then world record amount, 29 transfer fees now gone on to supersede it with the current record now at £85.3 million (Gareth Bale to Real Madrid in 2013). Of those 29 transfers, 24 have been made by the same 16 clubs.
These 16 clubs come from just five western European countries where their domestic dominance shows the pressing need of a higher level of competition for the continual growth of their respective fortunes.
In England, every title since Blackburn won the league in 1995-96 has been won by a club that features in this select 16. Since the 1920s, 64 Italian league titles have been won by just four clubs, four which appear, again, in the 16.
Over to Spain, arguably the most saturated example, 30 of the last 31 league crowns have gone to just four clubs, and yes those four are in the continent’s elite.
There are two elite clubs in Germany who have won 18 of the last 22 league titles and while the lone entrant from France has only won the last three titles, rather infamous overseas investment has elevated their status comfortably.
Lastly, Forbes every year compiles a most valuable list ranking European clubs on a range of factors including broadcasting, sponsorship and match day revenue
According to the 2015 list the top 16 mentioned in this column are worth a combined £21 billion, comfortably more than the rest of the UEFA registered clubs (over 2500) combined.
These 16 clubs are:
England: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United
France: Paris Saint-Germain
Germany: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund
Italy: AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma
Spain: Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia
The chances of these clubs not winning any of their respective league competitions in the foreseeable future are slim to none and to compete with one another on the continental and subsequent global stage they need things to change.
To break away from their own leagues and create their own competition would see revenue figures jump to proportions never dreamt of let alone seen before.
These 16 would keep the existing Champions League format as their ‘cup’ competition, maintaining the midweek windfall that this format brings.
But the estimated global television money they could demand for the weekend league fixtures among themselves would be well into the tens of billions.
The lure of 10-digit television revenue each will be too hard to refuse and the loyalty to tradition and history can only matter for so long.
There’s good reason the same clubs each and every off-season travel the world and play in front of capacity crowds full of adoring fans. There’s good reason why the same clubs mount the victory dais to raise domestic trophies year after year and there’s also good reason why the pointy end of the Champions League will continue to see the same clubs year after year.
Something has to give, the potential to break away just has too much to offer. Quite frankly, to forecast the status quo continuing to compete in Europe’s big leagues has become equally unimaginable and unsustainable for the elite clubs.
Standby for a revolution.
Eurosnobs OUT!
Guest
Agree. It would never happen.
Batou
Guest
How are domestic titles a fait accompli for all of these clubs, many of which compete with each other? Five of the clubs you listed are in England. Only one can win each year. As an arsenal fan I can assure you that winning the league every year is no fait accompli. Liverpool fans would need to be in their 30s to have any chance of remembering their last premiership. Even Real Madrid have only won three titles in the last decade. Apart from that other issues include losing local fan engagement, loss of local derbies, loss of excitement for these big fixtures, travel issues (particularly for non EU players) etc. It basically sounds like a terrible idea to me. The champions league covers this top level to my satisfaction the way it currently is.
Lionheart
Guest
Can't see this super league happening myself, but nothing would surprise me with so much money involved. Happy with the salary cap.
Michael
Roar Rookie
"The chances of these clubs not winning any of their respective league competitions in the foreseeable future are slim to none and to compete with one another on the continental and subsequent global stage they need things to change." Liverpool or Arsenal are likely to win the league? No domestic league is "easy" to win (maybe Bayern-liga), and particularly not the EPL!
NrlDefender
Guest
The disparity in contrats payed in SR compared to French rugby is huge often 2 or 3 times higher with a more generous tax incentive to move offshore. I beleive an up and comming or player his prime such as Hazard or Pogba will put country representation over a few extra 100k. But players such Villa and Lampard who have made there money and won trophies winding down there carrers would be more inclined to join this super comp. Having said that many south american players dream of playing for Real and Barca would they put those club jerseys before a Brazilian or Argetinian Jersey imo i doubt it...
Johnno
Guest
NrlDefender, who says the players care about not playing in a World Cup? When the money is so big $ Look at rugby union, many god NZ players and aussies play in Europe giving up AB'S/Wallaby jerseys.
NrlDefender
Guest
This wont happend it wont be FIFA sanctioned and thus FIFA wont let playrrs playing in the new "rebel" league play for there country which means no world cup.... Too big a carrot to ignore no matter hiw much players are payed extra....
Cugel
Roar Rookie
After this year's World Cup, expect a torrent of W-League teams to fill that list real soon now.
The Gronk
Guest
Yer I think the gap will only widen. Soccer clubs around the world are only going to get bigger while NFL teams in the states are pretty much maxed out in terms of growing their supporter bases in the states. Just look at the match last night in Brissy, most of the supporters there followed Liverpool and that match was played against a local soccer team.
woodo
Guest
Bundesliga does likewise also :)
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"the world’s most valuable team still resides in Spain. Real Madrid ranks first for the third straight year at $3.26 billion" Source: Forbes "World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2015" http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2015/07/15/the-worlds-50-most-valuable-sports-teams-2015/
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
In terms of distance, travel in Western Europe where most of the Top clubs would be located is pretty insignificant compared to a country like Australia. In ALeague, Perth Glory & Wellington Pheonix would travel greater distances every away match than any of the away trips in the proposed European competition involving England, France, Germany, Italy & Spain. But, for sure any travel that involves flying is inconvenient, time-consuming & physically stressful.
AR
Guest
Interesting. Minor quibble: "Los Blancos are undoubtedly the most valuable sporting franchise in the world" Pretty sure that title goes to Man Utd, then NY Yankees, then Dallas Cowboys.
brisvegas
Guest
They'd probably be allowed to keep a 'B' team in the domestic league. There've already been talks about the possibility of PL teams fielding 'B' teams in the lower divisions, and La Liga already allows it. Bring it on, I say. Get the fat cats out of the PL and make it an interesting competition again.
Matthew Boulden
Roar Guru
When these plans keep on resurfacing I very much doubt anyone considers the players, managerial staff and support staff let alone the fans. If one retains the UCL Champions League alongside a European Super League do they even realise how much of a travel nightmare that is? You need a day after each game for rest and recovery and the day before each game is usually reversed as well if traveling over long distances so that leaves just one measly day for any proper training between games. Realistically you need at least two continental leagues so you can have a simple promotion and relegation system as well, otherwise you are going to lose some viewer interest in the league once the title is restricted to just a few contenders. You could say half the appeal of the massive games is their rarity and (supposed) significance, once you're playing the likes of AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund each week it just becomes the new norm. The technical quality of the football would be pretty awesome but doesn't necessarily lead to exciting games, plenty of disappointing stalemates and bore-fests to prove that. However, I think the key take away point for club management should be that unless you are the very best by restricting yourself to just the UCL Champions League and a European Super League you are cutting down on your own chances of winning silverware each season. The UEFA Champions League might be seen as the pinnacle of the domestic sport in Europe but fans love and demand silverware so why increase the pressure on yourself?
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Given the current state of anti-EU sentiment sweeping across Europe & a move to nationalism, club administrators will be well-advised to think very carefully before such a dramatic breakaway. This elite Euro league has been talked about for decades. It's one of the reasons the European club competitions moved away from knock-out European Cup & Uefa Cup to the league system of Champions League & Europa League. I hope for more nationalistic leagues with restrictions on foreign players in every league - bit like we have in ALeague & Asian Champions League.
Higgik
Guest
Works in NFL. Most of the tickets sold for matches are for home teams anyway, with only 5% to away team. It is inevitable, just how long til we get there and the format. Personally I like a format that keeps the idea of domestic leagues, but with less matches, enabling the Champions League style to continue
lester
Guest
It won't happen because the fans will revolt. The foreign gloryhunters might watch but the local fans who actually live in these cities and buy season tickets etc will have none of it and TV audiences can't hide empty seats. There is no way, for example, that the 51% Fan owned clubs in Germany will get approval from their fan base to leave the Bundesliga. They want their local rivalries and derbies, in addition to the big European games and the status quo suits them fine.