The increasingly intertwined worlds of football and finance came together this week in London for the Financial Times annual Business of Football Summit. Over two days we heard from agents, fans, clubs, broadcasters, regulators, leagues, owners and investors about where they think the game is heading, what’s going right and what needs to improve.
One thing stood out through it all: calls for change are
growing louder. People across the game
pointed to cracks in the foundations that underpin the status quo. Football’s
financial model is not working, too many clubs lose too much money.
On the pitch, the issue of competitive balance is becoming
more acute, with a tiny group of teams winning their domestic leagues far too
often. Young people are beginning to switch off, posing a long term challenge
for broadcasters. Fans feel increasingly alienated and exploited by the push to
make money from football. And regulation is struggling to keep up.
As the gap between the haves and the have nots gets bigger,
something will have to give. The failed European Super League project may have
been the opening salvo in a longer-term battle over the future of football.
What real, lasting change across the game might look like
will be hotly contested in the coming years by the various forces now looking to
shape it.
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