I have long argued that while globalisation may be over in international trade it is alive and well in football (soccer). One sign of continuing globalisation would be regular domestic league fixtures being played abroad.
Relevent Sports,
the events promoter and media rights company co-founded and owned by
billionaire Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M.Ross, this month settled a legal
fight with the U.S. Soccer Federation, which brought the question of
domestic leagues playing regular-season matches outside of their home countries
into sharp focus.
The matter had
reached the Supreme Court in April 2024, but a sudden breakthrough came
when world governing body FIFA was dropped from the initial lawsuit. FIFA said
it would review its policy about domestic games abroad — with the FIFA Council
approving the formation of a working group on the matter — and Relevent, in a
statement, said FIFA would consider “changes to its existing rules about
whether games can be played outside of a league’s home territory.”
All eyes are now on
FIFA, which must find a way forward that appeases stakeholders across global
football who often have wildly competing agendas.
The Athletic has learned the following:
- The
general consensus across the football industry is that FIFA’s policies
will soon approve domestic league games to be played abroad, despite the
fact the working group has only met once formally.
- La
Liga remains the frontrunner to be the first overseas league to play a
game on U.S. soil, but the Italian Serie A, Liga MX and UEFA competitions
all have advocates keen to do so.
- Despite
La Liga’s collective desire to bring a game to the U.S., Real Madrid has
expressed internal opposition.
- Some
representatives on the FIFA working group are keen to agree to guidelines
that restrict the number of games that could be played in a specific
foreign territory per calendar year by a single competition, or even a
single team – but this could risk further anti-trust litigation.
- While
La Liga has been the most vocal league seeking to play in the U.S., MLS
has been most concerned by the possibility of Liga MX bringing games over
the border.
The English Premier League previously considered playing an
entire round of games outside of its territory 17 years ago, but the idea
melted away amid a ferocious backlash by supporters and media in England, who
deemed the idea of a so-called ’39th game’ a betrayal of local supporters.
Premier League CEO Richard Masters said the “door looked
ajar” following the FIFA settlement with Relevent but insisted the league had
no plans to act. The Football Supporters Association, a representative body for
fans in England and Wales, warned any attempted revival of the idea would be
met “with a full-blown, two feet off the ground, studs to the knee tackle.”
In Spain, however, La Liga appears to have less ferocious
local sentiment and is prepared to argue its case. García relayed the feeling
that “everybody that pays for their ESPN subscription (to watch La Liga in the
U.S.) is as valued as a fan as somebody that pays for the season ticket holder
in Spain.”
Ironically, La Liga’s biggest internal opposition may come
from its most successful club. Real Madrid, the 36-time league winner,
previously opposed the idea of taking individual matches outside the U.S.
because executives have concerns about how it will impact the integrity of La
Liga’s competition if home advantage for a participating team is eliminated,
therefore creating an imbalanced competition.
Promoters have interest in taking Serie A games to both Abu
Dhabi and Australia at the beginning of next season, according to people
familiar with the proposals. Serie A did not respond to a request for comment.
Cup competitions are already being staged by the Italian and
Spanish football federations in Saudi Arabia. It is not difficult to imagine
how that may develop if the payments are large enough.
Comments
Post a Comment