The Political Economy of Football V2

Modernising reforms in Brazilian football, which include discussions about a new league modelled on English football, are attracting high-profile backers, including Emirati royalty and multiclub conglomerates, who view Brazil as a next frontier in the global sports industry. Brazilian football is one of the enigmas of global sport. The country enjoys a near-unrivalled status as a talent factory — most of the biggest clubs in the world, from Real Madrid to Manchester City, boast Brazilian stars on their rosters.    Even FA cup surprise package Maidstone United have a Brazilian goalkeeper.   Yet many of its own major clubs have long underperformed off the pitch — and are barely known outside of Brazil. A lack of professional management has been blamed for the weak financial position of many clubs and a failure to realise the sport’s commercial potential. This is exacerbated by the early departure of many of the country’s best players to European leagues, with the allure...

Everton fans might start to think they have gone out of the frying pan into the fire with their prospective new owners, but there are no viable alternatives on offer. Everton’s prospective new owners, 777 Partners, were warned by the head of the British Basketball League (BBL) this month that the competition faced being put into “immediate administration” unless a delayed payment of £825,000 was received. The Premier League’s legal experts are studying 777’s takeover bid and the American investment company’s owners can expect to be quizzed over its financial dealings with the BBL, which it co-owns. UK Sport and the government are understood to be monitoring the situation as public funding was provided for the BBL clubs in the form of loans during the Covid pandemic. The British Basketball Federation, the sport’s governing body in the UK, has also launched a review of 777’s ownership. Everton fits perfectly into the model that 777 Partners has established for its football operat...