In the last 10 years, we are witnessing to total dominance of few clubs in European football. Only few teams are winning most important competitions and trophies such as Champions League and Europa League. Just five clubs have won Champions League trophy in the last 10 seasons and only six have won Europa League. Big clubs becomes even bigger while small ones have no chance to even play Europa League. Competition is very huge and very harsh, and only 80 teams have privilege to play in European competitions each year, but only handful of them are winning all the trophies. Usually the richest ones...
We all agreed earlier that football have become just business. Millions of euros are invested into strongest clubs each year. Where Man City or PSG have been 10 years ago? And still, they haven’t won UCL or EL trophy yet! Man City have bigger budget then some countries defense budget. Players wages have become insane, and they are way over payed compared to their quality and performance they showing to us. If we look how much money Champions League winner gets, just do the math and you can see that money barely cover even players salaries. And where is the rest? Of course that clubs have different and other ways of funding or they would bankrupt. Tourist visits, jersey selling, match tickets, TV rights and bunch of other stuff made the world brands out of ordinary football clubs. From total club profit, the smallest percentage of that income is coming from just playing a football. Just look at recent Ronaldo transfer to Juventus.
Juventus get back their money which they invested for Ronaldo transfer for 72 hours! 100 million euros, by just selling his jersey! And still they manage to give him salary, bigger then half of Serie A players combined! In this world, where money play most important role in sport and everywhere in general, is hard for small club to keep up and compete with this running money bags...Because of that, UEFA, as we all know, prefer strongest clubs in their competitions. Clubs with money, reputation, best players, modern stadiums, army of fans, fans who can afford to travel and support their club anywhere, even if they need to spend shit load of money. All these mentioned brings extra money to UEFA indirectly and you can not tell me that UEFA is not affected by those clubs.
Before, football was game played by the poorest and watched by the richest and now is opposite.
Considering all this, UEFA should rename Champions League to Rich League. To create some closed type competition only for richest where they can play only among them each year. It is very hard and uninteresting for me to watch same teams over and over again after group stage every year. And not just me. Yes, we have one or two new teams each year in UCL, but they just can't to anything beside participating and filling to spots. Maybe solution is to put salary cap like in NBA. That way you will limit rich clubs to spend enormous amount of money for transfers and salaries. Today, mediocrity have become expensive due this 200+ million euros transfers...Some player with average quality and no special talent worth somewhere about 30+ million euros. If there was no such big transfers in football, that player would play in some average club. In this kind of situation small clubs can't afford even players like this.
Unfortunately, everything is about making money.
When is last time that happen, for underdog team to win UCL??? Can you remember? I can. For me it was Porto in season 2003/04 when they won UCL. 15 years ago! But even than we didn’t have situation like this. It all started with Chelsea I think. When Abramovich bought the club and start to invest lots of money in it. Suddenly, Chelsea start to winning the EPL and after a while even UCL. So, money doesn’t play big role in football?
It is perfectly normal for football, as well as sports, to evolve and follow the trends. But I don't like where this is going. I don't know for you guys. It is all about entertainment. Recently, Real Madrid published that, their profit for last season was 750 millions euros!!! And that was without transfers. So, in this environment, little teams can not survive. They have to sell best players duo lack of finances, and start to build team all over again from season to season. In EPL, just for participating in competition, because of TV rights and percentage from association, last team last season, gained 120 millions euros. I know one thing, that football in this shape and balance won't last long. Collapse is inevitable.
Yes, we have from time to time, big wins of small teams but that is just to rare.
In old days, football and other sports have been played for fun and glory. There was not so much money involved but it was needed for club to survive. Players didn’t earn millions per month and they weren’t so famous like today and still, best players ever are coming from that time. Anyone could beat anyone. Football was played with heart and honesty. Played to remember and be remembered. The game was won by those who wanted to win the most, not by those who have more money. The gap between “big” and “small” teams today is just too big. We need to restore balance to the system. To make football great game again!
Thank you for reading and supporting me friends. I hope that you are also aware of this situation, where this system is not sustainable for long term. What are your thoughts?
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