HEADLINE NEWS
FIFA: EPL's Abroad Plan 'Will Never Happen'
FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he won't let the English Premier League play games abroad and believes the proposal will harm England's bid for the 2018 World Cup. The Premier League announced last week its clubs supported a plan to stage a 39th round of games in five countries starting in the 2010-11 season.
But the idea has led to widespread opposition from fans groups and gained little support around the world, especially in those countries expected to host the games. The head of the Asian Confederation opposed it and US soccer federation president Sunil Gulati said he would not accept it without FIFA's permission. Now Blatter has voiced his concern. "This will never happen. At least this will not happen as long as I am the president of FIFA," Blatter, who remains president until 2011, told the BBC on Thursday.
"Those that are richer than the others, they have more responsibility and what the Premier League is trying to do is contrary to this responsibility." Blatter said that the Premier League's proposal was simply to make more money and he believed that the FIFA executive committee would oppose it. "This does not take into consideration the fans of the clubs and it gives the impression that they just want to go on tour to make some money," he said. "This is something I cannot understand and definitely the FIFA executive committee will not sanction such an initiative."
Blatter's strongly worded opposition to the proposal could force the Premier League into a rethink especially if he believes that the idea would get so much criticism that it could endanger England's planned bid to host the 2018 World Cup. ChinaDaily.com, 15th Feb 2008
INFO BOX
Mobiles with DTV Surpass 20m in Japan
Cumulative shipments in Japan of mobile phone handsets with the one-segment terrestrial digital broadcasting function topped 20 million units as of the end of December, reports the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association
Domestic shipments of handsets that can receive terrestrial digital television broadcasts reached 20.47 million units at the end of 2007. The number of mobile phones with the function has increased substantially in recent months as mobile phone service providers including NTT DoCoMo Inc. introduced a variety of new handsets that can receive TV broadcast for the winter shopping season. ATV, 15th Feb 2008
Football Money League: Manchester United Rise but Real Madrid Stay Top
Manchester United climbed two places to second in the latest Football Money League from business advisory firm Deloitte, which ranks the 20 biggest football clubs in the world based on revenue, but Real Madrid remains the world’s largest revenue generating club, completing a hat-trick of first place finishes.
Analysis in the Football Money League is based on the latest financial information for the 2006/07 season and Manchester United is joined in the top five by fellow Premier League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal. Chelsea climbed two places to fourth whilst Arsenal was the biggest climber in the 2007 Money League, rising four places to fifth this year. Primera Liga club Barcelona dropped one place from second to third.
Dan Jones, Partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “This is the first time that any country has had three clubs in the top five of the Money League. Arsenal’s move to the Emirates Stadium has transformed their revenues whilst Chelsea’s revenue increase sees them return to the top five.”
Real Madrid and Manchester United became the first football clubs to generate more than €300 million in a season. Real enjoyed an impressive 20 per cent increase to take their total revenue to €351 million (£236 million), whilst Manchester United’s revenue grew even more quickly to reach €315 million (£212 million). Jones added: “With the new Premier League television deals now online for the 2007/08 season, Manchester United have the opportunity to significantly close the gap on Real and a successful Champions League run may even see them challenge again for the number one position.”
Football remains a growth sport, especially at the highest level. The top 20 clubs’ collective revenues grew by 11 per cent to €3.7 billion (£2.5 billion) in 2006/07, the highest rate of growth since 2002/03. The top 20 clubs now generate more than three times the combined revenues of the clubs in the first Money League in 1996/97.
The global top 20 is entirely populated by European clubs. Six English clubs feature in this year’s Money League, along with four clubs from each of Germany and Italy, three Spanish clubs, two French clubs and one from Scotland. Post World Cup there are more German clubs in the Money League than ever before.
Alan Switzer, Director in the Sports Business Group, says: “The performance of German clubs particularly catches the eye, with enhanced revenues being generated from new and improved stadia. The stadium is a club’s biggest asset and the majority of the Money League clubs are looking to complete stadium developments in the short and medium term.”
Whilst the number of English clubs in this season’s Money League dropped from eight to six, next year the number could significantly increase. Paul Rawnsley, Director in the Sports Business Group said: “Clubs such as Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester City and West Ham United are already just outside the top 20 and with the revenue uplift from the new broadcast deals now benefiting the clubs, we expect to see the bottom half of next year’s Money League dominated by English teams.”
1 Real Madrid 351.0
2 Manchester United 315.2
3 FC Barcelona 290.1
4 Chelsea 283.0
5 Arsenal 263.9
6 AC Milan 227.2
7 Bayern Munich 223.3
8 Liverpool 198.9
9 Internazionale 195.0
10 AS Roma 157.6
11 Tottenham Hotspur 153.1
12 Juventus 145.2
13 Olympique Lyonnais 140.6
14 Newcastle United 129.4
15 Hamburg SV 120.4
16 Schalke 04 114.3
17 Celtic 111.8
18 Valencia 107.6
19 Marseille 99.0
20 Werder Bremen 97.3
Source: Deloitte Football Money League 2008, Sportsbusiness, Sportcal.com, 14th Feb 2008
SPORTS SHORTS
* Traffic Sports, holders of the TV rights for the Copa Libertadores outside the Americas, said revenues from the sale of the competition's rights are up 350 per cent in the last four years. The number of countries taking coverage has increased threefold, from 46 to an unprecedented 135 countries. Jean Marc Schwartzenberg, Director of International Business at Traffic Sports, commented: “The quality of the football that is played in South America, as well as the care that is being put into production and post-production, makes Copa Libertadores a television product on a par with any of the top European championships.” Copa Libertadores is now sold to a record-breaking 135 countries outside the Americas. Current broadcasters include Setanta (UK), Sogecable (Spain), Chellomedia/Sport 1 (Netherlands), SportItalia (Italy), NTV Plus (Russia), Al-Dowaly (Middle East), GTV (Sub-Saharan Africa), NTV (Japan) and CCTV (China), amongst others. Sportsbusiness, 14th Feb 2008
* The Pattana Golf and Sports Resort in Chonburi, Thailand has been chosen to stage golf’s inaugural Asian Tour International in March. The venue previously staged the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2006. The $300,000 event takes place from March 20 to 23 and will be open to all Asian Tour players and 15 stars from the Japan Golf Tour invited by sponsors. The Asian Tour expects to stage 30 tournaments with combined total prize money of $38 million in 2008. The other two events in Thailand will be the Bangkok Airways Open and the Volvo Masters of Asia. Sportcal.com, 14th Feb 2008
* The Football Federation of Australia said it would oppose The Premier League's plan to play club matches overseas in order to protect its own domestic A-League. Sydney and Melbourne were put forward as possible venues for the proposed extra “International Round” of fixtures during the 2010-11 season by the Premier League last week. FFA Chairman, Frank Lowy, said: “We said when this issue first arose last week that FFA's overwhelming priority is to promote the A-League and to continue to invest in, and grow, the game in Australia...that remains our view. The bottom line is, FFA rejects the notion of another country playing a round of their domestic competition in Australia and intruding on the development of the A-League and the game in Australia”. Sportsbusiness, 14th Feb 2008
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