We might be heading towards a real standstill. A handful of leading Premier League clubs have petitioned the UK government to BLOCK nation-states from owning other clubs in England with Newcastle’s own ownership coming under intense scrutiny.
This is going to cause a tremendous fault line in English football if the UK government gets involved.
With more and more clubs coming under nation-state ownership/interest of ownership all across England, a handful of leading Premier League clubs and others across the English football pyramid have sent a petition to the UK government to block any future nation-state owners. And, I’m in full support of this move.
So, it really seems like the Premier League and the clubs themselves are at odds with each other over the most hotly contested topic in the football world: nation-state ownership.
With Saudi Arabia practically buying up every single footballer in Europe, investing hundreds of millions into Newcastle United, Qatar establishing a foothold in French football (PSG), and Sheikh Mansour and the wealth of the UAE building Man City in Premier League and European Champions over these last 15 or so years, the rest of England and Europe is really starting to sour on the prospects of nation-states buying into their leagues.
And, as I said, I’m fully supportive of this stance as I really don’t think a person or entity actively invested in the government of a nation, regardless of whether or not they are the ruler of said nation or not, or access to the financial power of said nation should have an ownership stake in a public business. As, even though we don’t like to see our favorite clubs, sports teams, and leagues as business, that is what they are at the end of day.
The level of financial disparity between private businessmen, shareholders, or club members and an ENTIRE NATION’S TOTAL REVENUE is so extreme it’s hard to even comprehend the amount of money these Middle Eastern countries possess, but that is beside the point.
The point of me saying this is that privately, publicly, and/or club member-held teams are unable to compete with nation-state owned clubs in vital aspects of football, such as the transfer market, player wages, staff payroll, stadium upkeep and upgrades, training ground upkeep and upgrades, marketability, etc.
I mean, just look at PSG and Man City for examples.
Prior to Man City’s takeover in 2008, the club spent the previous 15 years either battling it out with other midtable sides (1993-1996;2002-2008), fighting to escape the Championship and Premier League relegation (1996-2002), and not winning a single top-flight trophy. However, ever since Sheikh Mansour has come into the club, Man City has won 7 times, the FA Cup 3 times, the Community Shield 3 times, the EFL Cup 6 times, reached 2 Champions League Finals, won the 2023 Champions League Final, and the 2023 UEFA Supercup.
As for PSG, in the 12 years prior to Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Qatar buying the majority stake of the club in 2011, PSG hadn’t won the French league title once (18 years in total), they had only finished within the Top-4 only 4 times, they had won just four league cups (3 Coupe De Frances, 1 Coup de la Ligue), and they weren’t even considered the biggest club in France (that title belonged to Marseilles).
In the 12 years since the purchase, PSG has won the league 9 times, the Coup de France 6 times, the Coup de la Ligue 6 times before it was disbanded, the Trophee des Champions 9 times, and reached the 2020 Champions League Final. Do you see what I mean when I say that these nation-state-run clubs can completely obliterate their opponents and make the competition completely powerless?
And Newcastle is only the latest “shock jumped” (for the lack of a better word) nation-state club to cause trouble with its rivals as the team has not only finished 4th and reached the 2023 EFL Cup Final after spending the last 20 years in midtable, battling relegation, and/or playing in the Championship before being bought by the Saudi PIF (Public Investment Fund) in 2021, but they’re also the only club in the world with DIRECT LINKS to a reigning leader/monarch.
Yes, with the Saudi PIF controlling 80% of Newcastle United and the Saudi PIF being completely controlled by the Saudi Arabian government, that means Saudia Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is the de facto ruler of the nation, owns Newcastle United.
And, even though the Premier League got the PIF to sign “legally binding” agreements to keep the Crown Prince and the Saudi royal family/government out of Newcastle’s direct oversight/ownership, the current chairman and PIF governor, Yasir al-Rumayyan, is an active minister in the government. Legally binding my ass!
I have absolutely nothing against someone from the Middle East owning a Premier League club or any club around the world, but I take a full stand against world governments, royal families, and/or active government ministers/leaders controlling a private/public club. It’s not ethically right (in my opinion) for a government to own private companies apart of a private global industry, and it completely defeats the purpose of fairness in competitive sports.
I HIGHLY DOUBT the Premier League will do anything about this incursion of their own agreements (as it’s the clubs not the league taking this issue up to the government), but we’ll have to see if the UK government can stop the global game from becoming a pawn for nations around the world to spread their influence (whether for good or ill).
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