Life must be sweet if you’re a fan of Real Madrid. President Florentino Perez is back at the helm with a bulging wallet and a crazed determination to create a new generation of Galacticos to entertain the Bernabaeu faithful and land the Champions League.
But while the birth of what might become a football dynasty is always going to grab the headlines, one has top ask whether it is good for the game and its long-term commercial interests. What in a nutshell, did our debaters think?
Ray James, Head of Commercial, Millwall football Club
“Money has polarised football and at the top level it has become increasingly sanitised and corporate with less and less connection between players and the fans.”
Robin Gibson, Vice President, Octagon Marketing
“In these recessionary times perhaps we may well find that there will be a backlash from fans and that footballers will follow bankers in being held in low esteem.”
Stuart Cain, Commercial Director, Rangers Football Club
“The super-clubs act more like a film studios providing entertainment. They look for bankable talent and a good ensemble cast to deliver a product which has a defined lifespan.”
Jefferson Slack , Senior VP Football, IMG
“The amount of money in football continues to increase. Why does the media portray this negatively? It provides for better players, better TV coverage, better youth development and better competition.”
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