FOLLY EXPENSES: IN WHAT DIRECTION IS FOOTBALL HEADING?

Once upon a time, the world of football was essentially made up of people who were not looking for profits, but only striving to stand out against their opponents. Over the years, this ideology gradually transformed into something much more serious, eventually becoming the massive business it is today. One of the aspects that most highlights this change is the incredible rise in the prices of player transfer fees.

Each football era is marked by revolutionary events, and as such, this historical period fits into this selection. Just think about the fact that Maradona’s transfer to Napoli “only” cost around 13 million euros, a trivial sum compared to the amounts circulating today. These figures have grown over the years, also due to rising inflation, until reaching astronomical highs. Back in 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer made headlines when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for 94 million euros. Nine years have passed, and yet compared to the transfers in recent market sessions, it feels like an eternity.

One team that stood out most in the transfer market is PSG, which made the two most expensive signings in history: Neymar from Barcelona for 222 million euros and Mbappé from Monaco for 180 million euros.

The latter, recently interviewed, said he was shocked by the amount PSG spent to buy his card from Monaco. 180 million for a teenager had never been spent before, and although the sum is staggering, the French player admitted that it is the market that sets the prices, and the situation must simply be accepted.

In the last ten years, the gap between the rich clubs and the rest has widened even further, despite FIFA’s efforts in recent years to limit these crazy expenses through Financial Fair Play (FFP). The results, however, have only contributed to growing discontent and increasing accusations of favoritism toward certain top European clubs over smaller ones. Clubs like Manchester City and PSG, for example, had to resort to alternative sponsorship methods to circumvent FFP restrictions to balance their books. The ownerships of these clubs ensured the necessary funds from sponsors to inject into the club, making it appear as simple marketing operations, helping the clubs balance their end-of-year accounts. The penalties imposed on these two European giants were certainly mild, especially compared to those of smaller teams that were even banned from European cups, as happened last year with Panathinaikos.

In the future, it will be interesting to see if such figures become the norm or not. Will FIFA intervene with new regulations, like the salary cap in the NBA? In what direction is football heading? What do you readers think?

Credits to Sergio Brigo