One of the most challenging years in recent history will be finally over in three days. Before we dive into the last edition of the year, we want to thank everyone who contributed to our safety and well-being one way or the other.
We also want to pay tribute to all the pandemic victims that are not with us anymore. We will always remember them. We still have some way to go, but we remain hopeful for the future.
We wish you happy holidays and hope you have an incredible 2021. Thank you for being part of our squad!
“Of the three ingredients that soccer offers, the most essential to its success is neither the ball nor the players but the flag.” Soccer captures “the clan (football club), the temple (the stadium), the war (the enemy is the other club or another city or another country), and eternity (a shirt and a flag whose—supposedly glorious—tradition is inherited by successive generations). In soccer, you never walk alone.”
Dr. Ignacio Palacios-Huerta, professor at the London School of Economics, wrote these lines in his book Beautiful Game Theory: How Soccer Can Help Economics. Six years later, he is confident that the game’s future will look very different, starting with how we experience football.
The biggest unknown is whether football moves from being a unique “social identity good” to an “individual consumption good.” An evolution like this could make the beautiful game “even more global,” boosting consumption but also having “less attachment, less identity, and less social capital.”
When we asked him about modern ownership, Palacios-Huerta affirmed that there are two kinds of contemporary football owners: the “learners and adapters” and the “inefficient and non-adapters.” The former is excellent news for football. In the latter case, some owners come from outside the industry and have little interest in understanding the business of football, potentially hurting the future of the game.
On the impact of the increasing number of American owners in European football, Palacios-Huerta said: “The U.S. is a country with closed leagues in all the major professional sports. I am a bit concerned about this to the extent that [American owners in football] appear to support (or so it seems to me), perhaps for cultural reasons, a move towards having similarly closed leagues in European football.”
In Palacios-Huerta’s view, that would be a significant mistake, maybe “not in the short run but definitely in the medium and long term. Open leagues with promotion and relegation are an essential component” of football culture around the world and “a key determinant of its success and what it means to people.”
“It would even be a mistake to have a closed or semi-closed Super European league with a handful of big clubs (which seems to be the ongoing discussion these days),” he said, as it will adversely affect the national leagues in the medium and long term.
Palacios-Huerta also mentioned that “the more successful owners tend to be those willing to engage and not be distracted by their egos. They do not treat football as a toy or a pastime. Of course, this applies not only to new American owners but also to all others from Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, etc.”
Tech vs. Tradition
What about streaming services and on-demand access to football? How might these affect the game’s future? Palacios-Huerta stated that current technological advancements are making the game experience at home more affordable than in the stadium.
He also questioned how aware the average football management professional is of the opportunities presented by these new ways to consume football.
“Imagine you are a Liverpool FC member with access to unique content, such as the U-23 games, unique videos of training, access to individual in-house press conferences, and other forms of content. As an example, Amazon Prime may soon strike a top club deal that will look like this,” he said.
“New technologies will allow fans’ experiences to be enhanced. Technological progress may benefit the big clubs, but not only them. Smart smaller clubs with good management may find creative ways to grow a more significant fan base this way.”
COVID-19 Drying Up Talent
Despite the unprecedented challenges to the game, Palacios-Huerta believes talent production from historic meccas like South America will not be impacted by COVID-19. Instead, more structured youth systems like those in Europe might see a slightly different outcome.
The accelerated industrialization of the 19th century brought the game of football to new heights as a cultural expression around the world. The beautiful game has evolved at an even faster rate over the last decade. New technologies, globalized ownership, and an economic downturn offer significant uncertainties to the sport as we once knew it.
One thing will remain. Football will find a way to continue capturing the clan, the temple, the war, and eternity.
🤔 Has the COVID-19 pandemic forced owners to be more restrained? [The New York Times]
👑 Real Madrid has been named the club of the century by Globe Soccer. [OneFootball]
🐐 Chris Wondolowski isn't done just yet. MLS's record goalscorer has signed a one-year extension with San Jose. [MLSsoccer.com]
🥴 Following a 1-0 loss to Everton, Sheffield United has endured the joint worst start to a season in the history of the top four English divisions. [BBC]
🎓 Legendary goalkeeper Petr Cech is back at Chelsea, but this time, in a different role. [The New York Times]
🐯 After falling short multiple times, Tigres has finally got its hands on the Concacaf Champions League. [Goal]
🇺🇸 USMNT exports had themselves quite a year. Here are the top ten moments from Americans abroad. [MLSsoccer.com]
MUST-WATCH GAMES
There's plenty of football action during the holidays, but these two teams will be looking to the new year as an opportunity to find the form that finally takes them to the top of the table. Plus, there's never a shortage of pace and talent on the pitch when Chelsea plays at home against Guardiola's side.
Chelsea vs. Manchester City Premier League Sunday, Jan. 3 - Check time
OTHER UPCOMING FIXTURES
Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League Tuesday, Dec. 29 - Check time
Sevilla vs. Villarreal La Liga Tuesday, Dec. 29 - Check time
Barcelona vs. Eibar La Liga Tuesday, Dec. 29 - Check time
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Fulham Premier League Wednesday, Dec. 30 - Check time
Newcastle United vs. Liverpool Premier League Wednesday, Dec. 30 - Check time
Elche vs. Real Madrid La Liga Wednesday, Dec. 30 - Check time
Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad La Liga Thursday, Dec. 31 - Check time
Everton vs. West Ham United Premier League Friday, Jan. 1 - Check time
Manchester United vs. Aston Villa Premier League Friday, Jan. 1 - Check time
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Leeds United Premier League Saturday, Jan. 2 - Check time
Borussia Dortmund vs. Wolfsburg Bundesliga Sunday, Jan. 3 - Check time
Benevento vs. AC Milan Serie A Sunday, Jan. 3 - Check time
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