Toronto FC have not even established a full roster, never mind kicked a ball in what is to be their maiden season in Major League Soccer. Yet, events across the Atlantic are already determining the future for manager Mo Johnston and his prospective charges.
If you were wondering why teams such as West Ham United were desperately spending more than $30 million on otherwise average players before the transfer window slammed shut last Wednesday, look no further than the English Premiership’s latest television deal.
Last month, the Premier League agreed to new overseas television rights worth more than $1.25 billion over three years, adding to the $3 billion the league already receives from domestic television rights.
To put this into perspective, starting next season, a club may finish bottom of the league, with zero points, zero goals scored, and even zero spectators, and still receive $60 million for their efforts.
Toronto need not feel so immune to such events. The Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, reported that the deal will take England’s elite division (and himself presumably) to the next level. He is certainly not wrong.
The butterfly effect of the increased revenue in England is that any soccer club who is not in the loop, including Toronto, will find it increasingly difficult to compete in the transfer market-and indeed, the commercial market. Players who would normally be worth $1 million, for example, may expect to see their value triple at the mere whisper of a link to a Premiership club. Are Toronto FC willing to be held to ransom for player fees simply because Wigan Athletic have been linked to the player?
I don’t mean this as an indictment of the Premiership. That league has risen to the top in the past decade for admirable reasons. Just look at the case of Italy, whose league’s reputation has been severely tarnished by match-fixing fiascos and crowd trouble. Last week, all Italian domestic and international games were cancelled following the death of a policeman due to a crowd riot in Sicily. Even in Spain, political and racist demonstrations have become commonplace in the soccer arena. Indeed, the success of English soccer has owed as much to outstanding crowd-policing in recent years as it has to high-octane entertainment.
However, it is the latter that has attracted a worldwide audience. Last week, the Independent reported that each televised game averages 79.5 million viewers, with almost double that watching Thierry Henry snatch victory for Arsenal with a last-minute header against Manchester United.
The Premiership has demonstrated mastery of foreign marketing. Purchasing players such as Ivory Coast international Kolo Toure or Australian international Harry Kewell has helped the league appeal to an ever-increasing commercial market, with more and more people reveling in the sight of their countrymen competing against some of the world’s most talented players. When you hear angry Manchester United fans in bars across the nation exclaiming that Ji-Sung Park is a waste of space, do not expect the team’s board of directors to agree when they look at the balance sheets.
Those of you who were stunned by the $250 million contract which David Beckham has signed with the L.A. Galaxy may be surprised to learn that the numbers actually add up quite nicely for the L.A. team. In 2006, the German consultancy firm BBDO found that Beckham adds a commercial value in excess of $60 million each year to the team he plays on. L.A. Galaxy have ‘Brand Beckham’ on a five-year contract. As such, do not be surprised if a healthy bonus accompanies the congratulatory handshake L.A. Galaxy president Alexi Lalas gets from his superiors.
The paradox of the Premiership is that, while Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo steal the show with their majestic prowess, the league’s success has relied more on the grafting of lesser-known players such as Bolton’s Kevin Nolan or Charlton’s Matt Holland. The top teams in England have realized that defensive organization provides a better platform for success than attacking flair, and this is being indoctrinated in youth systems across the country.
Indeed, it is such organization which has seen FC Dallas dominate the MLS in recent times. Toronto FC would do well to follow suit, as it appears that they will not be challenging the Premiership for top name signings for some time to come.
-Owen Black
In the English soccer Premier League, the January “transfer window” gives clubs one month to sign players-on permanent or loan deals-to help bolster their squads for the second half of the season. Here are the five most interesting signings.
• Manchester United-Henrik Larsson: Larsson, the 35-year-old Swedish striker with 287 career goals, signed a lucrative three-month loan deal from his hometown club Helsingborg. As the Swedish league does not start until April, Manchester Utd. manager Sir Alex Ferguson-a longtime admirer of the striker’s undeniable abilities and a firm believer in the advantage of having four fit strikers-took advantage of this gap in the player’s schedule to strengthen his strike force of Rooney, Saha and Solksjaer. With United top in the Premiership, Larsson’s presence in the squad will add attacking creativity and relieve the pressure on wunderkind Wayne Rooney and high-scoring midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Fulham-Vincenzo Montella: Of the four players Fulham brought in during January, the most interesting is the 33-year-old Italian legend on loan from Italian side Roma. Montella brings with him a wealth of goal-scoring experience, and while his pace and mobility can be likened to that of Bengie Molina, his shooting is exquisite. What it means, however, is that his American strike partner Brian McBride will have to do all the running-not something he is neither accustomed to nor particularly good at.
• Aston Villa-Ashley Young: Villa have paid £9.5 million for a player who can claim only the first half of this season as experience in the Premier League. Arriving from relegation strugglers Watford, he can play on both wings or as a striker. He will add pace and flair to a mediocre Villa line up. Young was most certainly purchased with the future in mind, and manager Martin O’Neill will have to ensure that the extortionate price tag doesn’t create unfair expectations of the player.
• Charlton-Ben Thatcher: Charlton is in dire straights, languishing in the relegation zone (the bottom three Premiership teams are demoted to the “Championship” league each year). They needed to bring in players with experience who had come out of a relegation battle on the winning side. Instead, they signed Ben Thatcher, an extremely controversial defender who committed one of the worst offences ever seen in the Premiership. To view it on YouTube, type in “Ben Thatcher’s elbow smash on Pedro Mendes.” He also got relegated to Wimbledon in 1999. He will certainly bring bite to the Charlton defence.
• West Ham United-Mathew Upson: With the injection of money from new Icelandic owner Eggert Magnusson, West Ham were able to strengthen their squad considerably, Upson being the pick of the trades. The 27-year-old former Arsenal defender completed a £6 million move from Birmingham despite strong opposition from Birmingham manager Steve Bruce, who didn’t want to lose such an important (albeit injury-prone) player. West Ham are also battling relegation, and Magnusson’s money, plus a commanding physical defender such as Upson, may help them stay up-if he can stay fit.
-Alex Nathan
