Since the last thread got purged, here's the full list of my MCO series so far: Episode 1 – Introduction to MCOs + The Pozzo Group Episode 2 – City Football Group Episode 3 – FC Nordsjælland Episode 4 – Atletico Madrid Episode 5 – Red Bull Episode 6 - Roland Duch*telet Final episode out tomorrow!
The final episode: http://www.byfarthegreatestteam.com...-club-ownership-part-7-best-rest-future-mcos/
Cheers guys (and everyone else that replied before the previous post went goodbye!) - we're witnessing a rapid evolution of football that not many people seem to be aware of. Like it or not, it's the future of football.
An excellent series of articles Reids and definitely the way forward in some way, shape or form for people/companies who want to dominate football. I do think, however, that while there may come a time where MCO's are rife, at some point there must also be a drop-off in either numbers or what is considered 'success' to those running multiple clubs. Only so many teams can win anything in a particular season so whether you have a host of MCO's chasing titles and cups or one club owners across the various leagues - the same amount of titles and cups are still being played for. Success may not be measured by merely winning something either. You often state the Premier League as a given when expanding a portfolio (how depressing to use real estate terminology with football!) but while the riches are there in the guise of TV money it also needs an enormous amount of outlay to either get into the PL or buy an existing PL club and then to maintain PL status to scoop the TV money year in year out. With an already existing top six or seven clubs it will be majorly difficult AND expensive to break into that group and European football thereafter. So 'success', to some, may be playing in a major league - though not neccessarily the Premier League - and having the cache of just mixing with the elite. It may be in advertising (Red Bull is a current though not totally fitting example) where their product is named, printed and shown across various countries time and time again. Not for free, obviously, but it'll be interesting to know if people in Germany call RB Salzburg 'Red Bull' or merely Salzburg. I think of them as Red Bull so the product name becomes so familiar it loses its one meaning monicker, similar but in no way identical to the way Google is used instead of search engine. It could be that success isn't really being chased either. The way you've described Vincent Tan and Roland Duchatelet, it looks to me as if it's almost a hobby or plaything to have several clubs on the go. It may be they have a deep love of the game and just enjoy being involved and having very deep pockets allows them this. Or it could be (in Tan's case especially) that football is very fashionable right now and is the thing to do with your multiple £'s, $'s or (where's the key for Yen?!?) whatever monetary unit they excel with. Oh to have that choice!
All good points! Whilst it will indeed be hard to break into that top 6/7 in the PL, if the new owners have enough money anything is possible (as i'm writing this RB Leipzig are 3-1 up against Bayern and look set to finish 2nd in their first ever Bundesliga season...). Combine that with more control over their young players development and you'll see that gap slowly close. Although of course I fully expect those 6/7 to purchase feeder clubs of their own once they realise the benefits, maintaining the status quo (and most likely ruining the entire domestic football scene in certain countries). I didn't really encompass this in the articles but I definitely feel a huge company (think Coca-Cola or someone) will come in and build a "mega MCO" much like City Football Group have - if clever build numerous football academies in different parts of Africa, along with clubs in the booming football markets (Oz, America) and places that already generate talent (Argentina/Brazil ripe for this) and places to blood that talent (a club in Belgium/Holland/Scandinavia). I agree re: Tan + Duchatelet, I also wouldn't be surprised if it was for slightly dodgy financial reasons they own clubs, as they certainly aren't able owners...
You mentioned Leicester were looking to buy Oud-Heverlee Leuven... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39946036 Leicester City owners King Power International have agreed to purchase OH Leuven, the Belgian club says. The second-tier club, located just east of capital city Brussels, narrowly avoided relegation this season. The club's board set a time limit in its search for investment and said King Power "was the only bidder who made a clear and coherent proposal". Its directors said the deal "guarantees the future of the club, both financially and in sporting terms". OH Leuven were relegated from Belgium's top tier in 2015-16 but said new ownership would provide "sufficient financial resources to aspire to the earliest possible return". It added King Power - founded by Leicester chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in 1989 - will fund an expansion of the club's youth system. The acquisition will be formally completed when the company has concluded due diligence. Srivaddhanaprabha is worth an estimated £3.6bn according to Forbes. The 58-year-old bought Leicester in 2010, with the club winning promotion to the top flight four years later and claiming the Premier League title in 2015-16. The expansion of the club's youth system is a standout quote for me. Doesn't Belgium have less stringent rules on non-EU players with regards to visas/permits? If so I'd imagine (in particular) South American & African youth players to be prime targets straight away with Australia, Asia and the CONCACAF regions for the future.
Yup, that's primarily the reason why I listed Belgium as such a good target for owners wanting to jump aboard the MCO train! No restrictions visas or permits required (believe there's a minimum wage requirement though, although it's small), but 6 HG players must be named in the match-day squad. Coupled with a decent but not fantastic standard of football and it's ideal.
Forest join the list now, taken over by Evangelos Marinakis, who also owns Olympiakos. Interesting, he went to school in Watford, anyone remember him, haha. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39962342
Sure it won't be long now till the likes of Utd, Chelsea (who sorta do it already), Barca etc realise what's happening and jump aboard. Then we'll see a mad scramble.
Barca are meant to be forming a team in America for the women's professional league. A clever bit of brand exercise that.
You can add another club to the list.. Monaco have just bought Belgian 2nd division side Cercle Brugge apparently. Fascinating article here on Monaco and their acquisition of talent http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40763916
