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| De www.mundodeportivo.com |
As I said on a previous column, it’s urgent to reform
the football model, in the world in general and particularly in Chile. A key
point for this is a swift evolution of the existing concept of rivalry between
teams and the limits it should have.
Is very common to read or hear about pungent
statements, accusations or even insults among teams directors, incapable of
keeping apart from conflicts that can naturally arise from the pitch between players
and/or managers or coaches (even though they are quite as bad), which only fallouts
in negative impacts heating and stressing up the atmosphere more than it
already is. That inability of drawing back undermines football’s own core,
because absorbed on their personal
agenda, they see others just like an antagonist to defeat and not as a
strategic associate with whom to compete. They don’t understand the
importance of the collective benefit being before their own.
This problem is evident and has many examples: Sergio
Jadue’s directory board (also some before him) at ANFP operating as one more
club, looking for their personal profit; the countless changes to the
competitions’ structure in all divisions and to the ways of qualification to
international cups; the abuse to the 2nd Professional Division with
clubs without voice nor vote nor CDF’s profits[1]
even though being part of the Association; directors loving to appear on the
Media and get fame; and in general the lack of long-term planning and the
multiple scandals, tumbles and sitcoms which they have lead along the years.
Generally in football there’s no sense of community
among teams, of a united guild with common goals. The least to find are clans
defending interest of a few, but never worried about the whole collectivity,
about growing as a league, neither as an association and/or federation nor less
as national football’s representatives. Yet, however a club makes the
championship or gets good results, even if it’s the most popular or the most
competitive it can’t work without the rest. Otherwise the league moves
backwards or doesn’t progress to its potential, preventing that club of getting returns
significantly bigger. All clubs must understand that they can only be rivals
inside the pitch and that outside have to be the best, the most honest, loyal
and closest partners; where mutual respect and the development of one will
inexorably bring to everyone’s benefit greater than what they could get acting
by their own. The only way of doing so
is by means of communitarian policies and actions watching the development as a
whole and not individually.
Likewise, letting rivalry flood the different areas of
sport, gives foot to thrive of violence which will later be reflected on the
stands, an illness responsible of so much damage and with no apparent solution. Concrete and drastic measures are required to avoid it, starting with leading by
example, i.e. stop using expressions like “war”, “enemies”, “life or death”, etc.
Thus, the faster the clubs can comprehend and adapt to that concept in their roles of
directors, managers, coaches, players –but also as brands-, they will be able
to transmit it to the fans in a faster and better way for them to embrace it
too. Teams have to change their ways of communication from their
representatives’ statements, their news or publications and even "being the
message"; that is, the form and substance of the information they release and
how they present themselves as a club and brand.
Is undisputed that football’s industry has an enormous
economic potential, reason why marketing and communication actions get more
relevant every time. For example in Spain, however La Liga is underexploited,
that countless teams are boarding bankruptcy or the infamous Madrid- Barça’s
duopoly, a recent study[2]
points out that during 2013 football made more than €7600 million (counting
direct, indirect and induced effects), standing for a 0.75% of Spain’s GDP;
created more than 140,000 full-time jobs; paid more than €2800 million in taxes.
Besides the 54% of Spaniards consider professional football’s highest
contribution is over the brand Spain (2nd after tourism) and a 33%
over healthy habits generation. In the case of Germany, the economic effects of
Fußball’s successes are bigger every day. According to an inform of the consultant
McKinsey[3],
in 2014 the Bundesliga generated over
€8000 million in benefits (55% more than in 2008), which left more than
€2300 million in the German treasury for taxes and produced more than 110k
full-time jobs. And if that wasn’t enough, the study shows that every football job creates another 12 more
in different sectors; that every € invested in German football has a rate
of return of €2.6 in tourism, hospitality, etc.; and it also submits that
Bundesliga will have a 35% growth by 2020.
Moreover, in USA the sports industry has indeed
grasped that the community interest leads to everyone’s benefit. For instance
there is the dance of thousands of millions regarding one only competition such
as the Super Bowl[4],
or the NBA which every franchise’s average value of last year reached USD 1250
million (solely one club suffered losses during 2015)[5].
The thing is that strengthening the Association, the group competition, will
make the show more appealing for the people, will gather further investors,
higher purchasing power in front of possible transfers making them more
attractive to come and play in their league and country, will increase the
incomes… infinite values. Nevertheless, the challenge is to take that potential
and transform it in positive impacts. Given the starting ground it looks like
there’s only room for optimism, even though till today it has been too much
time and resources lost in the way.
Therefore, football must operate as an industry ruled
by the market’s methods, as a business that wants to grow and last sustainably
in time, develop its trade, take its products and/or services to the largest
number of people possible and get ingrained into the society and its community.
However, it needs to act knowing that its market or clients are truly special,
different from all others, since here there are essential distinctive elements:
non-negotiable passion and fidelity –few things are worse than football
chameleons. That unique feature is, simultaneously, the sports’ pro and con: a
demanding client (who doesn’t consider himself as such) but very loyal; an
intense but meddling consumer that wants to take part on every one or most of
the decisions. Furthermore in that perspective, football’s industry must be
consequent in all its areas, from its cells as clubs, to being part of an
association and/or federation as a union, including its international
representation on continental confederations (Chile’s case, CONMEBOL).
Finally, rivalry must be limited onto the pitch,
controlled, because otherwise it infects the atmosphere, erodes the
institutions, contradicts the values of the game, poisons the environment and
ends destroying the own individual projects. Football has to accomplish that at
the end of a competition the teams simply regret for the sporting result (which
sadly only one gets crowned) and to be capable of congratulating that single
champion; that “Third Halves” can be made after each game between every squad,
because outside the pitch they stop being rivals.
[2] KPMG Inform, “Socioeconomic Impact
of Professional Football in Spain”, 2015.
[3] McKinsey Consultant Inform,
“Bundesliga, Growth Motor”, Germany, 2015. Wachstumsmotor
Bundesliga Die ökonomische Bedeutung des professionellen Fußballs in
Deutschland – Ergebnisse 2015
[5] “Knicks, NBA’s most valuable
franchise”. Marketing Deportivo MD – 21/01/2016 http://bit.ly/1SyJRym
