Like most other football fans, I was enticed by the prospect of Neymar joining Barcelona. The fee appeared inflated for an individual whose reputation was built almost entirely on YouTube. Although, I must concede any player more than ten humans have heard of will be expensive these days.
I'm currently watching Barcelona play Levante, they are 6-0 up... it's half time. It's the curtain raiser for the new season of La Liga. Sky's coverage began with the claim that the Spanish first division is "the most star studded league in the world." I won't spend any time trying to discredit this fatuous claim. What I will say is that the subject of this piece is simple. There are two teams in La Liga, it is impossible for anyone to break this duopoly and there is one dominant reason for this. TV money.
To fully unpack what I mean I have to make a comparison. It might be considered a lazy one but I think it's poignant. In England each position in the Premier League is worth just under £900,000 to the club that fills it. That was the figure for the 2012/13 season. Barcelona and Madrid on the other hand share a figure closer to £120million from the current Spanish TV deal. The team relegated from La Liga at the end of last season on the other hand see less than £10million after tax.
The gulf in remuneration is as infuriating as it is ludicrous. In a country with notable financial difficulties there are clubs, like Deportivo, which I remember terrorising my beloved Manchester United in Europe's premier competition... these clubs are currently on the brink of extinction, Deportivo's list of debtors are owed a combined £135million, if not more.
Yesterday was the opening day of the Premier League season. Spurs spent £60million this summer and made some excellent acquisitions. Chelsea spent a considerable sum on Shurrle and have a squad worth more than £200million in transfer fees. Both these clubs faced newly promoted sides on the Premier League's inaugural weekend. They were both run too close for comfort by Palace and Hull City respectively. I will concede this might simply have more to do with the unknown quantities newly promoted sides possess than it has to do with the amount of prize money in English football but if these two games serve as an indicator of nothing else, they are an exhibition of what you already knew. The Premiership is by far and away the most competitive league in Europe.
So I'm left wondering why it is that the Spanish game continues to be governed with incompetence considering the superlative model provided by the Premier League. I'm not one for hyperbole so please be aware that I am not exaggerating when I tell you I am currently sitting and watching Barca carving out a clear cut chance every 4 minutes against Levante. All of this while their £48million Brazilian import sits nursing his reportedly sore tonsils on the bench (a euphemism for he's been rubbish since he arrived). It's worth noting that such absurdity is juxtaposed by the sort of financial constraints that force Barca's opponents this evening, Levante, to fully recycle their starting 11s every season, heroically might I add.
Until the issues with TV rights in the Spanish game are remedied there will continue to be casualties. Barca just scored their 7th by the way.
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