Local vs Global: Football's biggest balancing act
October 18, 2019
Given the money involved in the beautiful game nowadays, football has the power to move millions in more ways than one. As domestic leagues battle to establish themselves as global brands, the commercial threat is becoming increasingly existential.
On Thursday, La Liga requested permission from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to move a league match between Villarreal and Atletico Madrid to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The move is in related to the 15-year deal the league struck with US media company Relevent in 2018 that included the promise of one stateside league game a season.
However, this is the second time Spain's top tier has attempted to move a match to the United States, having previously failed with a bid to move Barcelona's game against Girona at the start of the 2019. Back then both the RFEF and the player's union staunchly objected, but clearing those hurdles is worth it in the eyes of Villarreal club President Fernando Roig.
"Anything that exports football and Spanish sport is good for us all, and of course Villarreal," Roig said in an official statement. "The United States is a very important country where we have official academies of the club."
The decision highlights the balancing act leagues and clubs are facing as they clamor to build their fan bases worldwide, while not wanting to alienate local fans.
"It would be very special for us to play there, but for it to be positive for all – we have thought of different alternatives to compensate our fans," Roig said.
As a result, Villarreal have offered current season ticket holders the chance of a 20 percent refund on this year's season ticket or a 40 percent discount on next season's. In addition the Yellow Submarine will give 600 fans the chance to attend the match in Miami with their travel paid for.
Sports without borders
From La Liga's perspective, hosting the game in the US is a "further push in internationalization strategy," according to president Javier Tebas: "We believe that on this occasion, we will be able to carry out this positive opportunity for everyone, like they already do in other leagues like the NFL and the NBA, outside of their borders."
American sport has set the precedent of catering to fans abroad. The NHL was the first to do it back in 1938 when the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens went on a nine-day European tour. The NBA first tested the waters with regular season games in Japan and Mexico during the 1990s, the NFL waited until 2005, while it took the MLB until 2019 to finally take the plunge.
However, while La Liga President Tebas points to the success of those ventures, the comparison isn't as straight forward. After all, in Europe teams are "clubs" and not "franchises" that can uproot themselves for commercial purposes, which has forced American sports fans to become accustomed to the idea of relocation.
London has become an adopted home for the NFL, NBA and, most recently, the MLB, which have all drawn major crowds and big-name celebrity interest. With Europe's top football leagues intent on fostering global brands, they may struggle to match the growth in popularity American sports have received globally as a result, but they should be able to quantify the financial windfall.
The trends point in one direction
Playing games in foreign countries isn't a foreign concept to European football clubs. Preseason tours to previously untapped markets such as the US or China have become commonplace, but hosting a league game abroad is a different can of worms.
At the International Football Congress in Frankfurt back in September 2018, The CEO of the German Football League (DFL), Christian Seifert, said playing abroad was a "line we won't cross" citing "a lack of respect for the fans and the players."
German football is currently locked in a battle over core values, with fans taking unkindly to the increased levels of commercialism that have filtered into the game. A prime example have been the repeated protests against the implementation of Monday night games, which have since led to the league announcing they would abolish the added kickoff time as of the 2021-22 season.
With Bundesliga fans fearing that La Liga's decision to host games abroad could open the floodgates, Seifert again provided reassurance when he talked to the Welt am Sonntag in September of this year: "It wouldn't be fair for the fans, who go to all 16 home games no matter the weather and regardless of their league position, to miss one game that is played abroad."
The international relocation of domestic football games may pose a greater threat to the local fans than the well-documented rise in the price of football. Seifert maintains that the Bundesliga "manages the balancing act between tradition and business better than any other league." However, as the concept of catering to a global fan base becomes more proven and attractive, what's to say the scales won't be tipped again.