Foreign Investment in Premiership Football Clubs

By Jason Towse

In recent years, there has been a staggering amount of money from foreign sources pouring into premiership football clubs which has generated much controversy because of the level of debt that these clubs would then be in. In many ways, the premiership is a victim of its own success and is hugely popular not just within the United Kingdom but also in many countries all over the world. The premier league is considered by many to be the best league in the world. Such popularity means that there is no shortage of investors who are only too eager to share in this success.
We now have owners that originate from the United States as well as Russia and the United Arab Emirates and there are more lurking on the horizon just waiting for the opportunity to invest.
Another concern that many fans have with these takeovers that are powered by foreign investment is the danger of the clubs concerned losing their identity although many supporters would welcome the injection of cash for transfers. Years ago it was the Italian and Spanish leagues that were the envy of world football and the place where all footballers wanted to ply their trade. These days this is not the case and all roads point to England and the premiership.
With financial concerns over the banking industry spreading worldwide, it remains to be seen whether the growth that premiership football has enjoyed in recent years can be sustained over the long term.

By Jason Towse