In the summer of 2017, the English Premier League is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
In 1992, moving from the Football League to the new entity, aligning with the Football Association, saw the domestic game in England change considerably, and the impact of this switch has been huge. The involvement of Sky and the development of the UEFA Champions League have also been huge factors in the development of the modern game, and there is no denying that the game fans know, watch and love today is very different from the game enjoyed up to the 1990s.
However, there have been further changes in the English game since the involvement of Sky and the Premier League. It would be fair to say that the involvement of international owners has taken the game in England to a higher level. In the summer of 2003, Roman Abramovich became the owner of Chelsea Football Club. In the Russian’s first season, they finished second and then captured Jose Mourinho as manager, who took them to the title in Abramovich’s second season. This was Chelsea’s first title in 50 years and only the club’s second league triumph.
Abramovich has changed more than Chelsea in the past 10 years
The fact that Abramovich achieved so much success so quickly meant that owning a football club in England became an attractive proposition for many international owners. There is a lot of positive press and publicity for owners of successful teams, and there is a great opportunity to network with high-profile business professionals and politicians. Engineering contact with people at this level would take a lot of time and money through the traditional business routes, but by owning a football team, there is a chance to enter this level of society almost immediately.
This is not to say this is the reason for every international owner coming into English football. Many people have been captivated by English football, and in the case of John W Henry, there is a sense of the owner being caught up in the history and tradition of Liverpool Football Club. An iconic stadium, passionate fans and strong rivalries were factors that Henry cited as being present at Anfield and in Boston with the Red Sox, so Henry felt at home immediately in Liverpool.
Americans may talk about a “storied franchise” when it comes to sporting history, but there is an understanding that the passion, energy and commitment of football fans in England is very intoxicating. For people who love sport, there are few finer places to own a sports team than in England.
There is also a feeling that it is possible to make a good long-term return through the right club or investment. This is why many international owners look to the English Championship and aim to bring a team from that league into the top flight of English football. The most obvious example of that approach would be Leicester City.
Leicester City may be the blueprint for international owners
The club is owned by a group called Asian Football Investments, led by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha from the King Power Group. Within six years, Leicester City had moved from Championship strugglers to Premier League winners and group participants in the Champions League.
The fairytale story of Leicester and the huge sums of money associated with the English Premier League means that there is also a lot of interest from international owners for clubs in the English Championship. Clubs at this level are more affordable, but with strong investment and good team appointments, it is possible to turn the club into a Premier League side, bringing about a huge return on an initial investment.
There are many Championship clubs with international owners, all of whom will have their own aims and ambitions for their team. Aston Villa are currently owned by China’s Dr Tony Xia, Shahid Khan from the USA owns Fulham, Dejphon Chansiri from Thailand owns Sheffield Wednesday, and Nottingham Forest are owned by Vangelis Marinakis, from Greece. Marinakis also owns Olympiacos and has led them to great success. All of these owners want their teams to be successful and reach the top flight of the English game and perhaps even become regulars in the two major European tournaments.
No matter the reason an international owner has for getting involved with English football, their presence is changing the game. They are driving more money into the game, they are looking to generate more interest in the game from around the world and they are more likely to operate with a business approach. A local owner may have an emotional attachment to the club, which can inspire them to make football-focused rather than business decisions. International owners are further removed from that thinking, which is driving the game forward with more business-related decisions.