The signal that a Brazilian football team could compete with European giants is reflective of a wider movement in world sport
On the 20th July 2011 Brazilian football side Corinthians withdrew their bid of £40m for Manchester City and Argentina star Carlos Tevez, citing the imminent closure of the Brazilian transfer window. But the fact that the transfer did not go through is immaterial. The statement it has sent out to the footballing world is enough. It could be looked back on as a defining moment in world football.
The Tevez transfer saga is not an ordinary one, and there are numerous factors that might suggest a unique case. On the Tevez side, frequent claims of homesickness are hard to ignore, as is his mercenary past (from his astonishing arrival at West Ham to his claims to dislike Manchester before turning up at Manchester City).
On the Brazilian side, Corinthians were attempting to bankroll the transfer by funds from a new Brazilian TV deal and Tevez is a former popular player for the club. This is before we even mention Kia Joorabchian, his agent and a man with historic business links to Corinthians through Media Sports Investments, who took over the club in 2004.
Tevez in action for Manchester City. Source: Alfonso Jimenez
However, the fact that Corinthians even appear able to compete is a gesture impossible to ignore. It marks the first time a Brazilian team has bid a huge figure for a global superstar and come seriously close to landing him (and still may do in January).
There is already a noticeable movement in Brazil of former stars (Carlos Alberto, Mancini) returning home early after struggling to adapt in Europe, established players (Fred, Luis Fabiano) electing to come back in their prime or veterans (Deco, Ronaldo, Gilberto Silva, Belletti) choosing to see out careers in native lands rather than chasing riches in Europe’s lesser leagues, the Middle East or North America.
But the Tevez transfer bid raises many more questions about the future of world football. In 15 years time will we have a situation where the Brazilian top league (Brasileirão) is competing with the best European leagues? Will the Tevez saga be viewed as the watershed moment?
Increased Brazilian economic stability and strength and the infrastructure created by the 2014 FIFA World Cup will undoubtedly create conditions ripe for growth for the Brasileirão. When this is coupled with Brazilian clubs gradually becoming wise to their huge economic potential in negotiating larger TV deals, improving their structures and public relations, and attracting sponsors who will pay superstar wages, it will undoubtedly lead to Brazilian clubs retaining their best players for longer before they leave for Europe.
Estadio do Pacaembu. Will Tevez ultimately return? Source: Rodrigo Soldon
Although Brazil will undoubtedly remain the biggest exporter of players around the world, what is already happening is that the Brazilian league is becoming the hub for the best South American players and an established stepping-stone to Europe, overtaking the struggling Argentinean league in the process. Indeed some of the best Argentineans have found their way to Brazil in the last few years - Tevez himself of course, as well as Alejandro Martinuccio and Dario Conca (more to follow on that name).
Perhaps in an extended version of this, the Brasileirão improves to the extent that far less players need to go to Europe and some Europeans begin to be attracted to South America?
This argument is not just confined to Brazil, nor it is it limited to football.
Another country making similar leaps forward is Russia, to the extent that it could now claim to be Europe’s 6th best league ahead of Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey. Russia is awash with money and making big signings (Bruno Alves arrived at Zenit St Petersburg for 22m Euros last summer), making the Russian league second only to the English Premier League in financial losses.
How long before a prized European asset is whisked away to Zenit or Rubin Kazan as a marquee signing? Zenit and CSKA Moscow have both won the Europa League in recent seasons. How long until a Russian side is challenging for the Champions League? And let us not forget the new player on the scene, Anzhi Makhachkala, one the clubs linked with bidding for Tevez last month and who have recently embarked on a dramatic spending spree, earning them the nickname 'The Manchester City of Russia'.
Which brings us to China. Dario Conca is perhaps not a name familiar to too many European football fans. The Argentine had three impressive seasons with Fluminese in Brazil before jetting off to Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande this summer to earn an annual salary of $10.4m. This puts him comfortably in the top ten best-paid footballers in world football. Conca is just one standout example of a wider trend.
Brazil, Russia and China, the new powerhouses of world football and possibly beyond? Brazil and Russia have booming and increasingly stable economies, rich sporting history (particularly in football) and they both will host World Cups (2014, 2018) and Olympics (Rio, Sochi) by the end of the decade. With these tournaments comes wholesale investment in sports clubs, infrastructure, TV deals and in the industry as a whole. China has already demonstrated they are ready to compete with the West in the sporting sphere.
Although the Carlos Tevez deal has many different contributing factors, it hints at the coming of this new world footballing order, the huge potential for the Brazilian league and the emergence of Brazil as a major player on to the world sporting scene. Russia and China are on the same path and there are sure to be other developing nations who follow their lead.
With thanks to Sean Williams, roving reporter in Brazil, for his insights
To see The Economist’s take on things read http://www.economist.com/node/18989277
As I was reading this, I thought - this reminds me of an article I read in The Economist a few weeks ago - and went searching for the link.
ReplyDeleteAlas, you have it already.
Although there will be plenty of exceptions, I would suggest though that big-name players from developed nations are less likely to go to Brazil, China or Russia before or during their peak because for most of them, their motivation is to 'win titles'. As temping as the lucrative contracts are, I can't see English, Spanish, Italian stars leaving Europe and the Champions League behind for the extra million or two in place of medals and tophies. I appreciate as the window of opportunity to win such titles closes, these countries will be more tempting for these European players.