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Soccer Sports Business

Premier League Hits Global Markets Hard

In the midst of a recession, the international demand for European soccer is at its highest. Specifically, England’s Premier League sent each one of the clubs abroad for a tour this summer. One example is Chelsea FC, a powerful English club, which played several friendly matches in the USA earlier this summer and pocketed $3.3 […]

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Soccer Sports Business

The Real World Of Soccer

Real Madrid Summer Purchases Ronaldo – £80 million Kaka – £56 million Benzema – £30 million Albiol – £12 million Manchester City Summer Purchases Santa-Cruz – £18 million Tevez- £25 million Adebayor – £25 million Barry – £12 million These are the transfers that have knocked the wind out of the summer transfer window in […]

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Contract Negotiation Headline Soccer

Why the Premier League can’t keep up

Taxes. Nobody likes paying them, but without them we wouldn’t survive. Drawing on the recent post by Darren in regards to the levels of US state taxes and the effect on player income [ “A Taxing Discussion”], I thought I would look at the tax rates and how they factor into soccer contracts on a […]

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Contract Negotiation Endorsements Soccer

Beckham Returns Fashionably Late

Have you seen David Beckham lately? Besides the poster of him in your girlfriend’s room, probably not. The former England Captain and Manchester United star just returned to his MLS team, LA Galaxy, after his short three month stint with Real Madrid. Some players possessed hard feelings after Beckham’s initial departure for Real Madrid, but […]

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Soccer Sports Law

Can the Saints be Saved?

Those who know me will be aware that I am an avid supporter of Arsenal FC. However I cannot help but feel a little disturbed by the goings on at Southampton FC. Being a graduate of the University of Southampton, there is a little place in my heart for the 2003 FA Cup Finalists. It […]

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Corporate Sponsors Headline Soccer Sports Business

Interview with Ben Freidson, Manager of Sports Marketing at Volkswagen

Ben Freidson is the Manager of Sports Marketing at Volkswagen of America Inc.  Recently, Volkswagen announced a multi-year partnership renewal with Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing, MLS’s marketing arm, to remain MLS’s Official Automotive partner. Michael Goldman: Can you briefly discuss your role as Manager of Sports Marketing and your background that led […]

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Soccer

Match-Fixing Rears Its Ugly Head Again in Soccer

Less than three years after the 2006 Italian match-fixing scandal, UEFA has charged a Macedonian club with “manipulating the outcome of a UEFA match to gain undue advantage for themselves and a third party”. The charge dates back to a Champions League qualifying match in 2004 between alleged match-fixers FK Pobeda and FC Pyunik of […]

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Soccer Sports Law

Blatter’s ‘6+5’ rule is not illegal…?

In November 2007 I wrote my first article for Sports Agent Blog (Blatter Seeks New Rules Regarding ‘Home-Grown’ Players). I shared my opinion on whether any ‘nationality restrictions’ in European soccer would be legal under European Union law. My conclusion was that such restrictions would most certainly be illegal. Fifteen months on, and it would […]

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Contract Negotiation Soccer

Beckham On The Move?

It all started out so simple – David Beckham, arguably the most popular soccer player on the planet strikes a loan deal with Italian Serie A side AC Milan. The move was done so Beckham could get some match fitness to be selected to play for the England squad. Upon first arriving, Beckham stated that […]

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Recruiting Soccer Sports Agents

The Murky World of Soccer Agents, Debunking the Perception

I received some interesting feedback on my last article from family, friends, business associates and people who I had never met before. They can broadly be placed into two categories – the supportive and the questioning. The supportive feedback does not need to be examined here as it is trite at this stage; I would […]