Paraag Marathe, the vice-chairman of Leeds, recently spoke of his admiration of English clubs, describing them as ‘special, unique and rare.’
It is certainly no secret foreign ownership has changed the face of English football, making the Premier League itself a global institution and a commercial behemoth.
While this influx of external economic backing can largely be viewed as a positive thing for the development of English clubs, many have warned of the short and long-term quandaries it could bring for the rest of the country’s football hierarchy, as well as the detrimental effect it may have on the sport’s less fortunate, yet loyal fans.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville recently labelled the heavy US investment being witnessed across English football as “a clear and present danger” to the game.
Media attention surrounding US owners has intensified in recent weeks, with both Everton and Bournemouth, who are 8/13 to be relegated in current football betting thought to be close to agreeing take-overs from American businessman.
This would bring the total up to 12 teams in the Premier League to be owned, or part-owned by Americans.
Everton takeover latest:
🇺🇸 US property tycoon Maciek Kaminski remains in talks
💰 LAMF Global Ventures Corp – advised by former #EFC director Keith Harris – linked
💷 Everton owner Farhad Moshiri's primary focus is securing funding partner📝 @Paddy_Boyland & @mjshrimper
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) October 6, 2022
“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t proclaim to know all of the history and cultural things about what makes English football special and different and unique,” Marathe told BBC sports.
“However, I’m learning a lot about it and most importantly, I’m very respectful and appreciative of the current set-up as it is.
“The English football pyramid and with promotion and relegation and everything that exists with that, even to call fans ‘fans’ or even ‘supporters’, it’s almost a misnomer because these are clubs that are part of people’s families.
“These are clubs that are part of cities and communities the same way you would talk about a little brother, a little sister, a mum or a dad, you talk about your club. You can make fun of your club inside your home, but outside your home if someone talks bad about your club, you’re going to protect it at all costs.
“That is just different, and I’m so respectful of that and want to protect what that is.
“If something changes the sanctity of what that is, I’m not a fan of it. If it improves upon it, or if it clarifies it or if it makes it more transparent and makes it better, then I’m a fan of it and supportive of it.
“It’s a very special, unique thing that nobody else in the world has.”
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who took over control of the West London club in May after two decades of Roman Abramovich at the helm, has already suggested bringing in ‘Americanisms’ such as an MLS-style ‘All-Star’ game. This idea was met with disdain by the likes of Jurgen Klopp, who questioned whether the businessman had actually said it.
More worryingly, the proposition of a European Super League in 2021 was supported by three American Premier League club owners or co-owners – Manchester United’s Joel Glazer, Liverpool’s John W Henry and Arsenal’s Stan Kroenke.
Never had the collective backlash been so strong as rival clubs came together to force the owners to back down, largely in the hope preventing foreign money from muddying the water of the traditional English football hierarchy.
Marathe went on to add: “Again I just go back to the history and the culture of English football, it is something that is very special and rare, and it works.
“And English football has its own version of different things. You have the FA Cup and different things like that that gives everybody a chance, a small club in a little known part of the country can win the FA Cup and the source of pride that comes from that, and there’s money that comes with that as well.
“If it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it. It works here, it’s special, it’s unique and it’s rare, and you don’t want to take away whatever that aura is that makes it rare.”
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
