Since four years or so, Liverpool has started the journey to the top... recently won Fifa club world cup in Qatar after winning the Uefa Champions League, and has now dethroned Real Madrid as the world's invincible team.
It's actually the Premier League dethroning La Liga from world domination. It was two Premier League teams, Liverpool and Tottenham that played in the finals of Uefa champions league.While Liverpool won, another Premier league side, Chelsea also won the Europa cup.
Undoubtedly, the Premier League is the most popular football league in the world. But here in Nigeria, it is something else. For instance, in the match between Liverpool and Man City, over 12 million fans packed out viewing centers... where ever they could find in any nook and cranny across the country.
Yet, in the game between Chelsea and Arsenal, fans even had to stand outside the streets, anywhere they can catch a glimpse of DStv broadcasting the game live. Over 35 million people watching the game across this premiership crazy countevery
So why is it that the Premier League is such a massive success? What makes it attract fans from every corner in Nigeria? Exactly how much of an impact does the Premiership influences lifestyle of the people towards the beautiful game?
Eric Onyema, Sports marketing analyst in Port Harcourt said:
The premiership uses the power of media to penetrate the heart of football fans across the globe. The media rasmatazz is out of this world, which always put the league in front of everyone's mind.
Here in Nigeria, you could say thanks to DStv and Supersports, who are promoting the league and bringing the game to households, commercial viewing centers and sport bars across the country.
You couldvalso talk about the free daily promotions the league gain from newspapers and magazines in Nigeria; As well as other sports shows on tv and radio, which gives more time in analyzing the Premiership than any other league. Ironically, not even the domestic league (NPFL), get such attention from the local media.
Mohammed Mina a Player's Agent in Kaduna said:
I think Nigerians and other African stars that broke into the premier league: Celestine Babayaro, Nwankwo Kanu, Samuel O'Eto, Didier Drogba, John Mikel Obi and now Sadio Mane, Mohamed Sallah, Pierre-Emerrick Aubameyang...brought the league home. They attracted Nigerian fans to the league and made them passionately support teams like their own: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester city, Leicester city...
You see our best players are not in our domestic leagues. That's why we follow them abroad, where they are. I think the Premier League brings the world best players together in England. Just look at their football law, a player must have played 75% of their national team recent matches before he can be given a work permit or allowed to play in the premier league.
Juwon Adebite, A fan from Ibadan said:
Premiership is the most exciting league, fast paced and highly unpredictable; not like La liga dominated by Real Madrid amd Barcelona or Bayern Munich in Bundesliga. In the Premier league any team can win. This is the reason people watch the league more, the unpredictable nature of the games bring more excitement to the fans.
Premiership clubs invest a lot in their teams. Yeah, the two world best, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, may not yet be playing in the Premier league, but arguably about 50% of the best quality players and managers in the world are in the Premier league now: Jungen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho...
Did you Know?
English clubs dominate the financial side of football!
10 of the 20 richest clubs in world football are English. Not only does the Premier League make the most amount of television revenue in football, the governing authorities also ensure that the revenue is equitably distributed to all of its participating clubs.
It is anticipated that the top clubs in England would receive around $150 million in total TV income and prize money whereas, the bottom table clubs would receive around $100 million by the end of the 2017/18 season.
Even bottom table clubs in England end up getting a fair share of income
Comparatively, in the rival Spanish league, the top clubs are likely to receive around $150 million and the bottom clubs would get somewhere in the range of $60-70 million. This means that Premier League clubs, on the whole, have more purchasing power, which in turn encourages them to bid for the top players and managers in world football.
Some examples of highly sought after players that were acquired by top English clubs in recent times are Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alvaro Morata, Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva. However, what's even more interesting is that even the bottom table clubs in England have made impressive signings lately.
Everton signed Davy Klaasen and Wayne Rooney, Stoke City signed Bruno Martins-Indi and Xherdan Shaqiri, and Watford signed Richarlison and Roberto Pereyra.
Additionally, some of the biggest managerial names in football such as Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho... have been lured to English shores to flex their tactical muscles. As a result, quite naturally, the attention of the masses gets drawn towards the EPL.
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