The English Premier League has in recent years been hailed as the best league in the world, largely due to the successes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League. In the past year, however, Spanish football has received greater media coverage than before.
First, the Spanish national team played a very attractive brand of football and were successful in winning the European Championships last summer, after countless tournaments of underachievement. Then, Barcelona mesmorised fans around the world by destroying numerous teams with their breathtaking football philosophy. While Xavi and Iniesta orchestrated the play from midfield, the attacking trio of Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry racked up over a hundred goals between them. Barcelona proved that it is possible to combine style and success and ultimately ended the season winning the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey. Now, Real Madrid have dominated the summer transfer headlines with their purchases of Crsitiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol, and their interest in a number of other superstars such as Franck Ribery.
The question that now arises is: How can the Spanish league become as popular, or at least almost as popular, as the English Premier League in Asia?
First and foremost, it can take advantage of the current economic situation. The top English clubs have long been able to use their strong financial backing to purchase the top talent from around the continent. However, the pound has weakened compared to the Euro, and this makes it more expensive for English clubs to buy players from continental clubs these days. Spanish clubs therefore now find themselves being able to compete with their English counterparts.
Furthermore, the top rate of taxation in England is going to rise to 50%, while in Spain, it has fallen to 24% for foreigners. This is certainly a very good way to tempt the world’s best players to choose Spain ahead of England. We have seen this in recent times. Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Xabi Alonso and David Villa have all decided to stay in Spain or move to Spain when they had offers from England as well. Even Andrey Arshavin, who just signed for Arsenal in the January transfer window, has voiced his concerns about the tax rates in England. This must be a worrying trend for English clubs. It is up to the clubs in Spain now to pursue the best players, as circumstances are definitely in their favour.
While the exchange rate and the taxation rate have happened to be to the advantage of the Spanish teams, these teams can play a more active role. The most important factor in gaining popularity is through marketing. The English Premier League and the clubs in England have done this with astounding success. Spain can do this in a few ways.
First, the kickoff time of matches can be brought forward to suit audiences in Asia as well. League matches are usually held on weekends so it is possible for matches to begin in the afternoon, like they do in England. This should not be impractical for spectators in Spain, and it will definitely result in a greater following around Asia. Presently, due to the large time difference, the matches are played in the middle of the night, and because the Spanish league lacks a large following of staunch supporters in the region, viewership is limited. By altering the kickoff time to suit both fans in Europe and Asia, many more people will begin following the Spanish league. This option is certainly feasible, as it is being practiced in Britain.
Second, the quality of commentating and pre and post match programmes need to be improved. The level of commentating undoubtedly adds to the match experience. Commentators such as Martin Tyler and Andy Gray have for years increased the enjoyment of fans around Asia. Spanish matches, in contrast, lack such quality, and this dampens the atmosphere when watching a match. ESPN Star Sports has also made sure it has provided fans with comprehensive pre and post match analysis featuring high profile and good pundits for Premiership matches, in addition to various programmes throughout the week. The Spanish league needs this too, in order to win and maintain the following of an increased fan base in the region.
Third, the Spanish clubs themselves need to market themselves in Asia. One way is to increase the number of pre-season tours to the region. Real Madrid has in the past come to countries such as Japan and China. But this is not a common occurrence. Liverpool and Manchester United are both coming to Asia this summer. The Premier League also organises a pre-season tournament in Asia every two years. These are examples that the clubs in Spain can adopt as well. For a fan, there is nothing like seeing his idols up close. Many fans in Asia lack the financial capability of travelling to Europe to watch their stars in action. If the teams want to reach out to this group of fans, the least they can do is to have an Asian tour every now and then.
Despite this, the fact that the English Premier League has such a strong following in Asia makes it difficult for the Spanish League to break that grip. While it may not be easy to break England’s dominance, it is possible for the Spanish league and the Spanish teams to be more popular than they currently are. They should capitalise on their recent successes and build on this momentum.
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