Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2019-05-27)

◼ BUSINESS Bloomberg Businessweek May 27, 2019

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PETER DEJONG/AP PHOTO. DATA: PREMIER LEAGUE, BLOOMBERG NEWS REPORTS; 2018-19 SEASON

thesidewiththebestcombinedscoreadvances),

beatingBarcelona4-0totaketheotherspot.And

onMay9, Arsenal and Chelsea defeated continental

rivals to make their way into the final of the Europa

League, the region’s No. 2 club competition. After

Liverpool’s win, Prime Minister Theresa May told

Parliament the match proves “that when every-

one says it’s all over, that your European opposi-

tion have got you beat, the clock is ticking down, it’s

time to concede defeat, actually we can still secure

success if everyone comes together.”

Like everything in Britain these days, the soc-

cer world is deeply divided over Brexit. The English

Premier League largely echoes the “remain” camp,

hoping May won’t be successful in beating her

“Europeanopposition.”Theleaguehasbuilta world-

widefollowingbasedonitsabilitytoattracttoptal-

ent,andit wantstomaintainunfetteredaccessto

foreignpros,muchlikecompanieskeentoavoid

curbsonimmigrantlaborafterleavingtheEU.While

sixofEurope’s 10 richestclubsareEnglish,about

two-thirdsoftheplayersinthePremierLeague

comefromabroad.Theleaguesaysanyrestrictions

onoverseastalentwouldthreatenits£4.5billion

($5.7billion)inannualrevenue.“Internationalplay-

ershavebeena crucialfactorintheglobalappealof

theleague,”saysRichardBroughton,a researcherat

AmpereAnalysisLtd.inLondon.

TheFootballAssociation,thesport’sgoverning

bodyinEngland,saystoomanyoutsidersweaken

effortstofurtherdevelopthelocalgameasit seeks

tobuildonthenationalteam’sstrongshowingatlast

year’sWorldCupinRussia.Undercurrentrules,up

to 17 membersofa 25-manPremierLeaguesquad

canbeforeigners,buttheFAwantstotrimthatto13.

TheFAsaysitsstarsneedthekindofreal-lifeexperi-

encegainedfromplayingweekinandout,butjust

30%ofPremierLeaguestartersthisseasonwere

raisedinEngland.That’sdownfrom33%lastyear,

andEnglandcoachGarethSouthgatefretsit could

fallto15%withina decade.“We’vegottoarrestthe

slide,”Southgatesays.

Britain’srelationswithEuropehavelongbeen

reflectedinsport.Inthe1950s,astheU.K.turned

itsbackonwhatwouldbecometheEuropean

Union, Englishsoccer initiallydismissedthe

nascentpan-Europeanclubcompetitionasa

pointlessdistraction.Butbythe1970s,Britain

hadjoinedtheEU,andEnglishclubshadbecome

mastersoftheregion’ssoccer.Today, asthe

Brexitclockcontinuestotick,thegame’sfuture

intheplacewhereit wasinventedhangsinthe

balance,saysAndrewOsborne,a sportsimmi-

grationspecialistatlawfirmLewisSilkin.“The

PremierLeaguewantstoprotectthegamefrom

anyrestrictions,”hesays.“Howarewegoingto

dealwiththispost-Brexit?”�RodneyJefferson

andDavidHellier

THE BOTTOM LINE The Premier League has built a worldwide

following with players from overseas, but the Football Association

says too many outsiders weaken its efforts to develop local talent.

▲ Tottenham’s

Moura celebrating

in Amsterdam

Nationality: ◼U.K. ◼EU ◼OtherEurope ◼ Other

Owner

Manager

Players

Manchester CityLiverpoolChelseaTottenham HotspurArsenalManchester UnitedWolverhamptonEvertonLeicester CityWest Ham United

An Assist for the Premier League

WatfordCrystal PalaceNewcastle UnitedBurnleyCardiff

City

Bournemouth Huddersfield

Town

▼ Best record Worst ▼

SouthamptonBrightonFulham