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[BAK]

The billionaire overseas owners that have been welcomed into the English game over the past two decades by football authorities and politicians alike, some of whom backed the plan in the pursuit of greater revenue, and who in some cases have not been seen at the clubs they own for literally years, remain in place.

 

[BAK]

The American owners of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in particular - who unlike those from Russia at Chelsea and Abu Dhabi at Manchester City - are seen to prioritise revenue rather than reputation, may now reconsider their long-term commitment to the clubs they own.

 

[BAK]

But even if they now decide to sell, as many fans hope, the number of potential buyers with the wealth or interest to purchase such clubs are, of course, limited.

 

[BAK]

Until such clubs are put up for sale, regardless of the grovelling apologies their owners have issued in recent days, their desire to grow their businesses and attract new audiences, especially after the unprecedented financial crisis of the past year, will continue.

 

[BAK]

The value of broadcast rights do seem to have peaked. A lack of domestic competition in Italy and Spain seems unlikely to end. Nor is the hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt several of the continent's wealthiest clubs - especially Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus - are saddled with.

 

[BAK]

The huge financial inequality in the English game, between the Premier League and the EFL, continues. Very few seem to be arguing that sticking with the status quo is an option.

 

[BAK]

So what next?​

A protest sign outside Arsenal's Emirates Stadium

 

[BAK]

Based on conversations in the past 48 hours, my belief is that those demanding that the English clubs involved in the plot are punished with points deductions or bans are set to be disappointed.

 

[BAK]

The mood music from within the FA and Premier League is that such moves would unfairly punish the fans. The very supporters whose protests and opposition seemed to prove decisive in bringing down the ESL.

 

[BAK]

That is not to say disciplinary action will not be taken against the individuals involved, nor that their clubs will not suffer as a result of the conspiracy. Indeed, they are already paying the price. Executives from the 'Big Six' who sit on influential Premier League working groups have been told to stand down, or be voted out.

 

[BAK]

And it will not stop there. Clearly there is an appetite from within the 14 clubs excluded from the plot - and the FA - to toughen up their rules to try to prevent any such repeat in the future.

 

[BAK]

Within the Premier League this is being seen as a historic opportunity to clip the wings of the wealthiest clubs, and to put an end to the hopes they clearly had for more power, as shown last year when it emerged they had been holding secret talks over a different scheme - Project Big Picture.

 

[BAK]

For years the wealthiest clubs had used the threat of a breakaway as a negotiating tactic to secure concessions. In 2018 for instance when they secured a greater share of the overseas broadcast revenue generated by the Premier League. And more recently when they persuaded Uefa to create two 'wild card' slots for clubs who fall outside the qualification places but can still get in on the basis of past European success as part of the revamped Champions League format.

 

[BAK]

With the threat of a 'super league' apparently over (for now), some will hope an overhauled European Club Association will push for such concessions to be reversed.

 

[BAK]

Others want far greater redistribution of Champions League revenue - currently one of the biggest causes of financial disparity within the Premier League.

 

[BAK]

And the big clubs' recent demand for control over the commercial rights for the competition should certainly now be over. Maybe the desperation of some of the bigger clubs to somehow claw back trust with their enraged supporters could even mean a reduction in ticket prices as a gesture of goodwill. And perhaps not.

 

[BAK]

There have been plenty of taskforces and reviews of football in the past. But coming as it does in the wake of arguably the greatest threat the sport's pyramid has faced, the sense is that the one now being conducted by well-respected former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch has much more chance of bringing about real change than any before. And that given the recent flexing of 'fan power', those who represent supporters will be properly listened to.

 

[BAK]

While the government has said it wants her to look at the German model of ownership where fans have a majority stake, and many are in favour of it, the so-called '50+1' approach appears unlikely, certainly in the short-term in English football, where for the last two decades, billionaire overseas investors have been able to buy up so many clubs.

 

[BAK]

Some believe Crouch is more likely to recommend a strengthened owners and directors' test, greater fan representation and statutory roles on club boards, a 'golden share' system in which fans have a veto over key decisions, fans having the right to buy a certain proportion of a club, more independent board members at the FA, and perhaps even an independent and powerful football regulator, with the power to decide who clubs can be acquired and run by.

 

[BAK]

Such a role has been proposed by former FA chairman David Bernstein and pundit Gary Neville, and the football authorities will almost certainly oppose it. Just as the Premier League is expected to oppose the greater sharing of its broadcast revenue that the EFL continues to demand.