Gareth Bale

[ebc_99]

United are bigger worldwide than Madrid and Barca. The international audience couldn't care less who a club is owned by.

I don't think so, there is no way to know for sure unless somebody counts them all, but in the reports I have seen Barca comes out on top miles clear of any other club.

http://www.fcbarcelona.com/club/barca-2-0/detail/article/fc-barcelona-the-most-popular-team-on-twitter

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/07/16/fc-barcelona-named-most-popular-sports-team-facebook-twitter

http://arxiu.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/noticies/club/temporada10-11/09/10/n100910112834.html

And in terms of attractiveness Man Utd don't come close, I can't think of when a truly elite player at the top of his game joined them they always chose Barca or Real because they are the biggest clubs.

 

[oz187]

Utd were bigger, but the gap has closed in recent years and Barca and Madrid are overtaking or already have overtaken Utd. That is likely to continue for the next few years and Fergie retiring could be a very damaging blow to a club which probably has overachieved because of him

 

[S7_MUFC]

Most fans in these countries support the clubs based on some random factors such as color of kits and favorite player e.t.c. but one major factor is that the new fans want to be part of conversation in their classrooms and offices so, they pick a epl team to support because nobody talks about la liga or Bundesliga....and most people also follow british media for sports news....

 

[Kerrybai]

Most fans in these countries support the clubs based on some random factors such as color of kits and favorite player e.t.c. but one major factor is that the new fans want to be part of conversation in their classrooms and offices so, they pick a epl team to support because nobody talks about la liga or Bundesliga....and most people also follow british media for sports news....

I believe that red is a lucky colour in Asia.

 

[Learo]

Why would a random armchair fan from the other side of the world care about financial stability, sugar daddies or average attendances? Or a language they probably don't even speak, for that matter? In China for example, only 0.83% of the population speaks English. The difference isn't language, language is a non-issue for this kind of entertainment, the difference is marketing. Premier League clubs spent their pre-season in the US and far East with the backing of Murdochs global media empire, while Dortmund and Shalke didn't even leave Europe.

But "Murdochs global media empire" only exists because of the English language. There are no non-English "global media empires", precisely because it is impossible without a language that people understand. All the media outlets with international reach are English-speaking.

You are absolutely right that the random armchair fan dont care about financial stability, crowd attendances, shared TV revenue etc. Thats why those are very poor arguments for the popularity of the EPL.

 

[Jenks]

If only the Spanish-speaking world was a large one. Wait a second...

 

[Learo]

Why do Barca and Madrid go on Asian tours if language is such a 'barrier' for them? Or for that matter why do Italian clubs play games over in the US? The English language argument is desperately poor, it's significance is a mere drop in the ocean of the EPL's foreign success.

Obviously because Barca and Madrid have no other choice if they want to compete globally. The Asian and North American markets are where the money is. All global media outlets are English based, its dominance is just overwhelming. All the other arguments for the popularity of the EPL can easily be refuted. The main difference between the EPL and other European leagues is not shared TV revenue or packed stadiums. Other leagues have that as well. The reason is language and money doped clubs.

 

[Learo]

If only the Spanish-speaking world was a large one. Wait a second...

Its not large economically, compared to Asia and the US. But La Liga do get plenty of revenue from Latin America because of language.

 

[Learo]

I can't say about Barca but Real still enjoys higher market than any other club in the world...

Anyway, the reason why the cash rich sugar boys don't invest in Atletico Madrids of Spain is because of the higher market the EPL clubs enjoy... It would probably change if the income on TV rights is shared equally by the clubs in Spain. But it would just be a minor change!!

No it wouldnt. Italy and Germany also has equality based TV rights.

 

[Learo]

Most fans in these countries support the clubs based on some random factors such as color of kits and favorite player e.t.c. but one major factor is that the new fans want to be part of conversation in their classrooms and offices so, they pick a epl team to support because nobody talks about la liga or Bundesliga....and most people also follow british media for sports news....

Exactly. And who shapes public opinion? The media and journalists who are highly educated and know English. And speaking English is seen as high-status in the developing world. Thats why the English-speaking medias have overwhelming power, and thats why English-language based culture and sports is so popular, whether it is Hollywood, music, EPL or whatever.

 

[Jenks]

Its not large economically, compared to Asia and the US. But La Liga do get plenty of revenue from Latin America because of language.

I still haven't seen an explanation as to why language would be an issue. Interviews are translated, and commentary and marketing are all done in the native language of the country they're in. From the perspective of the consumer, what difference does language make?

 

[Learo]

I still haven't seen an explanation as to why language would be an issue. Interviews are translated, and commentary and marketing are all done in the native language of the country they're in. From the perspective of the consumer, what difference does language make?

I think you have a very narrow view of what constitutes "marketing". It is the power of English media outlets that is the real marketing. Not an advertisement for a soft drink brand. The elites and journalists in the big news outlets of pretty much all developing countries know English, and they generally follow English based medias closely. They shape public opinion in their countries and as a result other languages have a huge obstacle. Exception is Latin America where lo and behold La Liga is popular as a result.

 

[Aryagorn]

Exactly. And who shapes public opinion? The media and journalists who are highly educated and know English. And speaking English is seen as high-status in the developing world. Thats why the English-speaking medias have overwhelming power, and thats why English-language based culture and sports is so popular, whether it is Hollywood, music, EPL or whatever.

Couldn't agree more

I still haven't seen an explanation as to why language would be an issue. Interviews are translated, and commentary and marketing are all done in the native language of the country they're in. From the perspective of the consumer, what difference does language make?

They probably can't connect to the players or the commentary due to poor translation? And, once again, the content of the translation or the commentary is so poor because of their limited budget! It's a vicious circle

 

[Bertus]

AvB gave an interview to ESPN. A large part of it covers what's happening around Bale.

Translated a few things from the french transcript.

"No one knows what's happening to Gareth and why he doesn't talk. The only thing we see is a player coming to the training ground and going for a walk. But it's ok. Our goal is that he'll stay here. His futrure is here."

"He's far from ready on the physical side."

"He didn't play since the first friendly match we had this summer, and he didn't participate to the pre-season. We're not in a hurry to make him play against Crystal Palace this sunday, Tbilissi in the European Cup, and Swansea next week."

"Tottenham was very clear that they want to keep him, but you know, everything can happen in football."

"Madrid? It's not because they are interested that we should be forced to negociate with them."​

 

[instinct]

"Tottenham was very clear that they want to keep him, but you know, everything can happen in football."

Jup, he'll leave.