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"If you want some accessible but informative insight into football then I suggest you couldn't do better than the Political Economy of Football website, which is not only intelligible but comes with the added bonus of being written by Addicks fan Wyn Grant."
Ben Hayes - Charlton Athletic programme

South American Leagues

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Brazilian footballers head back home

Submitted by WG on Mon, 18/07/2011 - 17:27

The possible return of Manchester City's Carlos Tevez to Corinthians in Sao Paulo, although influenced by a wish to be closer to his children in Argentina, is symptomatic of a wider trend driven by the strength of the Brazilian real.

A success story in Ecuador

Submitted by WG on Fri, 24/06/2011 - 17:48

Ecuador is punching above its weight in world football.  The national team has qualified for two of the last three World Cup finals.   In 2008 leading club Quito's Liga Deportiva Universita (LDU) won the Copa Liberadores, the top South American club tournament   LDU came close to beating Manchester United in that year's Fifa Club World Cup.

Organised crime and football

Submitted by WG on Sun, 05/06/2011 - 08:08

Sepp Blatter and Fifa have a mission to develop football in the Global South.   That's fair enough: the international organisation of which I am vice-president has a similar mission in its field of activity.


However, in some countries football faces particular challenges from criminal organisations.  One such country is Colombia where the Fifa under-20 World Cup kicks off on July 29th.  It is the biggest sporting event ever held in the country and 250,000 tickets have been sold.

Sunday Evening Link Tank - Yey!

Submitted by JSB on Sun, 17/10/2010 - 18:33

The Presidential Prerogative

Submitted by JSB on Mon, 04/10/2010 - 23:00

Bolivian President Evo Morales was caught on camera kneeing an opponent where it hurts most during a 'friendly' football match to celebrate the inauguration of a new artificial pitch.

Brazil Football Clubs Ranked by Turnover (US$) 2005 to 2006

Submitted by JSB on Fri, 25/12/2009 - 16:51

Source: By kind permission of Casual Auditores Independentes S/S of Brazil - All figures are stated in US$. Copyright remains with Casual - address: R. Pamplona 818 Suite 11, 01405-001 São Paulo - SP, Tel/Fax:55(11) 3284 - 4871, Tel: 55(11) 3253 - 8516

Casual Auditores annual survey on the financial situation of Brazilian soccer. Covering 21 clubs and including expert comment from the analysts. You can see copies here:

State Bails Out Argentine Football

Submitted by WG on Sun, 23/08/2009 - 00:00

It had to happen sooner or later: a government bailing out a financially inept football industry dissatisfied with its television contract. And what was the betting that it would happen in Argentina, a fanatical football nation where presidents know they have to engage in crowd-pleasing populist politics? Nevertheless, this is quite a step even for the country's populist First Family, president Cristina Fernández and her husband and predecessor Néstor Kirchner.

Debt Crisis Threatens Argentine Season

Submitted by WG on Thu, 06/08/2009 - 00:00

Argentine football fans face the prospect of a delayed start, and possibly the suspension, of the coming season. Argentine Football Association (AFA) spokesman Chequis Blaio said that 'No games will start at any level.' Not surprisingly, this upset some of the most dedicated fans in the world and the AFA headquarters was sprayed with graffiti. Tension between the country's top clubs and cable television providers has been brewing for weeks as the country's top league teams trying to extricate themselves from debts estimated at $300m.

Jamaican Football Clubs Under Pressure

Submitted by WG on Sun, 18/01/2009 - 00:00

Despite the increased sponsorship money negotiated by the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), the majority of the 12 participating clubs in Jamaica's Digicel Premier League, are bracing for the worst in the current economic climate. Each club now receives an average of $Jamaican 4m a season (about £35,000) or more than five times the $J 750,000 they would have received three years ago.

Brazil is Leading Exporter of Foreign Players

Submitted by WG on Fri, 22/08/2008 - 00:00

The third annual review of the European Football Players' Labour Market published by the Professional Football Players Observatory shows that the percentage of foreign players with clubs in the top flight of each of the five main European leagues (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain) continues to increase. The number of Latin Americans among the foreign players rose by 2 per cent against players from other parts of the world. Non-European players now represent 50 per cent of the total number of foreign players.