‘Brains Trust’: A Study of European Football Club Structures
How do you run a European football club? It is a question with many different answers, depending on the philosophy and objective of the ownership group, and also the financial resources at their disposal, but nonetheless, there are still some key principles -- a thread of crucial elements -- to which the most successful clubs adhere.
In European soccer, there are different challenges than in US sports. There are no salary caps at the top level, the game operates an open transfer market with players at all levels sold to the highest bidder -- no player draft -- and there is the annual possibility of relegation or failure to qualify for the most lucrative and prestigious competitions such as the UEFA Champions League.
The senior management teams must also negotiate and comply with cross-border regulations inside and outside the European Union, including the impact of Brexit on the recruitment of players and coaching staff in the Premier League.
All of these challenges can be obstacles to success, which is why the most successful and progressive teams attempt to operate by sticking to the key principles detailed within this document.
