Reasons: Why the Sheikhs invest in Football?

What began as an eccentricity has become a trend that is beginning to spread. In its eagerness to success they have discovered that certain clubs are willing to open their doors for profitability.  

1Investment: Arab sheikhs have channeled their European investments through football clubs. The teams are more than an excuse to gain fame and offers. Top leaders have economic objectives in the area parallel to the sporting objectives. They all land with a map under their arm of a future reclassification of the land the stadium occupies, a new sports city, shopping malls in the vicinity to the field or other investments in the area. Ports and airports tend to be areas listed for the sheiks, who continue to see the business in the control of the transport of goods.

2 Opportunity: The crisis engulfing Europe and countries such as Spain have welcomed the sheikhs with open doors. Their oil businesses allow them to have large sums of money and have no liquidity problems. Many sports projects, always involved in promises of big signings, such as its investment in the area, have the approval of the institutions hosting the sheikhs without any suspicion.

3 Notoriety: Football is a perfect showcase for the great sheikhs. Arab investors have studied in the best business schools in the world, and know perfectly what to do. Through football they project their image and get the visibility they need to make the rest of their investments profitable. Their companies land next to their owners in the countries of origin of the clubs, and open up a new market without financial cost and, often, with tax benefits of the amount of petrodollars that they carry in their wallets. Free publicity, credibility and trust.  A well rounded business. Nobody loses their money for the sake of a few colors that aren’t even theirs. They seek admiration from society.

4Rivalry: It responds to a sports plan of conscious expansion from each of the Emirates, the essence of an old rivalry. The Al Nahyan, are committed to a motor racing circuit; the Al Maktoum for a Racecourse in Dubai. The Al Nahyan bought Manchester City; the Al Maktoum recovered Liverpool. The Al Nahyan wants to dominate the world with “pure Arab blood”. The Al Maktoum created an Empire with the English Thoroughbred industry. Something like "I'm over you", "I have more money" or "I am the best and most admired".

5. Hobby: It is true that the sheiks tend to be big fans of the sport in which they invest. Usually they are followers of the great football teams or even practice it. They have prompted the League of Qatar, a retreat for big stars. The sheikhs not only want to have extreme fame in the world of football, they want that their petrodollars also expand their name in other club/sport competitions through sponsorships, organization of tournaments, or construction of infrastructure such as racetracks or golf courses.

Royal Emirates Group, controlled by Dubai’s Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail Al Maktoum, right.

 

 

"Knowledge@Wharton 9 Research Article." The Beautiful, Expensive Game: European Soccer a Lure for Gulf Investment. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2012.

"Soccer Politics / The Politics of Football." Soccer Politics / The Politics of Football. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2011.

"Soccer's Biggest Team Sells Its Soul to the Oil Sheikhs." :: Ben Cohen. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2012.