1. The Wealth Gap Between Clubs Elite Clubs Dominate Revenue
- Teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, PSG, and Bayern Munich earn hundreds of millions from sponsorships, merchandise, and global broadcasting deals.
- These clubs can afford:
- €100M+ transfer fees
- Weekly wages exceeding €300K per player
- State-of-the-art training facilities
- Lower-tier clubs rely heavily on local ticket sales and limited TV rights.
- Often can't afford to retain top talent and must sell players to stay solvent.
- Promotion to top leagues (e.g., EPL) can be financially lifesaving—or crushing if relegated the next year.
- The Premier League earns billions from global media rights—far more than leagues like the Dutch Eredivisie or Argentine Primera División.
- Top five European leagues (EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1) dominate global attention and income.
- Clubs in smaller leagues often serve as "feeder teams" for rich European clubs.
- Talent drains from Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe to wealthier leagues.
- Rich clubs can buy any player they want, often outbidding competitors purely with cash.
- Smaller clubs can't match salaries or fees and risk losing stars on free transfers.
- High transfer inflation means even average players can cost tens of millions.
- Superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo or Kylian Mbappé can earn over €50M/year.
- Many players in second divisions or smaller nations earn less than €20K/year—and some must hold second jobs.
- Top women's players often earn less in a year than male players earn in a week.
- Many leagues have part-time contracts, no health benefits, or minimal infrastructure.
- FFP rules were meant to limit reckless spending and level the playing field.
- Wealthy clubs often circumvent FFP via inflated sponsorships or creative accounting.
- Enforcement is inconsistent—some teams are punished; others go unchecked.
- Global fanbases and brand power give elite clubs a permanent financial advantage.
- Shirt deals, licensing, and partnerships with major brands add hundreds of millions in yearly revenue.
- Smaller teams can't break into international markets or attract major sponsors.
- The failed 2021 European Super League highlighted financial desperation among some clubs and greed among others.
- Rich clubs wanted to guarantee yearly income without fear of missing out on Champions League revenue.
- Competitive imbalance: Same clubs win every year in many leagues.
- Youth poaching: Rich clubs scout and sign top talents early, weakening development systems in other countries.
- Relegation/Re-entry trap: Smaller clubs promoted to big leagues face huge pressure to overspend just to survive.
- Stronger FFP enforcement and spending caps.
- Revenue sharing or "luxury tax" systems.
- Redistribution of TV rights and prize money.
- Minimum salary and facility standards for lower divisions and women's leagues.
- Club ownership reform (e.g., Germany's 50+1 rule).