Super Marshal

When Gao Han drove from his home in La Finca to the Chinatown Training Center in the southern suburbs, technical director Carlos Cantarero was already waiting for him in the lobby and took him directly to the executive conference room on the second floor.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw general manager Armando Marcos sitting inside with several guests, and the two leaders were Gao Han's old friends, Atletico Madrid chairman Cerezo, and general manager Xiao Hill.

Everyone in the conference room stood up immediately when they saw Gao Han pushing the door open.

"Ha, you are such a friend. You didn't even notify us when you returned to Madrid." Xiao Hill came up to us with a smile.

Gao Han looked innocent and said with a wry smile: "I'm just coming back to deal with some things. I'll be leaving in the next two days."

"If we hadn't heard from Javier, we wouldn't have known you were back." Cerezo also stepped forward to hug Gao Han.

The Javier he spoke of, no need to guess, must be Javier Matayana.

It has been ten years since Gao Han entered Atletico Madrid.

They cherish the friendship they have made over the past ten years and the friendship they have worked hard together.

"Here, let me introduce you." Xiao Hill pointed at the two strangers next to him.

"This is the president of the Spanish Professional Football League, José Luis Astia Salan, and this is the vice president Javier Tebas Medrano, they all took office after you left. .”

Although Gao Han has left La Liga for many years, Chinatown is still there, so he has some knowledge of the Spanish professional league.

These two powerful players in the professional league are both young, less than fifty years old, and they are in the prime of life.

Jose Luis Astyasalan used to be a senior legal consultant. His main business targets were football clubs, players and even agency companies. He did a pretty good job. In 2001, he took over the mess of Real Sociedad. , and soon brought revival to Real Sociedad, and served as vice president of the Spanish Professional League. In 2005, he officially took over as president through the election, and won re-election in 2009.

Compared with the chairman who was born in La Liga, vice-chairman Javier Tebas started from the grassroots and has been the chairman of Huesca for a long time. In 2001, he received the support of many low-level league teams and entered the Spanish Professional League. As vice-president, he was a leader in the strike in 2003 caused by the famous G30 alliance's request to redistribute television broadcast revenue. Since serving as vice-president of the professional league, he has also actively campaigned for the reform of La Liga broadcast rights.

The G30 league, which was composed of La Liga and La Liga teams, has been fully integrated into the Spanish professional league, but the struggle over the distribution of broadcast rights has become more and more intense, and now it is approaching a critical node.

In particular, the tilt of such stalwarts as Sevilla, Valencia and Atletico Madrid is a huge boost.

On the phone just now, Xiao Hill had briefly explained the purpose of his visit to Gao Han, and Gao Han had been mentally prepared on the way here, so after meeting everyone, he exchanged a few pleasantries, sat down according to the host and guest, and then entered directly. Got to the point.

They came here to seek help from Gao Han.

"Mr. Gao Han, to tell you the truth, the current situation has reached a very critical point. Real Madrid and Barcelona have a lot of resources in their hands. Their financial income is very generous, and their annual TV broadcast rights income is astonishing. In 2003, Their broadcast fee income per team is almost the sum of the more than 30 middle and lower-tier teams combined, and this is still the case."

When Javier Tebas said this, he looked a little angry.

When he led the G30 League to challenge the Spanish Football Association and the two giant teams, the total broadcasting fees for the thirty middle and lower-tier teams in La Liga and La Liga was 76 million euros. At that time, Real Madrid and Barcelona each The team's broadcast fee income is 72 million euros, which leads to conflicts.

Gao Han still remembers that the requirement of the G30 League was that the Spanish Football Federation should give the teams of the G30 League at least 93 million euros in broadcasting fees, but the Spanish Football Federation was only willing to increase it from the original 76 million euros to 8400 euros. million euros.

That incident caused quite a stir and the La Liga season was postponed for a while. However, the Spanish Football Association later broke down the issue one by one. In addition, the internal opinions of the G30 alliance did not agree. Many members were exhausted from the long and difficult negotiations and were eventually dismissed by the Spanish Football Association one by one. defeated, and finally had to declare a compromise.

"Mr. Gao Han, your team has been promoted from a low-level league, so you must be very clear about what the current operating conditions of low-level league teams are like. Almost most teams are unable to make ends meet. On the verge of collapse, the vast majority of teams, even those in the middle and lower reaches of La Liga, will find it difficult to maintain."

"But what about the two giants? They are ruthlessly searching for superstars in European football. Real Madrid currently has a transfer budget of hundreds of millions in its account. Barcelona is also profligate, but their huge financial income is based on La Liga and La Liga. This is based on the difficulties faced by many other teams in Segunda División.”

When saying this, Javier Tebas emphasized his tone, "We must change this situation of exploitation, and we must stand up and resist!"

Gao Han had to admit in his heart that Javier Tebas was very eloquent, persuasive and contagious, which indeed made him feel very dissatisfied, especially with the behavior of the two giant teams.

As the saying goes, the wealthy family is full of wine and meat, and the road is frozen to death. This is the current Spanish professional league.

Under the current broadcast rights distribution pattern, mid- and lower-tier teams are almost helpless when facing the two giant ships of Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​even teams like Valencia and Sevilla.

On the way here, Gao Han had already filtered through all the current interests in Spanish football.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are undoubtedly superior. The broadcast contracts they signed with broadcasters in 2006 are astonishing, amounting to 1.1 billion over seven years, and each team reaches over 150 million euros per year.

Among the two giant teams, the annual broadcast fee in the contract signed by Atletico Madrid and Valencia is only more than 46 million euros. This is what the Sheet Army and the Bat Army have achieved after their rapid performance in recent years. of.

The remaining 16 teams divide the remaining 260 million euros in revenue every year, so it goes to the newly promoted Chinatown, and the broadcast revenue is very little.

For mid- and lower-tier teams, reforming broadcast fee income will undoubtedly mean grabbing food from the jaws of Real Madrid and Barcelona. It is not easy, but it is imperative. For teams like Atletico Madrid and Valencia, , they must also break the current profit distribution model.

Just like Atletico Madrid, their performance in the past few years has been outstanding enough, and they have steadily suppressed Real Madrid, but what's the use?

After the broadcaster Pioneer Media took over Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​its attitude towards other La Liga teams immediately became very tough, because the initiative in negotiations completely shifted to them, and these 18 teams except the two giants in La Liga The teams are very unfair.

This is why Sevilla President Del Nido proposed to unite 18 teams to expel Real Madrid and Barcelona from La Liga, because without these 18 teams, the two giants will not be able to play at all. .

If Atletico Madrid and Valencia are determined to challenge the status of the two giants, they must take action in the distribution of broadcast income and shorten the financial income between themselves and the two giants. Otherwise, the stronger will become stronger and the weaker will become weaker. Weak, this game is simply unplayable.

"According to the contract signed that year, the broadcast contract between Real Madrid, Barcelona and Pioneer Media still has three years to expire, but according to the reliable information we have received, they are now planning to renew the contract and are considering renewing it. A long-term contract.”

Xiao Hill's words made everyone present look pale.

Everyone understands that if at this juncture, the two giants are allowed to renew their long-term contracts with broadcasters, the situation in the next few years will not be able to change. All teams can only continue to play with the two giants. Masochistic games.

You don't have to wonder why they started negotiating for contract renewal three years in advance.

Even Gao Han understood why the eighteen princes revolted one after another at this time.

If you don’t stand up now, you won’t have a chance in the future.

"What are you going to do?" Gao Han asked calmly.

Javier Tebas, Xiao Hill and others looked at each other, and they all realized that there was something going on, and their expressions were full of surprise.

"What we mean is that we must first prevent them from renewing their contract, and then unite all 18 La Liga teams to put pressure on them, demanding that they sit down and renegotiate with us. Otherwise, this game will be over. Without them, we Eighteen teams can still play in La Liga."

Gao Han nodded, this should be considered the biggest bargaining chip in negotiations with the two giants.

Football matches always involve two teams competing against each other. For Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​losing these eighteen teams, they simply cannot play. As for what many people say, going to leagues in other countries, then It's even more idiotic.

If nothing else, which league is willing to accept these two teams?

The Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1 all have their own fixed interest groups, and it is impossible for them to accept such a wealthy team.

You must know that the membership systems of Real Madrid and Barcelona are just like cheating. They are completely different from the business models of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and other teams. I wonder, would the strong teams in other leagues be stupid enough to lure wolves into their homes?

It should be said that requiring the two giant teams to make compromises should be regarded as the least difficult among many reform plans.

"But can the Spanish Football Federation agree?" Gao Han asked with concern.

This is the crux of the matter.

The biggest obstacle to the reform of broadcasting rights has always been not the two giants. Barcelona and Real Madrid can only be regarded as vested interests at best and are unwilling to take the initiative to reform, but the Spanish Football Association is the opposite of reform.

According to the existing distribution model, the broadcasting rights are distributed by the Spanish Football Federation, which handles hundreds of millions of euros every year and directly connects with major sponsors. Everyone is well aware of the power held by the Spanish Football Association.

But if the reform is carried out and the broadcasting rights are returned to the La Liga Professional League, then the Football Association will change from the original ruler to a bystander, and the original bystander Professional League will become the new ruler. The only difference is that, The professional league is composed of La Liga teams and works for La Liga teams.

Jose Luis and Javier Tebas actively campaigned for reforms, with the aim of allowing the professional league to step into the forefront and take control like the Premier League.

So, in the final analysis, this is a bloody conflict of interests.

Is the Spanish Football Association willing to step aside?