The Godfather of Football

Compared to Tottenham Hotspur's difficult 1:0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United concentrated its forces on the league. Ferguson has now given up the Champions League, and the league is Manchester United's next focus.

Because of this, Manchester United's clean 2:0 away game established the victory over Middlesbrough early.

In the middle of the week, the second round of the Champions League semi-finals was held at White Hart Lane. Tottenham Hotspur, who played with a half-main and half-substitute rotation lineup, finally tied with Manchester United 1:1. Ferguson also did not give his all. The two sides shook hands and ended the Champions League semi-finals.

In another stadium, Barcelona, ​​after lagging behind Chelsea for a long time, finally relied on Iniesta's goal in stoppage time to draw 1:1 away from Chelsea. Because the first round of the two sides was 0:0, Barcelona finally defeated Chelsea with the away goal and successfully advanced to the final.

Tottenham Hotspur meets Barcelona, ​​which is undoubtedly a very eye-catching focus duel, especially since Tottenham Hotspur still has the aura of defending champions, and in the past season, Tottenham Hotspur can almost be said to have swept the entire European football world and was invincible.

They beat Bayern by a large margin, Real Madrid by a large margin, Sporting Lisbon by a large margin, and finally Manchester United by a large margin. Tottenham Hotspur's journey to the Champions League can be said to have stepped on the corpses of one giant after another to rush into the final, and the offensive storm they advocate has almost attracted the attention of fans all over the world.

Even the American media, which has always been high-handed and only focused on rugby and baseball, have begun to report and pay attention to this team, especially the famous American [New York Times]. After Tottenham Hotspur entered the final, it announced to the public that it would report on this final and the two teams in three issues before the Champions League final.

This is the first time in the Champions League final, especially for a heavyweight newspaper like the New York Times. Such a great effort to report on the Champions League final is enough to make both teams participating in the final famous, especially considering that Tottenham Hotspur will go on a North American tour in the summer, which is bound to detonate the North American football market and further their influence in North America.

In addition, a research institute at Coventry University in the UK shows that the overall revenue of this Champions League final will be higher than last season, but it is mainly reflected in Tottenham Hotspur.

According to current estimates, as of the semi-finals, Barcelona's bonus from UEFA is a total of 24 million euros, while Tottenham Hotspur's bonus income is as high as 40 million euros. The reason for such a huge gap is mainly because Tottenham Hotspur benefits more from the broadcast fee sharing.

In the broadcast fee sharing report given by UEFA, it is shown that Tottenham Hotspur's broadcast fee share before the final is as high as 20 million euros, while Barcelona's income in this regard is only more than 8 million, and the gap between the two is very large.

A research institute at Coventry University shows that the reason for the sharing of broadcasting fees is that the domestic ratings in the UK are higher than those in Spain, and Tottenham Hotspur is highly watched. This defending champion who advocates offensive football is popular with broadcasters all over the world for every game, so it is broadcast more often.

Another obvious gap is that the domestic ratings in the UK have always been ahead of other European countries, so the broadcasting fees of Premier League teams in UEFA have always been very high, just like Manchester United, which has reached 18 million euros, and Chelsea has also reached 15 million euros, but the highest is still Bayern, reaching 21.5 million euros in broadcasting income.

It is not difficult to see from this point that the popularity of the football market also affects the sharing and income of broadcasting fees.

Germany's economy is the best in Europe, and the fans here are also very keen on football games, which undoubtedly makes Bayern Munich more advantageous in terms of broadcasting fee income, while the UK is one of the countries with the hottest football market, and paid broadcasting is also the most commercialized, so it is also very popular in this regard.

According to the current evaluation report, if Tottenham Hotspur wins the championship again, the total revenue is expected to exceed 200 million euros, including the Champions League match day revenue and ticket revenue, the influence brought by the successful defense, and the commercial income now and in the next year.

If Barcelona wins the championship, the total revenue of the La Liga giants is expected to be around 150 million euros, including some potential commercial income one year after winning the championship.

This is just the Champions League. If the Premier League is included, according to research by Coventry University, if Tottenham Hotspur finally wins four consecutive victories, then the broadcasting fee share they will receive from the Premier League this season is expected to reach 55 million pounds, which is nearly 70 million euros.

You know, this is just the bonus and broadcasting fee share. If you count ticket revenue and match day operations, it will be an even more terrifying astronomical figure. As the season draws to a close, more and more people have noticed that Tottenham Hotspur's attendance is almost full, even including the League Cup and FA Cup games.

After understanding and exploring, Coventry University came to the conclusion that Tottenham Hotspur is relatively cautious in ticket pricing. First of all, it takes into account the economic environment and the fans' acceptance. In addition, the attraction of offensive football and home results makes White Hart Lane Stadium increasingly become a popular consumption place for Londoners.

"Unlike Manchester City, which announced a 17% price cut in February due to poor attendance, and the corresponding price reduction strategies of other Premier League teams, Tottenham Hotspur's ticket prices have declined in the three years since Ye Qiu took over. There are no too obvious changes. There are no price fluctuations in the souvenirs and food sold at the stadium. All prices are clearly marked, and some necessities are always at the lowest price for the London team. "

"Compared to the strategy of Premier League teams including Manchester United, Chelsea and other teams that are forced to cut prices due to poor attendance, Tottenham Hotspur has not raised prices from the beginning, so now, it has been affected to a certain extent. There is pressure, but there is no price reduction, which is more acceptable to fans because they believe that such a team is more trustworthy.”

"Not just stadium attendance, but also in the field of business development, Tottenham Hotspur is ushering in a period of high growth. The team has signed many sponsors such as BMW, Qatar Airways, Budweiser Beer, and Versace. Afterwards, Tottenham Hotspur will re-sign the shirt and chest advertising sponsorship contract this summer.”

"If Tottenham Hotspur can defend the Champions League in one go, these two sponsorship contracts will inevitably arouse strong competition from major sponsors, especially Nike. This American brand has already launched a campaign against Tottenham Hotspur. To attack, Adidas is trying to maintain a strong cooperative relationship with Tottenham Hotspur, and many consortiums including China, the United States and the Middle East are interested in Tottenham Hotspur’s chest advertisements. Very interested, it will also be a big source of income for Tottenham Hotspur."

"On the whole, Tottenham Hotspur will still lag behind Manchester United in terms of commercial development for the time being, but in terms of growth rate, Tottenham Hotspur will catch up with Manchester United in the next few years, and by the time Tottenham Hotspur When Tottenham Hotspur enters the new stadium, it is bound to usher in a new round of revenue surge. By then, Tottenham Hotspur will very likely catch up with Manchester United in terms of revenue, or even surpass it.”

But Coventry University finally gave a premise, that is, Tottenham Hotspur can maintain its current good momentum in the next few years, further consolidate its status as a wealthy team, and further expand its influence around the world. Because purely in terms of popularity, influence, and fan base, Tottenham Hotspur is still far inferior to established giants such as Manchester United.

At least, in a large area, many people only know Ye Qiu but not Tottenham Hotspur.

But in the long run, Tottenham Hotspur is undoubtedly a blue chip stock with huge potential. In Forbes' official list, the market value of this Premier League team is estimated to exceed Chelsea's 700 million euros, and also exceeds Liverpool's of 850 million euros, ranking third among all Premier League teams with a valuation of 900 million euros, second only to Arsenal with a valuation of 1 billion euros and Manchester United with a valuation of 1.55 billion euros, and among all teams , Tottenham Hotspur are also ranked fifth, behind Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

"Whether it is from the perspective of team performance, business development, media attention, the quality of the stars, or even the value of the club, Tottenham Hotspur is a well-deserved wealthy team."

"Of course, we should also see that a very important reason why Tottenham Hotspur has such a high value is that the Theobald training base and the ownership of the main stadium will be obtained after the 2012 Olympic Games. But that doesn’t include shares in skyscrapers and recent investments in office buildings in the financial district, which would otherwise be worth much more.”

Tottenham Hotspur has set up another company in real estate investment projects to be responsible for this aspect of operations. At present, in addition to the skyscraper of Zhenhua Hotel, there are several other projects, which are not operated independently, but Cooperating with other big companies, the future potential is not small.

The ranking of Forbes' annual football club value rankings has attracted the attention of media around the world. In particular, the valuation of Tottenham Hotspur has caused considerable controversy. Many people feel that counting the 2012 home stadium Inside, this is obviously inappropriate, but Forbes officially stated that they only included expectations for the future. If the entire London Bowl is included, Tottenham Hotspur's total value will completely exceed Arsenal, and even exceed that of Arsenal. Real Madrid in second place.

But Forbes also admitted that an important factor why Tottenham Hotspur is so valued is that they are located in London.

Relatively speaking, Tottenham Hotspur's revenue of less than 300 million euros is indeed far behind Manchester United's revenue of more than 400 million euros and Real Madrid's revenue of 500 million euros. Even in terms of revenue, Tottenham Hotspur's revenue is less than 300 million euros. Spurs can only be ranked in the top ten, not even the top five, but they are a London team and their value is naturally higher.

This is also a fact, that is, in this list, London teams are more popular, and in other leagues, big city teams are also more valuable. This is also a common phenomenon.

But from when Ye Qiu bought Tottenham Hotspur for 200 million euros, the team's total market value now reaches 900 million euros. In just three years, Tottenham Hotspur's value has increased It was more than three times astonishing, and the operational capabilities of Ye Qiu and Peter Kenyon's team were also fully demonstrated in this process.

For this Forbes list, Tottenham Hotspur officials also gave a response. Club CEO Peter Kenyon mentioned the team’s goal in an exclusive interview with the American media, which is to compete in the football world. Before the team enters the new stadium, Tottenham Hotspur's total market value must exceed 2 billion euros.

To achieve this goal, the team must not only guarantee the results, but also the club's annual operating income will exceed 400 million euros. This goal must be achieved before the team enters the new stadium, and everyone in the club is very confident about it.

On the evening of May 9, Old Trafford was packed with all the Red Devils fans came to watch this derby, and even the whole of Manchester was crazy about this Manchester derby.

Ferguson sat leisurely in the coaching seat, chewing gum, and basking in his iconic rosacea. He didn't look worried about anything on the court, because he had firmly defeated his opponent from the beginning.

Mark Hughes' team has not been able to form a fighting force for a season. Now facing Manchester United, who is determined to win the league championship, it is even more impossible for him to stop the Red Devils. Ferguson didn't take Manchester City to heart from the beginning. His only worry was the next Arsenal, which was Manchester United's biggest test.

The first player to score in this game was Cristiano Ronaldo, the team's top star. After that, Tevez scored for the team. In the first half, he scored two goals in a row to take the lead. After that, Manchester United played very relaxed and completely played Manchester City.

Ferguson knows all about Manchester United's current problems, which are mainly in the midfield.

Carrick is the most reliable player in the midfield. The veterans Scholes and Giggs are old after all. Although they have performed well on the field, their age is there. Manchester United will definitely not put all their hopes on them. Therefore, introducing a trustworthy midfielder is what Ferguson will do next.

As for the frontcourt, the outside media did not guess wrong that Cristiano Ronaldo is leaving and will be exchanged for a sky-high transfer fee. In addition, the management of Manchester United has promised Ferguson that they will use this money to introduce a group of high-quality players for him and strive to win a Champions League.

Once Cristiano Ronaldo is sold, the lazy Berbatov, who has been clearly put aside by Ferguson this season, will inevitably follow suit. The latter is not short of buyers at all. At present, many Premier League teams are very interested in him, and it is estimated that he can also get a considerable transfer fee.

Ferguson hopes to use these two players to exchange for the team's reorganization. As for the striker, Tevez, who has already completed the buyout transfer to Manchester United, will be an important member of the team. Ferguson thinks that the Argentine star's game commitment and fighting spirit are in line with Manchester United's temperament, and he also hopes to introduce Rooney from Chelsea.

With the decline of Chelsea's strength in the past two years, the ambitious Rooney has been dissatisfied with Chelsea's current situation, especially Abramovich's excessive interference in the team and the restrictions imposed on him by general manager Pini Zahavi, especially Pini Zahavi, who tried every means to introduce Rooney to his agency, but the Englishman refused to join.

At present, Rooney has made his attitude clear to Chelsea. He wants to leave the team, and the most likely destination is Manchester United.

Rooney and Tevez, Manchester United's front line iron triangle has two important puzzle pieces, but Ferguson also wants to introduce Lyon's top talent Benzema.

As early as last season, Ferguson had already taken a fancy to Benzema, but at that time he wanted to continue observing for a while, after all, Benzema was still quite young and still in a rapid growth stage. After a season of observation, Manchester United scouts gave a perfect answer, believing that Benzema would become the most powerful supplement to Manchester United's front line.

Benzema is indeed a talented young player. His speed may not be top-notch, but it is also good. He can protect the ball, make the ball, break through, and shoot himself. The key is that his football IQ is quite high, which ensures that he can become a stable ball point and terminator in the frontcourt, and he can pass the ball to the player who runs to the empty space as soon as he holds the ball.

And more importantly, he is very good with both feet. If he forms a trident with Tevez and Rooney who can defend, pass, penetrate and shoot in the frontcourt, Ferguson wants to laugh just thinking about it, because he knows very well that such a combination will surely make all opponents in Europe tremble with fear, including Tottenham Hotspur.

After being eliminated from the Champions League by Tottenham Hotspur, Ferguson has sent David Gill to Lyon to negotiate the transfer of Benzema. The French Ligue 1 genius will transfer to Manchester United for 35 million euros.

But this transfer will definitely not be the most important signing for Manchester United this summer.

Thinking of this, Ferguson smiled confidently. Now he is full of expectations for the future, and all this is the stimulation brought by Ye Qiu. At least Ye Qiu has rekindled his pursuit of championships, victory and football philosophy.

Now he seemed to have returned to the era of the treble, to the Ferguson who wanted to bring in Veron with great determination. Because of the series of setbacks brought by the introduction of Veron and the sale of Stam, the mood of losing the fighting spirit was swept away.

"Let's fight each other!" Ferguson said with a smile.

Turning his head, he looked at his assistant Mike Perrin, "Tell them to keep attacking me, I want more goals, and leave all the pressure to that damn Tottenham Hotspur!"

Mike Perrin was obviously a little surprised by Ferguson's change, but he immediately stepped forward and conveyed the Manchester United coach's intention to the players on the field. When all the Manchester United players heard Ferguson's instructions, they immediately attacked more vigorously!