Perhaps the biggest happenstance in the German domestic game – which at first appeared a major crisis – was the collapse in 2002 of Kirch TV, the company that been funding the Bundesliga for over a decade. Not unlike the ITV Digital’s collapse in 2002 in the UK, it left many clubs with over-geared budgets, huge wage bills that would have only been possible through TV money - and could not be honoured any more. As result many players were released.
The Kirch collapse also meant that the imported players, all attracted to the Bundesliga by the very generous pay scales, were on their way out. The result being that it propelled the unknown younger local talent into the first team of many a Bundesliga club - by default. Ironically it has been onward and upward in German football ever since.
In Spain the history is probably slightly different, but in the same vein, as the academies of Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona and Real Madrid are producing talents such Ces Fabregas, Xavi, Lionel Messi, Raul, Fernando Llorente and Fernando Torres, all learning to play a system at Barcelona for instance, which was a legacy of Johan Cruyff's affinity with the club since 1973.
The result of which has been La Liga teams dominant in the European Cup competitions, including this year as the Europa League final was played between Valencia and Atletico de Madrid, with Athletic Bilbao eliminated in the semi-final. Which in away addresses the misnomer that Spanish football is just about the two top clubs – Real and Barca.
Let us not forget either the French successes in the 1998 World Cup and the EURO 2000 were a product of the French Football Federation [FFF] blueprint at Clairefontaine which cultivated players of the calibre of Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, David Trezeguet, and so on. With a number of high profile coaches like Gerard Houllier also establishing reputations all over Europe.
Worryingly for Irish football these days is the similarity of the German story in the Premier League in England and evidenced every time an England manager gets injuries in his squad ahead of a major tournament. There always seems little strength in depth.
For all the good Peter Scudamore CEO of the Premier League might claim for the domestic game with the billions in TV revenues, the facts do not bear that benefit out in real terms as young English players are failing to get into their club sides given the competition from the increasing number of overseas players. At least 65% of the players in English game are now foreigners.
The top source for players being France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – and in that order.
When it comes to the English national team and injuries occur to players like Frank Lampard or Gareth Barry, there always appears to be no replacements at hand or even being blooded. Yet an English team has either won or appeared in the Champions League every other year since 2005 – the top club competition in Europe – too often three quarters overseas players.
Soon it will be difficult to justify the costly club academies as agents keep providing overseas options and clubs are unable recoup their investment with transfer fees from the players they have developed since 15 or 16 years of age. In addtion, domestic players appear to be more costly – given the valuation of Andy Carroll at £35m last season as an index.
No doubt some day there will be a Kirch type moment when fans, sponsors or pay-tv subscribers find the Premier League no longer attractive. Or value for money and the income slows down.
At least one of the highest earners in the world Wayne Rooney is eligible for England and his salary of £17.6m will see some return as long as Manchester United remain at the top of the Champions League club. However the salaries for Sergio Aguero at Manchester City of £14.7m and Yaya Toure on £13.9m or indeed, Fernando Torres at Chelsea are costly to the game as it’s currently structured and income that is leaving the English game.
In Germany, Philip Lahm is the highest paid player on £11.9M, and in fairness it’s a right earned after a nearly a decade playing for his national team – and his German club Bayern Munich.
With the new BSkyB and British Telecom deal worth £3.018 billion to the Premier League - a substantial increase on the current £1.178 billion three-year UK deal that runs until the end of the 2012-13 season - it would be naive to believe that this increased money will not be spent by club’s to increase wages for some players. Or allow clubs chase some up to now unobtainable targets on the continent. All of which only adds to the long term problem
The BSkyB deal maybe the death knell for development of future Irish talent and might mean that the days seeing the likes of Liam Brady, Roy Keane, Niall Quinn, Kevin Moran, Ronnie Whelan, Paul McGrath – in large numbers - at major clubs may never be repeated. The national team will be the loser of that experience and reliant on players battling it out in the championship Or at best the struggling Premier League teams.
All very unlike the EURO 1988 squad where the Irish players were stars at major clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Aston Villa, or Celtic - and to boot were all winners in their own right of League titles, FA or League Cups. But those days too seem of a bygone era.
Republic of Ireland, EURO 1988 team
Packie Bonner: Celtic
Scottish League: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, Scottish Cup: 1980, 1988; Scottish League Cup: 1983
Chris Morris, Celtic
Scottish League: 1988, Scottish Cup: 1988;
Chris Hughton; Tottenham Hotspur
FA Cup: Winner 1981 & 1982), UEFA Cup 1984; FA Charity Shield: Winner (1981), runner up (1982).
Mick McCarthy; Celtic
Scottish Premier League 1988; Scottish Cup 1988
Kevin Moran; Manchester United
Dublin GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2): 1976, 1977; Leinster Senior Football Championship (3): 1975, 1976, 1977; Manchester United FA Cup 1982–83, 1984–85; FA Charity Shield 1983
Ronnie Whelan; Liverpool
League Championship 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988; FA Cup 1986; League Cup 1982, 1983, 1984; Charity Shield; 1982, 1986, 1988; European Cup 1984 Super Cup 1986
Paul McGrath, Manchester United
FA Cup: 1985
Ray Houghton; Liverpool
League Championship 1988; League Cup 1986;
John Aldridge; Liverpool
Newport County Welsh Cup 1980; Oxford United, 3rd Division Winners 1984; 2nd Division, Winner 1985; Football League Cup 1986; League Championship 1988; Charity Shield 1988;
Frank Stapleton; Manchester United
Arsenal FA Cup 1979; Manchester United Charity Shield 1983; FA Cup
Tony Galvin; Tottenham Hotspur
FA Cup winner 1981; FA Cup winner 1982; UEFA Cup winner 1984
