Winning the war for talent: Foreign players, status and the English Premier League

Richard Elliott

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Published conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of world leagues in professional football and to make sense of their development by specifically examining the significance of highly skilled migration in their emergence, growth and increasing control of the global football system. It includes an analysis of labour-market demand and an examination of the importance of highly skilled migrants in maintaining world league status. The chapter explains a case study of the English Premier League to show how the recruitment of highly skilled foreign talent has enhanced this particular league's competitive world league status. It is the correlation that exists between the depth of the talent pool and the competitiveness of world leagues that has driven the emergence of a global 'war for talent' within and between them. The 1980s was a particularly difficult decade for professional football in England. In the last 25 years, the increase in media revenues and subsequent commercial transformation of the Premier League has been remarkable.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe English Premier League
Subtitle of host publicationA socio-cultural analysis
EditorsRichard Elliott
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter5
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)9781315636696
ISBN (Print)978-1138640351
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jun 2017

Publication series

NameRoutledge Research in Football

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