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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