The English Premier League (EPL) was founded in 1992, replacing the old First Division, the topfliight of English football, and has since become one of the most-watched and lucrative football leagues in the world.
Currently, the EPL is one of the richest football leagues in the world, with its clubs generating over £5 billion in revenue per year.
The EPL celebrated its 30th anniversary in August 2022, marking a milestone for one of the world’s most popular and competitive football leagues. Before the league was founded in 1992, English topflight football was a very dull, backwater league with its unfashionable ‘kick and follow’ style of football that we were so familiar with in the 1970s and 80s.
Thirty years ago, the Premier League then heralded as ‘a whole new ball game’ by its primary backers, Sky Sports, was equally observed by many including yours truly as the re-birth of English football. One surprising aspect might be the number, or lack, of foreign players then. Looking at the opening fixtures of 2022/23, well over half of the players – 170 in total – involved are from outside the UK (not to mention managers or owners). This was not the case in 1992, when only 13 foreign players featured in the new competition’s first games.
There were none from Africa, South America, Germany, Italy or Spain; not all of them were established internationals and very few ‘superstars’; four of them were goalkeepers. For the record, the first goal by a foreign player in the Premier League was scored by Robert Warzycha on 19 August 1992, for Everton in a 3-0 win at Manchester United. The foreign players in action during the maiden EPL season include Eric Cantona (France), Anders Limpar (Sweden), John Jansen (Denmark) and Ronnie Rosenthal (Israel).
For the next season, 1993/94, the number of foreign players had nearly doubled, with 24 featuring on the opening weekend. Ten years after the Premier League’s inception, there had been an almost complete transformation, with over half the players on view now from outside the United Kingdom. Interestingly, the 2002/03 kicked off with 126 foreign players, representing countries right across the globe. By this time the Premier League had truly gone worldwide, aided by the Bosman ruling of 1995 which opened up full freedom of contract (and movement) and prevented leagues from imposing restrictions on the number of non-nationals. Money was flowing and players such as Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Gullit, Thierry Henry, Juninho and Gianfranco Zola arrived in England; Wenger was followed by Houllier and Ranieri. This was the seismic shift in the Premier League – by 2012/13, the number of foreign players was more or less stable at 136 on opening day, while overseas management structures and ownership were commonplace. Mid-August 1992 already seemed like a distant world. The EPL was transformed into a ‘League of Nations’ of sorts.
The EPL has featured some of the world’s best football players, including our own Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, and Sergio Aguero, to name a few. It has also been home to some of the most successful clubs in English football history, such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea.
The Premier League has grown into a global brand, attracting billions of viewers from around the world and generating billions of dollars in revenue. It has become one of the most-watched and lucrative sports leagues on the planet. For Nigerians, the EPL became a glamorous league in the mid-nineties following the move of national idols Daniel Amokachi, Celestine Babayaro and Nwankwo Kanu to the UK. However, it’s pertinent to note that before their arrival, there were other less-heralded Nigerians playing their trade in the English topflight, namely, Efan Ekoku, John Salako and John Fashanu. Nigeria’s interest in the EPL was further entrenched after Okocha, Joseph Yobo, Obafemi Martins and Yakubu Aiyegbeni made their move to the British Isles.
Without doubt, foreign players have played a significant role in the English Premier League since its inception, the league is known for its global appeal and attracts some of the best players from around the world.
Today, the majority of players in the Premier League are foreign, with players from over 100 different countries. The top teams in the league often have a significant number of foreign players in their squads, with some teams having no English players in their starting lineups.
The influx of foreign players has had a huge impact on the style of play in the Premier League, with many players including the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah, and Virgil van Dijk bringing different skills and techniques to the league. The league has also become more competitive and diverse as a result of the presence of foreign players, with many teams relying on them to provide a competitive edge.
As a result, the EPL is known for its fast-paced, physical style of play, as well as its passionate and loyal fanbase. Matches are broadcasted in over 200 countries, making the league a global phenomenon.
However, the increasing number of foreign flavour in the league has led to concerns about the presence of unwanted nationals owning football clubs in the EPL. Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich was harangued and bumped out of the club he built to greatness. He was axed, mainly, because of his closeness to Russia President Vladimir Putin who is vilified for his country’s invasion of Ukraine. Chelsea now have an Anglo-American owner, Todd Boehly.
Of late, there’s a drama unfolding over the sale of Manchester United, one of the world’s most famous football clubs.
The Glazer family is the current owner of the club. The American family acquired the club in 2005 in a controversial leveraged buyout, which resulted in a significant amount of debt being placed on the club – over £500 million.
Critics of the Glazers argue that this debt has hindered the club’s ability to invest in players and compete at the highest level, with much of the club’s revenue being used to service the debt. They have also faced criticism for prioritizing commercial interests over on-field success.
There have been several protests and campaigns by Manchester United fans over the years calling for the Glazers to sell the club, but the family has consistently maintained that they have no intention of selling the club.
In 2021, there was an attempt by a Saudi Arabian consortium to buy the club, but the Glazers inexplicably rejected any offers. Reports said that the UK government were instrumental in knocking off the deal due to the Saudi consortium’s close ties with the Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
Today, a potential bid by a Qatari group to buy Manchester United is still lingering with rumours circulating that the British Establishment is working against it.
The Qatari group in question is said to be the Qatari royal family, who already own Paris Saint-Germain, another major European football club. Reports suggest that the Qataris are interested in buying Manchester United in order to expand their footballing interests and increase their presence in the global football market.
Fears are already mounting that the UK government will intervene and block the deal after reports privately flagged concerns over Sheikh Jassim Al Thani due to previous regulatory failings at the UK branch of the Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB), of which Sheikh Jassim has been chairman since 2006.
If the Qatari bid were to materialize, it would likely be against the run of play. Despite their ambitions plan of investing heavily in the club, I strongly feel that the Qatari bid will fail through after being subjected to regulatory approval and scrutiny from football authorities, given the prevailing sentiment against the emergence of an Arab ownership of Manchester United.
It is also unclear whether the Glazer family would be willing to sell the club to the Qataris.
