Television and sponsorship have been the main income from football for years. The one at the ticket office inevitably fell with the pandemic. It is an income that, in Argentine soccer, has also been neglected for years due to the violence of the bars. The other main income was also complicated here, that of the sale of players. We celebrate as a goal the fact that Manchester City (or the City Group to be more precise) has signed an Argentine (Julián Alvarez). It hasn’t happened since 2018, when Inter bought Lautaro Martínez. Of course, the River attacker cost half of what Liverpool paid for the Colombian Luis Díaz, who also made his debut as soon as he arrived and in a more than satisfactory way. We still don’t know if Alvarez will end up in the Premier.
But we talked about TV and sponsorship. Well, the League Cup began this Thursday (it’s called the Cup but it will count as a League title) and neither of those two points has a clear definition. Disney’s own TV due to delay, which delayed too much the disinvestment plan imposed by the national government, which now, however, demands a quick response, because the championship has already started. Disney, as has happened in other countries, is accused of monopoly and the government is reportedly suspicious of the divestment plan. He believes that the transfer to Mediapro (Spanish now with Chinese capital), is more an agreement with a partner than with a competitor. The TV networks (TNT included) fear in turn that the government will end up pressing more to have Boca or River on open TV. The sponsor’s situation is even more confusing. The AFA broke its contract with Socios.com and chose another cryptocurrency, Binance. But justice stopped with a precautionary measure and the conflict, inevitable, will end under judicial resolution. Surprise? No. Argentine football.
In the middle, a championship of 28 teams will begin (plus another 37 in the First National), unique in the world for its number of participants, only equaled by the MLS, the United States League. The format of two groups, with direct duels later to define the champion will surely give emotion from date to date. And in the fourth the debut of the VAR is announced. Fun for TV panels. We will have the controversies that we have already seen in foreign leagues here. TV talking about itself. If a millimeter more or a millimeter less. And the clubs, in the absence of money, appealing to the feeling factor. The return of beloved players, symbolized in River and Boca with the names of Quintero and Benedetto, respectively. The differences in power between the two greats and the rest grows and grows. The fight could only come closer if River and Boca advance in the Libertadores and must take care of their main players. There’s no other way.
It will also be the year of the World Cup. The team is already classified and its media demand will grow only at the end of the year, when Qatar approaches. Only a handful of local players will compete for their space. And so the focus will inevitably be on the performance of our top stars in the European Leagues. There is a long way to go, but PSG (Lionel Messi, Angel Di María and Leandro Paredes) continue to play poorly. Tuesday may even be a heavy day for DT Mauricio Pochettino when he faces Real Madrid for the Champions League (did you see PSG’s game on Friday? Did you see the ultras displaying harsh posters against managers and players? We idealize the European Leagues , but those posters were a clear sign of a broken pact between the club and the bars). And, on the other hand, did you see Dibu Martínez on Wednesday against Leeds de Bielsa? Incredible. Pure security with the selection. A sea of doubts with Aston Villa.
This will be the championship in which we would like to see Covid as a nightmare overcome. But all the specialists warn that there are still months with some complications, even when the second championship begins in June, with the same twenty-eight teams from the first. Sport usually reflects in some way what is happening in society. If we are used to improvising here, football is no exception. What will it be like to have fans, and supporters, on the pitch again in a more natural way (without visitors, of course)? And what will it be like to see them coexist with the VAR? Will the cracks of feeling also be weighty players? And the TV that quotes almost a thousand pesos for the soccer pack? And the sponsor of the cryptocurrency? And the internal leaders that for now keep Marcelo Tinelli uncertain as a starter in the League and consolidate Chiqui Tapia in the AFA (and now with Barracas in First Division)? Argentine soccer. “The most competitive League in the world”, was promoted on TV years ago. The program was called “Fútbol de Primera”. And that there were not twenty-eight teams.
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