The A-League's European Love Affair
Paul Williams
Australia's love affair with European football's biggest clubs has been on full display over the last seven days.
Liverpool went on a charm offensive in Brisbane and Adelaide and played to full stadiums in both cities, Manchester City did something no club has been able to do for some time – fill Robina Stadium on the Gold Coast as they clashed with their Melbourne off-shoot, while in Melbourne, Real Madrid, with their bevy of international superstars, drew over 80,000 against AS Roma.
Even more are expected tonight when Los Blancos face Manchester City at the MCG.
Australia has become fertile ground for European clubs looking to grow their "brand" in this corner of the globe, with governments falling over themselves to attract the world's biggest teams to their cities.
The clubs involved benefit, the local tourism industry benefits and the many fans of these clubs benefit, but what can be debated is the benefit to Australian football.
Liverpool's matches against Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United were fabulous for selling the Liverpool "brand", but does it help the case of the respective A-League clubs involved?
They were, in effect, cast in the role of the Washington Generals as the Harlem Globetrotters took all the headlines.
How many of those who attended will be there for Round 1 of the A-League season in October? Even further, how many even know the A-League starts in October?
In Melbourne, A-League clubs have been completely shut out from the traveling road show known as the International Champions Cup, with Real Madrid, Manchester City and AS Roma taking centre stage in a three-match series.
Well over 200,000 will attend all three games, yet it would be interesting to know just how many attended an A-League game in the season just past.
A-League fans have long shown disdain towards so-called 'Eurosnobs' for their steadfast refusal to engage with the A-League, instead preferring to support their chosen European club from afar, usually citing the gulf in quality as the reason for their decision.
Organisers of the ICC event, however, say the tournament could leave a lasting legacy for the A-League and football in Australia - a new commercial free-to-air TV partner, with the Nine Network showcasing football for the first time since the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
While Nine has enthusiastically embraced the ICC and Liverpool tours, and for the most part done a respectable job, it's a long bow to suggest the ICC will lead to regular A-League action on Nine, or even that any interest from Nine is as a result of the ICC.
What the ICC does do, however, is promote the overall game of football and its one big advantage over the other football codes - its truly global nature, an enticing factor for the younger generation. No doubt many kids will be enticed to play football as a result, which is a benefit, but also presents its own issues.
Grassroots football is already struggling to keep up with the demand from juniors wanting to play, with a severe shortage of adequate facilities right across the country. More children playing, as good as that is, puts more strain on an already strained system.
While governments are investing tens of millions of dollars to attract these clubs, similar funding is required at grassroots level to ensure football is able to adequately cater for those who choose to take up the sport on the back of these events.
The hope is that these events demonstrate football's popularity to governments right across the country, encouraging them to invest money in football infrastructure. However, any such legacies are potentially years away.
What's not far away is the beginning of the A-League season and it remains to be seen if Australia's love affair with Europe's biggest clubs will have any material impact on the popularity of the league and its teams.
Copyright © Paul Williams and Soccerphile.com
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