Inside Story

Is football still the beautiful game?

One of the world’s top football clubs has sacked its manager in his first season.

David Moyes lasted only 10 months at Manchester United – taking charge of 51 games. Like other top football clubs, the English Premier League champions have become a global brand worth billions of dollars. More than $3 billion in fact, according to Forbes Magazine.

Manchester United are owned by Americans, run by a former investment banker and have offices in Hong Kong, New York and London.

Success on the pitch is not just about winning trophies – it’s also about building the business. Failure to win matches comes at a cost. Qualifying for competitions like the Champions League is worth millions of dollars.

The average manager gets just two years in the English Premier League but the demand for success can be even greater in other countries.

Top level managers in Italy last an average of just 19 months – in Spain it is less than a year. So is the money in football always good for the sport – or is the beautiful game turning ugly?

Presenter: Mike Hanna

Guests:

Peter Reid – former Premier League manager with Manchester City and Sunderland and ex-England international

James Wokabi – a sports Writer and Presenter for African network Super Sport

Simon Rines – A sports business analyst and consultant for a number of English football league clubs