It’s not the first time Real Madrid forms one of the famous cases Harvard University. History repeats itself and, on this occasion, shapes what Real Madrid have been working on in recent years.The message is not just for the Super League, but rather to guide everything that is done to survive in a system that needs to change.
Executive director of Real Madrid. Jose Angel Sanchezwho rarely speaks in public participated in a Harvard Business School case study (HBS) – as published The Guardian:– where you explain why you think the change is essential. UEFA compared to the musicians of the Titanicwho continue to play despite impending disaster.
The study was prepared by an HBS professor Anita Elbersgraduate of the class of 2024 Juan Pasquin and researcher Inigo Pasquin. It delves into Madrid’s business plan, analyzing why the club has moved away from the transfer policy of the Galactic era, prioritizing signing younger players.
It is a form of repeated process over time. Real Madrid have eliminated signing for the sake of signing from their modus operandito appease fans with stickers, to silence the press with signatures they deem unnecessary. It’s about better cost management in a market where they are no longer the dominant financial force.
Madrid’s desire for a new European league stands out, which, according to club president Florentino Perez’s advisor Anas Lagrari, said. would have “the highest quality football all year round”. Sanchez compares the 15-time European champions to the fictional village of Asterix, resisting Roman invaders.
If we want to keep football at the forefront of sports and entertainment, we need to change the system
The consultant and the general director talk about how difficult it was to change the way of thinking about the appearance. “If we want to keep football at the forefront of sports and entertainment, we need to change the system“- said Sanchez.UEFA’s governing bodies are like the musicians on the Titanic who kept playing even when the ship sank.. The system as we know it is over. we have to organize things differently in the industry. That was the reason for the Super League, and now it is more oppressive. Only Real Madrid and Barcelona follow that idea, but the buzz around many other teams continues.
Sanchez spoke about what worries him and Madrid the most, starting with the economic power of the Premier League, where “The income from TV rights is so high that it makes it difficult for us to compete with other clubs in Spain and continental Europe.. It is unfair competition, especially because of the sovereign wealth funds that own the clubs and governing bodies. They did not act to stop the growing dominance of these clubs. They can’t or don’t want to guarantee fair competition between clubs,” referring to City and PSG.
We are a very special club with strong traditions, but we still have to fight these battles to defend
Real Madrid became the first to surpass one billion euros in annual revenue “We feel like Asterix’s men in a world dominated by the Romans. We also feel like we have our magic potion. We are a very special club with strong traditions, but we still have to fight these battles to defend. “It’s one thing to fight against private companies, it’s another thing to fight against countries that have clubs and have endless bags of money.”
“However, football as an industry (including clubs like ours) is generally cautious about making changes. It is very difficult to seriously discuss a product offered to our followers, let alone take action.. Is there anything we should change about the format? Who is competing with whom? When are the games held, on the weekend or during the week? I am optimistic about the future of football, people love it, but certain structural things need to changesays Sanchez.
For Madrid, UEFA is an enemy, a cartel ruler. Why should the governing body have so much influence over media rights? According to Sanchez, the clubs should take control. It would remove certain barriers, reward companies and create a fairer dynamic.
“We are an advocate of a model where clubs can decide their own destiny, as they do in almost all sports or even national level football. a model where they control how contests are managed and where we can build personal relationships with our followers. Take the case of a Real Madrid fan who lives in Osaka, Japan. Now that fan watches our Champions League games on a Japanese broadcaster that pays UEFA and UEFA pays us. If we were to organize the European tournament, we could stop those matches and create a more direct relationship with the fan.. And because we have so many fans around the world, we can significantly increase our streaming revenue as well as sell more sponsorships and merchandise.”
Clubs like Real Madrid should not fear the threat of sanctions simply for having ideas and conversations about what the future could look like.
Anas Langhari also appears. “Why should UEFA manage the competition when the clubs take all the business risks? It is the clubs that invest in players, youth academies, stadiums and other assets. UEFA tries to maintain its position, but this only stifles innovation. Clubs like Real Madrid should not fear the threat of sanctions simply for having ideas and conversations about what the future could look like.. If you take into account the current income of Real Madrid from media rights, the club receives less than one euro per fan.There is a huge potential for growth. How do you unlock that potential? Let Real Madrid lead its peers in a company that creates an owned and operated media platform for fans around the world with the highest quality football all year round.“.