30 May 2008
With the football season now over, the media's annual obsession with the summer transfer window is swinging into top gear. Paul McGoohan, sports director at Square1 Consulting, explains why the media is a football club's most powerful tool in capturing their summer targets.
Manchester United’s threat to report Real Madrid to FIFA for what the European champions see as public attempts to unsettle Cristiano Ronaldo on the Spanish giant’s part, is the culmination of frustration that has been building for some time among England’s top clubs.
For years it has been alleged that some of the continents top teams have used their local media to unsettle leading players in this country.
The media love the transfer window. They love it because as football fans, we cling to the hope that our team will land the big names who will make our team world beaters next season.
As speculation surrounding the window has exploded through the growth of media outlets, clubs in this country have publicly taken a somewhat defensive position. We are constantly being told by clubs not to believe the speculation - real news will come first through the club’s official channels.
Privately, some leading managers and executives together with players and agents are all too aware of the power of the media during these months. When negotiating multi-million pound deals, each side seeks to gain a competitive advantage. The ever hungry media is seen by some as a tool to achieving this.
Yet the media should not be taken for granted - trust is needed on all sides.
The rules governing ‘tapping up’ in this country do include public statements made through the media. Managers, executives and agents are all aware of this which is why very few stories appear with quotes from the leading protagonists.
In Spain and Italy, club executives have a closer relationship with the media and are less concerned with going public. It was the comments made by Real Madrid’s hierarchy in Spanish daily Marca that started this current row. Such comments by presidents appeal to the club’s fans, while the international nature of the media means the stories will be reported in this country, therefore making the player aware of the interest.
Cristiano Ronaldo, is just the latest player to have been subject to this tactic in recent years. You can understand Manchester United’s frustration; they hope the threat of being reported to FIFA will stop Real Madrid’s campaign.
The reality is that a story involving two of the world’s largest clubs, and arguably the world’s best player will continue to dominate the back pages for a while.
Paul McGoohan is Sports Director at Square1 Consulting, corporate communication specialists for the sport industry.
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