The broken business model: A flea-market frenzy of buying, selling PSL teams

By Siyabonga Hadebe

JOHANNESBURG – For the longest time, many people have observed that a strange relationship exists between the game of football and the basic principles of economics. The relationship is neither direct nor inverse but flies uncontrollably like a kite on a windy day.

As a result, it is quite complicated to understand and or to predict the commercial side of football for anyone concerned, including economists and sportswriters alike.

Hence, football is characterized to be following a ‘broken business model’. There are not even theories that can help one to explain football phenomena in a much easier language that is understandable to everyone.

Nevertheless, money flows in football keep on growing irrespective of what is happening to the global and local economies. The case in point here Argentinian clubs and the likes of DRC’s TP Mazembe that continue to roll in cash irrespective of whether the countries are about to collapse or not.