Football is the most popular sport in the world. If you visit a household anywhere from Europe to the Americas and Africa, you will see an ongoing match on the TV.
There are different leagues in football. The Premier League is the most popular one. At this moment it’s broadcast to over 200 countries, which makes the potential number of viewers over four billion people. Unfortunately, not all leagues have the luck or the resources of the Premier League. Other top leagues are UEFA, Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga. These top leagues do not face the same challenges as teams from small leagues.
What kind of problems do the teams from the smaller leagues face? Let’s see below.
Generating a large number of TV viewers
Some of the smaller leagues do get TV time and are broadcast in some countries, but not all leagues are that lucky. Generating viewers is a challenge these smaller teams face. Television brings more popularity to the table and helps attract more investors and new fans. Even if they manage to sign a broadcast deal with a TV channel, it’s not 100% sure that viewers will also watch their events.
Attracting young talent
Kids love sports, and football is popular. This combination makes for very eager teens. But not all of them have the talent to make it big. Good young players are tough to find. And these players naturally want to play in the big leagues. Attracting young players is another challenge these smaller leagues have to face. New talent will boost their popularity and attract players from the next generation.
Getting financial backing
Another challenge the smaller leagues face is generating financial support. Most investors prefer to invest in something they are sure of, and in this case, big leagues with lots of income and popularity. Not many would take on the task of investing in a smaller league which is only famous in one part of the country or one city. If they do take on the challenge, they would have to do double the work, so their investment isn’t pointless.
Pressure from leading organizations
Another challenge that could make the “life” of small football leagues worse is the changes that the football authorities make. UEFA announced that they would be introducing a new competition in 2021. Some claim that it could “destroy” the smaller leagues. Changes on a “higher” level like that can inevitably affect the lives of the football teams from the minor leagues.
Our Conclusion
Overall football teams in small leagues are not in the perfect position compared to teams from more significant leagues. Great changes that affect all associations must be inputted to reduce these challenges and give these teams the same chances the “big” teams get. That is not likely to happen anytime soon. But we hope that in the future things will change for the better of all.