Spain, Germany, France, and England
The Global Football Alliance is a strategic group of non-rival teams looking to share knowledge. Beginning with the teams that command a large amount of reach in Europe seems a decent place to start. There are eight teams total out of 20 from Europe. I’m breaking it down into two parts.
The first four have created a global brand amassing above a million followers across all social media platforms. The clubs also come from some of the biggest leagues in the world. La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and the English Premier League on Transfermarkt have all clubs valued together at nearly 20 billion dollars. The ever-present EPL clubs are at 9.67 billion. La Liga clubs are valued at 5.42 billion. The Bundesliga has a valuation of 4.59 billion. Ligue 1 is pulling up the rear with a value of 4.03 billion.
Transfermarkt values the four teams I’m highlighting here at just over a combined one billion dollars. Going from last to first, here is how these teams break down. Not just in worth, but high profile players, high potential players, and their places this season. As well, their place in the social media game and what they could help the Revolution to do if they were to join forces in this alliance.
AS Saint Étienne
League: Ligue 1
Market Value (Transfermarkt): 102.52 million US Dollars
Current Place in Ligue 1: 20th (Last Place)
High Profile Players: Ryad Boudebouz, Denis Bouanga, Whabi Khazri
High Potential Players: Lucas Gourna-Douath, Mehdi Camara, Adil Aouchiche, Stefan Bajic
Trophies in Past 10 Years: Coupe De La Ligue (2012-2013)
What Knowledge Will ASSE Bring To The Revolution?:
AS Saint Etienne has been hovering around relegation for the past few seasons. If they were to fall to Ligue 2, the team may be willing to part with or sell some of their more experimental players. In December 2021, they fired their head coach Claude Puel and hired Pascal Dupraz. The Revolution have had similar problems stabilizing themselves recently. Sharing some knowledge of being in poor situations and how they’ve turned around their situations may help the Revs down the line.
ASSE President Bernard Caiazzo just recently met with Revolution president Brian Bilello. Could see them sharing friendlies, preseason training, and overall intel on becoming a successful brand. The team has a large social media reach. On Twitter, they have over 876 thousand followers. On Facebook, ASSE has 867,662 followers. The AS Saint Etienne Instagram garnered 354 thousand followers. More than capable to give some decent insight into the engagement of their brand.
Crystal Palace
League: English Premier League
Market Value (Transfermarkt): 263.95 million US Dollars
Current Place in EPL: 11th
High Profile Players: Wilfried Zaha, Christian Benteke and Joachim Andersen
High Potential Players: Eberiche Eze, Michael Olise, Marc Guehi, and Conor Gallagher(Loan from Chelsea FC)
Trophies in the Past 10 Years: Absolutely nothing, but they did gain promotion to the EPL.
What Knowledge Will Crystal Palace Bring To The Revolution?:
Any MLS team can gain exciting ideas and information from teams in the EPL. Just creating a scouting network for the Revolution across the academies in England will be a strong help. As well, Crystal Palace knows what it’s like to develop a team from the bottom through history. Not saying that there is promotion and relegation in the MLS, but the ability to build passion and use the rise to propel the brand. Palace has 3.9 million followers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. All three social accounts boast more than a million followers.
As we all know, the Revolution has started another great run of form in the past two and a half years. Having the knowledge of how Crystal Palace manages to keep their place in the EPL after being relegated in years past will be a huge help. Obviously, we don’t have promotion and relegation here. However, with this New England Revolution team, in the past, the team has faltered and failed to go forward. Crystal Palace can tell the story of how to continue past that and not return.
VfL Wolfsburg
League: Bundesliga
Market Value (Transfermarkt): 293.89 million US Dollars
Current Place in Bundesliga: 13th
High Profile Players: Wout Weghorst, John Brooks, Maximillian Arnold, Ridle Baku, Dodi Lukebakio
High Potential Players: Maxence Lacroix, Fally Mayulu, Felix Nmecha, Jannis Lang
Trophies in Past 10 Years: DFB-Pokal (2014-2015), German Supercup (2015)
What Knowledge Will VfL Wolfsburg Bring To The Revolution?:
A team that has brought strong players into the team and been able to put them on sale for astronomical prices. Kevin De Bruyne comes to mind, as he was bought on transfer for around 24.20 million dollars from Chelsea. De Bruyne was loaned into the Bundesliga by Chelsea. Obviously, this allowed Wolfsburg to scout a player like Kevin and they saw what they liked. Wolfsburg is the team that ended up selling De Bruyne to Manchester City for a transfer fee of 83.60 million dollars. The Revolution can learn how to scout players through a competition like that. Especially now, when playing in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. Also, with all the players coming through the MLS.
Learning from a team with a Sporting Director that has aligned themselves with a lower league team to create a powerful strategic bond. VfL Wolfsburg’s Sporting Director Marcel Schäfer partnered with Chattanooga FC last year. They had given their logo to Chattanooga as a sponsor to put on their jersey in 2021. As well, giving Chattanooga a challenge to create their women’s team for 2022. The Revolution can only gain strength from finding a partner club. Whether the Revs be the benefactor from a bigger club or whether we can mentor an up and coming club. I’m looking at the new NH-based USL team coming through guided by Charlie Davies on this one.
Women’s Soccer
Hopefully, as well, New England can learn from the German club about their extremely strong women’s club. In the Frauen-Bundesliga, they’ve been at the top of the league six times in the past nine seasons. As well, only pulling up to the runners-up position, behind the eventual winner. They have two UEFA Champions League titles. They’ve won the past seven consecutive DFB-Pokal Frauen titles. Would be great if the New England Revolution’s owners would empower a local team to be great as well. We all know New England is absolutely teeming with women’s soccer talents (Looking at you Mewis’)
Villareal CF
League: La Liga
Market Value (Transfermarkt): 367.29 million US Dollars
Current Place in La Liga: 9th
High Profile Players: Arnaut Danjuma, Pau Torres, Gerard Moreno, Paco Alcácer
High Potential Players: Juan Foyth, Yéremy Pino, Samuel Chukwueze, Pervis Estupiñán
Trophies in Past 10 Years: Europa League (20/21)
What Knowledge Will Villareal CF Bring To The Revolution?
Achieving European dominance is an important thing for Villareal CF, they’ve recently won the Europa League. Helping the Revolution in showing them how to balance the season with the important possible trophies outside the league. Villareal managed to win this trophy within the COVID-19 years. How did they navigate the obvious problems with COVID-19 and quarantines?
The team exists in an area full of great Valencian soccer clubs, such as Valencia CF. The Revs are now being surrounded in New England by new, upcoming teams. Teams such as Providence FC, Hartford Athletic, the new Portland team in Maine. Villareal can give knowledge of their problems with having a 23,500 seat stadium. Estadio de la Cerámica has a great atmsophere with so many teams in the area. From what I’ve seen, they sell out most games. How do they keep the stadium full? What can the Revs do to change their fortune with stadiums here in the New England area?
Be Sure To Follow For Part 2!
Will have a second part of the look at Europe’s part in the Global Football Alliance. The teams come from Greece, Belgium, Netherlands and Norway! Check it out!