Writing Project 2 - Giovanni Vurro
Part I: Annotated Bibliography
Note: ESL - European Super League
“A European Super League Could Kill Football: UCL on CBS Sports.” YouTube, 27 Apr. 2021, youtu.be/rbwurvHT5fA?si=CiLBJMJSTQfsXGXN.
Similar to Sky Sports Premier League, CBS Golazo is another popular channel among fans who want to stay up to date with news in the football world. In this segment, a panel consisting of journalists and former players discusses the comparisons between American sports league structures and European leagues. One of the panelists, who has more expertise with American sports offers an insight into how an atypical football fan would be enticed with the ESL proposal. They also discuss attempts that UEFA is making to level and expand the playing field in future tournaments.
Bar-On, Tamir. The World through Soccer : The Cultural Impact of a Global Sport. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
Brannagan, Paul Michael, et al. “The 2021 European Super League Attempt: Motivation, Outcome, and the Future of Football.” International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, vol. 14, no. 1, 2022, pp. 169–76, https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2021.2013926.
Brown, Adam. Fanatics! : Power, Identity, and Fandom in Football. Routledge, 1998.
Cattry, Pardeep. “European Super League Reaction: Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez, FIFA, UEFA, Premier League and More.” CBSSports.Com, 21 Dec. 2023, www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/european-super-league-reaction-real-madrids-florentino-perez-fifa-uefa-premier-league-and-more/.
This article by Pardeep Cattry acts as a hub of sorts, offering brief explanations regarding the reactions of the various parties involved. Cattry not only includes quotes from specific owners but also from the specific clubs and governing bodies involved (UEFA, FIFA). Written at the end of 2023 it was after the ruling from the European court and provides an updated list of reactions. There is no personal opinion being projected on the reader, rather it aims to be informative and all-encompassing. It may have been interesting to hear their perspective but with the videos and other articles, having one aiming to be purely informative is beneficial.
Cherico, Jack. “The European Super League: How the Fans Took Back Football.” University Wire, Uloop, Inc, 2021.
Crafton, Adam, and more. “Tension, Suspicion and Plotting - What Happened after the Collapse of the Super League.” The Athletic, 17 Oct. 2021, theathletic.com/2894731/2021/10/18/tension-suspicion-and-plotting-what-happened-after-the-collapse-of-the-super-league/.
In this article written by Adam Crafton, he provides an in-depth analysis of the aftermath when the first ESL proposal collapsed. He explains who some of the key players were from the various organizations (CEOs, directors, chairmen, etc) and a glimpse as to what these discussions regarding the proposal were like. He also takes the reader back to what seemed like a unified body (UEFA) before the proposal and the steps taken to amend the current format of the competition. For those more than casual fans who want to know the names and details of the officials and the conversations they had, this article offers that.
Daniel Taylor, Adam Crafton, and more. “Special Report: The Rise and Rapid Fall of the ‘universally Despised’ Super League.” The Athletic, 23 Apr. 2021, theathletic.com/2533568/2021/04/24/special-report-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-universally-despised-super-league/?redirected=1.
Another article by The Athletic staff, similar to the one above this one also provides an extremely in-depth glimpse into the meetings and conversation before the proposal. They examine what the proposal looked like from a PR standpoint and how those opposed were much quicker to react to the news, due to the nature of leaks from various social media outlets. Entering into the dynamics between owners of these powerhouse clubs, this article is useful in providing context for those surprised when the proposal first came out.
Doidge, Mark, et al. “Introduction: ‘A Spectre Is Haunting European Football - the Spectre of a European Super League.’” Soccer and Society, vol. 24, no. 4, 2023, pp. 451–62, https://doi.org/10.1080/14660970.2023.2194509.
This entry takes the role of a historical informant. Many fans do not know that the current competition was a reduced form of the ESL itself. The article aims to show that history repeats itself and provides historical context many sources lack. While focusing not only on the current proposal, there is also an emphasis on showing the natural progression that led to these developments. The article closes by showing the reader that what seemed like a revolutionary proposal, actually comes from a historical base.
“European Super League: What the Court Ruling Means for the Future of European Football: ESPN FC.” YouTube, 21 Dec. 2023, youtu.be/65FrT_NHRF0?si=LtRMOrjMHYm-wgo_.
Also a Youtube video, this segment is taken from a podcast between two respected journalists in the industry. They take their time discussing the updated ruling the European Court made regarding the ESL and what it means for future proposals. Going into topics such as the revised format proposed by those advocating for the league and the obstacles they currently face. The two also examine the opposing perspective and discuss whether there are benefits to the proposal.
Gammelsæter, Hallgeir, and Benoît. Senaux. The Organisation and Governance of Top Football across Europe : An Institutional Perspective. Routledge, 2011.
Houben, R., Blockx, J. & Nuyts, S. UEFA and the Super League: who is calling who a cartel?. Int Sports Law J 22, 205–216 (2022). https://doi-org.libproxy2.usc.edu/10.1007/s40318-021-00201-2.
“‘I’m Absolutely Disgusted!’: Gary Neville’s Verdict on the European Super League Proposals.” YouTube, 18 Apr. 2021, youtu.be/GP05EDm9EB8?si=r2WAapd0vzNkOgHW.
This video is taken from the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube page. It is a well-known and respected broadcaster in the footballing community, where former players, coaches, and journalists debate and discuss various topics. In this specific video a former player now turned pundit, Gary Neville, breaks down what the UEFA ESL proposal is and the critical issues he has with it. He also specifically references the reaction from clubs within the United Kingdom (his area of expertise) and offers what he believes viable punishments are for the respective clubs. One area of weakness of this video is that the only perspective and opinion examined comes from one person.
Macedo, Anthony, et al. “A Literature Review on the European Super League of Football - Tracing the Discussion of a Utopia?” International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, vol. 14, no. 3, 2022, pp. 563–79, https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2022.2064895.
The final article selected for this portion is a literature review on a variety of topics regarding the ESL (political, economic, social). Synthesizing a wide scope of articles regarding the topic using Google Scholar the author provides data showing various perspectives and reactions. While also providing a significant amount of supplemental information that would be useful in a data-driven paper.
Maguire, Kieran. “Falling Revenues and Rising Costs - the Numbers behind the Super League Plot.” The Athletic, 20 Oct. 2021, theathletic.com/2878384/2021/10/21/falling-revenues-and-rising-costs-the-numbers-behind-the-super-league-plot/.
The majority of the other sources used examine the intricacies of what the ESL proposal is, how the various parties reacted, and the ruling of the European Court. This article by, Kieran Maguire, hones in on the financial aspects of the proposal and explains why certain clubs created this proposal. Including useful graphics that detail pre and post-pandemic income broken down into various segments. As well as graphs that detail the various costs for each of these clubs. This article does well at creating context for the ESL proposal and gives fans a better understanding of why the clubs felt it was necessary to create increasing avenues for revenue.
Marcotti, Gabriele. “European Super League Was Soccer’s Biggest Controversy in Decades. Will a Court Case Revive the Idea?” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 11 July 2022, www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37630010/european-super-league-was-soccer-biggest-controversy-decades-court-case-revive-idea.
This article written by renowned journalist Gabriele Marcotti preceded the Youtube video mentioned above. While the article only discusses his perspective, he structures it in a Q&A-type format, attempting to answer the most common questions from fans. While remaining objective he avoids casting his opinion among the information provided. He explains some of the legal jargon as well as the precedence the court has previously set in other sports and how it applies. He also takes the time to explain why the case reached the court in the first place, and which clubs were responsible for taking it to court.
Meier, Henk Erik, et al. “The Short Life of the European Super League: A Case Study on Institutional Tensions in Sport Industries.” Managing Sport and Leisure, vol. ahead-of-print, no. ahead-of-print, 2022, pp. 1–22, https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2022.2058071.
As written in the title this excerpt comes from a case study examining the immediate window surrounding the proposal of the ESL. While first providing historical context from various sources, the journal then pivots. Examining the Twitter reaction to the proposal, they then compiled a list of findings from their study. This article is incredibly useful because it provides actual data to support the claims if one is preparing to write an opinion-based article.
Panja, Tariq, and Rory Smith. “How the Super League Fell Apart.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Apr. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/sports/soccer/super-league-soccer.html.
Staff, The Athletic UK. “‘a Catalyst for Real Change’ - How Fans of the Premier League’s Big Six Responded to the Super League.” The Athletic, 27 Apr. 2021, theathletic.com/2546892/2021/04/28/a-catalyst-for-real-change-how-fans-of-the-premier-leagues-big-six-responded-to-the-super-league/?access_token=15190548&redirected=1.
Wagner, Ulrik, et al. “Commercialization, Governance Problems, and the Future of European Football—or Why the European Super League Is Not a Solution to the Challenges Facing Football.” International Journal of Sport Communication, vol. 14, no. 3, 2021, pp. 321–33, https://doi.org/10.1123/IJSC.2021-0049.
In this article, similar to some of the videos the authors provide an acknowledgement that the current state of European football is flawed. While the radical proposal of the ESL is not the solution, they highlight suggestions that would not be nearly as polarizing to the fans. The authors use historical examples to show that while the current competition has its flaws it is still fundamental to the fans. The article synthesizes a variety of sources to ultimately break down the issues with the proposal and alternative remedies.
Part II: Reflection
Researching a topic I believed I was knowledgeable about was the perfect example of the clichè of a double-edged sword. I managed to strike the balance of feeling ignorant, while also excited at the prospect of increasing my knowledge. As I found myself diving deeper into the information and news regarding the Super League, it began feeling less and less like an assignment and more like a hobby. For a second while doing my research, I contemplated turning this into a passion project, synthesizing a myriad of sources to create a research paper packed with knowledge so I could finally deem myself an expert on the topic. What surprised me the most was the usefulness of the USC Database, not that it was a niche topic. Still, I had little belief there would be extensive works related to the European Super League (until I was met with over 10000 results).
If I had “blindly” gone into what would be Writing Project 3, without this prior research I can confidently say that my paper would have looked significantly different. Being an avid fan of the sport and wearing my heart on my sleeve, the paper would have followed in my footsteps. It would have been an extensive indictment on these clubs that I grew up watching, without any regard for an opposing point of view. While they were difficult pills to swallow the articles I found most insightful were those that posed questions regarding the benefits of the Super League. Not to say that my opinion has changed, but it made me pause for a moment which is a larger step than I thought I would take. Finding these sources not only leads me to a better understanding but it also helps me avoid beating the same point for 2000 words in future projects.
Looking at some of the other sources, specifically from The Athletic they truly appealed to the fanatic within me. I had never read articles regarding the topic that were so in-depth and provided a window for fans to see what it was like when these Elite Clubs and their sporting directors plotted their proposal for the Super League. Having the opportunity to rewatch the YouTube videos mentioned and relive the moment when the proposal first came out was something I did not expect to enjoy so much. Watching Gary Neville’s passionate speech where he bravely called out the biggest clubs in the world and singlehandedly caused an uproar among the footballing community is something that will prove to be invaluable in the future stages of this paper.
Thinking about Writing Project 3 and the genre of writing I would like to pursue concerning this topic, what makes the most sense to me is an Op-Ed. In preparation for this, I will likely read a variety of sports-tailored articles to give me a rough template for an effective structure in communicating my opinions regarding the topic. I considered posing it as an open letter to one of Football’s governing bodies (UEFA, FIFA) but thinking more pragmatically an Op-Ed better suits my goal. It would be an interesting challenge to phrase my paper as a letter and experiment with a different style of writing and tone, but all the more reason to attempt it. I am hoping to build a solid enough foundation in Writing Project 3 that perhaps when this class is over I can dedicate myself to having a passion project on the side.