From the Deloitte press release:
Deloitte analysis of the World Cup squads, announced today, has shown that English clubs lead the world, contributing one in seven 2006 FIFA World Cup team players.
Dan Jones, Partner of the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “English clubs provide more World Cup players than any other country’s clubs, which again emphasises the strength and popularity of the game in this country. Record levels of revenue generation over the last decade have provided the clubs with the financial muscle to attract some of the world’s top football talent to play in England. The recently announced, enhanced values of broadcasting deals, effective from 2007/08, should help English football retain its domestic and world popularity.”
Key findings of the analysis of the official player lists by the Sports Business Group at Deloitte include:
– Over 100 players from English clubs are named in the 2006 FIFA World Cup squads, equivalent to one in seven of the total
– The top four clubs are Chelsea (16 players in official player lists), Arsenal (15), Manchester United (12) and Liverpool (9)
– Hosts Germany has the next largest contingent of players (contributing over 70 players)
– Around 350 of the players in the squads are with clubs in the ‘big five’ European countries (England, Italy, France, Germany and Spain). The ‘big five’ countries generate around 70% of the total revenue of the European football market
– Only two national squads – Italy and Saudi Arabia – are made up entirely of players from clubs from their own country
Dan Jones added: “Already ‘the financial champions of the world’, let us hope that England can also become the football champions of the world.”