English Premier League (EPL): The EPL is the most watched league in Europe, and the most popular football league in the world, with millions of fans flocking to stadiums to see the best players compete against each other. The popularity soccer is experiencing today is a far cry from the 1980’s, when riots were a common occurrence. A complete overhaul of the game constructed around a huge 12 million pound sponsorship deal with Carling, saw the formation of the EPL in 1992. Sponsorships have increased by over 700 per cent, and crowd attendance has nearly doubled since the early 90’s, and with 370 foreign players from 66 countries competing against local talent, sponsorship deals have exceeded US 3.5 billion dollars.
Alex Ferguson: The most successful manager in EPL’s history, Ferguson has led soccer giant Manchester United to 9 out of 16 possible Premiership titles, and has ensured the team has never finished lower than 3rd on the ladder.
La Liga: The hugely popular ‘La Liga’ (Spanish League) has been around since 1928. Considered the most entertaining global league, representatives from La Liga have taken out the FIFA ‘Player of the Year’ award17 times. Boasting the likes of superstar Ronaldinho, and league giant Rael Madrid, La Liga experiences crowd averages of just under 30,000 per game.
Bundesliga: With an average of 40,000 attendees per game, the Bundesliga (Germany’s league) is the biggest global crowd puller for soccer. In addition to this, the Bundesliga boasts two of the greatest stadiums in the world: Westfalenstadion and Allianz Arena. Westfalenstadion is the largest stadium in Germany, with capacity seating of over 80,000, and the Allianz Arena provides a glimpse into the future of stadiums. Looking like a ‘squashed golf ball’, the Allianz Arena has translucent outer layers than glow in the dark in a variety of colors.
Lukas Podolski: Bundesliga’s superstar, Podolski made his debut into league football with an impressive 10 goals from 19 senior appearances. He was also voted the Gillette inaugural best young player in the 2006 World Cup. Often compared to Manchester United key player Wayne Rooney.
Oliver Kahn: While Podolski sums up the best of Germany’s young, fresh talent, it is game veterans such as Kahn who have helped to achieve the level of popularity football currently enjoys in this part of the world. Kahn has won every goalkeeper award in the game, however is more likely to get press from his unruly and unpredictable on-field antics and temper.
Africa: With the focus firmly on Africa’s Regional Championships (that takes place every two years), football is one of Africa’s most loved games. Undeveloped facilities have earned African players the reputation of being focused, natural players within international leagues.
Didier Drogba: Recruited to Chelsea as a striker, Didier Drogba’s 20 goal total in the 2006/07 Premiership League season won him The Golden Boot award. He is single-handedly responsible for the Ivory Coasts’ success against European teams in recent years.
Michael Essien: Signed on to Chelsea in 2005 for a whopping 24.4 million pounds, Essien joined fellow African Drogba, and went on to become the 2007 Chelsea Player of the Year, and Goal of the Year award recipient.
Asia & Oceania: Experiencing huge growth in recent decades, the Asia/Oceania region s governing body (Asian Football Confederation) has focused its attention on the ‘Big 3’: Australia’s ‘A’ League, Japan’s ‘J’ League, and China’s ‘Super League’. Formed in 1954, and with 46 participating nations, AFC’s motto is: ‘The Future is Asia’. With talented players like Tim Cahill and Park Ji-Sung, the AFC may not be too far off the mark. Japan has dominated the Asia Cup, winning 3 out of a possible 5 times. Japan’s football team (nicknamed The Blue Samurai) have also qualified for every World Cup since 1994. South Korea is considered the most successful competing nation in Asia. Having qualified for every World Cup since 1982, the Korean Football Associations ‘K’ League has grown from 5 to 14 teams in 15 years.
