3 Final thoughts

In this week you have started to gain some insight into globalisation and power and how it affects the business of football and other businesses.

You began by examining some of the ways that the business of football has spread across the globe. You considered a number of aspects of globalisation including:

• the history of the globalisation of football
• some of the factors that have driven the globalisation of the football industry in particular the market for global players
• the often conflicting relationships between different countries and different blocks of countries.

You then examined dimensions of power and explored how both João Havelange and Sepp Blatter worked to increase the influence, commercialisation and reach of FIFA during their time in office.

Finally you explored how the proposal for a biennial World Cup was a bitter battle between competing global football organisations with different interests to protect and develop.

Well done for completing The business of football!

If you have enjoyed this course and are interested in studying further with us find out more about this and other programmes within the OU. [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] You might be particularly interested in our BSc (hons) Sport, Fitness and Coaching.