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Who Owns Football?: The Changing Face of Club Ownership
Leading football journalist Nick Miller lifts the lid on football club the defining issue shaping the modern game.
The landscape of football club ownership has changed. Long gone are the days when clubs were dominated by local factory proprietors or millionaire boyhood fans. This clear, insightful and thought-provoking guide provides serious football fans with a unique and timely account of modern football the central issue shaping the game.
Fascinating for supporters looking to understand their club's and its rivals' strategy and methods, and those curious about finance and power in football, Who Owns Football? reveals how the game's custodians operate. Football club owners can take teams to the heights of the Champions League or financial oblivion. Still, in a world of super leagues, rapidly escalating wages, transfer fees, Financial Fair Play and an increasingly profitable women's game, they tread a precarious tightrope. This book relates the jeopardy, strategies, transformative successes and horror stories as it uncovers the complex world of football finance.
Who Owns Football? lifts the lid on the inner workings of modern club ownership. Full of captivating tales, fascinating characters, high finance and shady deals, it examines the forces at play and discusses how today's football club ownership models face up to an impending crisis in the game.
The landscape of football club ownership has changed. Long gone are the days when clubs were dominated by local factory proprietors or millionaire boyhood fans. This clear, insightful and thought-provoking guide provides serious football fans with a unique and timely account of modern football the central issue shaping the game.
Fascinating for supporters looking to understand their club's and its rivals' strategy and methods, and those curious about finance and power in football, Who Owns Football? reveals how the game's custodians operate. Football club owners can take teams to the heights of the Champions League or financial oblivion. Still, in a world of super leagues, rapidly escalating wages, transfer fees, Financial Fair Play and an increasingly profitable women's game, they tread a precarious tightrope. This book relates the jeopardy, strategies, transformative successes and horror stories as it uncovers the complex world of football finance.
Who Owns Football? lifts the lid on the inner workings of modern club ownership. Full of captivating tales, fascinating characters, high finance and shady deals, it examines the forces at play and discusses how today's football club ownership models face up to an impending crisis in the game.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published January 28, 2025
13 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 9, 2025
I don't know anything about soccer / football and I actually loathe the sport and its popularity.
Thus, I learned a lot about football club ownership and developments within the sport and its financing I did not know before.
The topic is explained well and complex situations are well described and thus while not completely easy to follow still understandable.
The book also covers not only English football but takes a more international view at times and also discusses gender differences within sport and financing, which I appreciate.
Basically, this book is probably the only thing I like about football.
Thus, I learned a lot about football club ownership and developments within the sport and its financing I did not know before.
The topic is explained well and complex situations are well described and thus while not completely easy to follow still understandable.
The book also covers not only English football but takes a more international view at times and also discusses gender differences within sport and financing, which I appreciate.
Basically, this book is probably the only thing I like about football.
April 6, 2025
Great book, very well-written, covers a lot of good topics and discussions. As a Reading fan was really nice to see our ownership situation properly spoken about
December 18, 2025
This book is an eye opening deep dive into the business side of football. Nick Miller explores the diverse world of football club ownership, showing how different owners, from local businessmen to state funds, shape their clubs in vastly different ways.
As an AC Milan fan, this book finally answered my big questions. I’ve watched my club transition from a legendary Italian politician to a Chinese businessman, and then to an American hedge fund. It’s a roller coaster that leaves supporters feeling both happy and frustrated. We often don't care who owns the club when we're winning, but we demand they leave during a downfall. Miller makes a sobering point. If your clubs are now own by multi-billion dollar businesses, the fans often have no technical power to change who owns them. This is a sharp contrast to the German model, where the "50+1" rule ensures fans retain majority ownership, a clear example of how different rules create different cultures.
My biggest takeaway is that there is no single definition of a successful owner. One owner might prioritize profit, another might want global political influence, and another might simply be a passionate fan. Because their targets are so different, comparing them is never straightforward.
I believe this is a must read for every football fan. It helps you understand the machinery behind your club and might even stop you from feeling so much owner envy. Knowing how these structures work makes you realize that the grass isn't always greener elsewhere. It's just managed by a different set of financial interests. It reminds you to be grateful for the club you chose, regardless of who holds the keys.
As an AC Milan fan, this book finally answered my big questions. I’ve watched my club transition from a legendary Italian politician to a Chinese businessman, and then to an American hedge fund. It’s a roller coaster that leaves supporters feeling both happy and frustrated. We often don't care who owns the club when we're winning, but we demand they leave during a downfall. Miller makes a sobering point. If your clubs are now own by multi-billion dollar businesses, the fans often have no technical power to change who owns them. This is a sharp contrast to the German model, where the "50+1" rule ensures fans retain majority ownership, a clear example of how different rules create different cultures.
My biggest takeaway is that there is no single definition of a successful owner. One owner might prioritize profit, another might want global political influence, and another might simply be a passionate fan. Because their targets are so different, comparing them is never straightforward.
I believe this is a must read for every football fan. It helps you understand the machinery behind your club and might even stop you from feeling so much owner envy. Knowing how these structures work makes you realize that the grass isn't always greener elsewhere. It's just managed by a different set of financial interests. It reminds you to be grateful for the club you chose, regardless of who holds the keys.
February 11, 2025
Good mix of stories, doesn't go into to much heavy financial details
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews