Dagostino 1

Giovanni Dagostino
ENC1102
Dr.Guenzel
May 4, 2021

Research Dossier: Covid effect in the Top Leagues

My motivation to research how some of the top leagues in soccer suffered due to
Covid-19 is due to the fact of my love and passion for the sport, and one of my majors is related
to it and my desire to work in that world. Kinesiology in UCF is offered in two different paths: a
more medical route and a more athletics and sport coaching related track. I'm intrigued to
analyze the rhetorical situations, from my articles in research, how the athletes stumbled upon
and see the intertextuality of the words that athletes and sport teams/clubs vocalized about/during
the pandemic because of the similarity in struggles. More specifically surrounding the Premier
League, Spanish league, and MLS; these leagues because they contain large fanbases, lots of
income and market activity. Because of the pandemic, questions have arisen as for example:
"why are Barcelona in so much debt", because of the misuse of funds and poor transfer policy,
but mainly their main source of income provenient from ticket/shirt sales being impacted in such
an impactful way that they are around a billion dollars in debt; and that's one of the best and
biggest teams in history so it's unimaginable on how the smaller teams are struggling.
Always being a big fan of statistics and how numerical data can express the effect or
accountability of situations happening in the world, it was meant for me to research on the effect
it had in the market of these leagues and players roles. Also writing about it can only help me
develop better understanding of particular situations that may occur to a player or team and allow
me to set apart from the other candidates to a coaching spot when it comes down to getting hired;
especially because soon I'm planning on start coaching local club team(s) and maybe tryout with
the UCF soccer coaching staff at some point.
My goal you could ask? To beat or be like Andre Villas-Boas, The youngest manager to
win a European competition, or Julian Nagelsmann, currently one of the best young and overall
coaches in the world; even though they may not be the best in history, it is more of like the desire
to make it to the big leagues and as one of the best at such young age.
Soccer leagues are not only based and surrounded by the sport, many outside factors
(businesses, markets, jobs) are involved in an backdoor type way, so to explain how the
pandemic caused irreversible damage,which could range from just losing players to something
more drastic like bankruptcy to some clubs and how both people in and outside the leagues
talked about suffered/were affected by the impact these leagues took in the market and other
concepts can help in the long run involve me in the moment that will one stay stabilize things in
soccer like as it once was before the pandemic started. So the importance of this topic relates to
more than just my future and the entertainment brought by the sport, it's about how the pandemic
effect in one thing can affect many others that may not look to be related in a butterfly effect type
situation. That's why my motivation throughout this research project has always been at an all
time high, because it is necessary for determination and achieving such a hard goal as the one i'm
disposed to work for.
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Annotated Bibliography:

1. States the best young coaches of a couple of years ago and their achievements.

Sunderland a writer of Bleacher Report, one of the most followed social media sport news sites.

Helps explain the quality one day I desire to achieve.

Sunderland, Tom. “Ranking the Top 20 Managers Aged 40 and Under.” Bleacher Report,
Bleacher Report, 26 Sept. 2017,
bleacherreport.com/articles/2356176-ranking-the-top-20-managers-aged-40-and-under.

2.

Talks about coaches in soccer and how they are the best young ones currently.

Karlsen is a writer for ESPN, one of the most informed and famous sports branches in the world.
Helps explain the quality one day I desire to achieve.

Karlsen, Tor-Kristian. “Nagelsmann Tops List of Best Young Coaches Making Their Name
across Europe.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 4 Nov. 2020,
www.espn.com/soccer/german-bundesliga/story/4225704/nagelsmann-tops-list-of-best-young-co
aches-making-their-name-across-europe.

3. Information related to the impact oc COVID-19 in soccer overall

Scavuzzo is a writer at Soccer today.

Helps backup and/or further understand the impact of the pandemic in soccer

Scavuzzo, Diane, et al. “CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 IMPACT ON SOCCER • SoccerToday.”

SoccerToday, 3 Mar. 2021, www.soccertoday.com/coronavirus-covid-19-impact-on-soccer/.

4. Provides a point of view of the situation in an effective not so negative note around soccer.

Marcotti is a writer for ESPN, one of the most informed and famous sports branches in the
world.

Helps understand the counter effect to the argument and the positive, if any, of the situation due
to the outbreak.

Marcotti, Gabriele. “Football's Economy Has Taken a Hit from COVID-19, but It's Not as Bad as
First Feared.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 10 Sept. 2020,
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www.espn.com/soccer/blog-espn-fc-united/story/4177249/footballs-economy-has-taken-a-hit-fro
m-covid-19but-its-not-as-bad-as-first-feared.

5. Information relating to the finances and loss of monetary power amount european clubs and
purchasing power.

Sid a writer for the Guardian news and Media.

Helps backup and/or further understand the impact of the pandemic in soccer clubs.

Lowe, Sid. “Covid-19 Impact Leaves Major European Football Clubs with €1bn Loss.” The
Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 14 Jan. 2021,
www.theguardian.com/football/2021/jan/14/covid-19-impact-leaves-major-european-football-clu
bs-with-1bn-loss.

6. Graphs and articles informing of news related to soccer and including the effect of the pandemic
in articles.

Axel, creator of the most used market tracker in the soccer sport industry.

Helps understand the change in prices due to the pandemic.

Springer, Axel. “Football Transfers, Rumours, Market Values and News.” Transfermarkt, May
2020, www.transfermarkt.us/.

7. Sport organisations have faced an unpredictable situation that has shaken the foundations of
sport: the COVID-19 outbreak.

Paloma is Part of Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Physical Activity and
Sport Sciences, University of Valencia

This source is helpful in understanding the impact of Covid in the sport not tea related.

Escamilla-Fajardo, Paloma. “Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sports Entrepreneurship.”

MDPI, 15 Oct. 2020.

8. Expresses how in soccer now the rules or the way it's played has been damaged, because of the
effect of covid on home field advantages.

Hamilton is a writer for ESPN, one of the most informed and famous sports branches in the
world.
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Relates to the changes needed to adapt due to the pandemic in the beautiful game and its
rules/structure.

Hamilton, Tom. “Premier League's Home Edge Has Gone in Pandemic Era: The Impact of
Fan-Less Games in England and Europe.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 12 Feb. 2021,
www.espn.com/soccer/english-premier-league/story/4312130/premier-leagues-home-edge-has-g
one-in-pandemic-era-the-impact-of-fan-less-games-in-england-and-europe.

9. Facts and statistics explaining how Covid-19 affects the world of professional soccer.

Michael Drewes Competence Center for Applied Economics, FOM University of Economics &
Management Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.

Helps understand the economic impact in professional soccer.

Drewes, Michael, et al. “Exploring the Sports Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Professional
Soccer.” Soccer & Society, vol. 22, no. 1-2, 2020, pp. 125–137.,
doi:10.1080/14660970.2020.1802256.

10. Example/story about a real small soccer team and its community plans being ruined by the
pandemic and struggling.

Charles Parrish part of College of Business, Western Carolina University , Cullowhee, NC, USA

Helps understand the difficulty small clubs/communities are currently suffering though.

Parrish, Charles, and Marco Lam. “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on a Community Soccer
Organization in the United States: the Case of Asheville City Soccer Club.” Soccer & Society,
vol. 22, no. 1-2, 2020, pp. 138–151., doi:10.1080/14660970.2020.1797495.

11. Information and examples of how soccer is affected game by game due to the pandemic in
different factors.

Tariq Panja is a British journalist who is a global sports reporter for The New York Times based in
London.

Helps clear the fact that teams are not only suffering in maybe not receiving fans but more
factors are affected like continuity playing and game ability.

Panja, Tariq, and John Duerden. “Coronavirus Spreads to Soccer's Schedule, Closing Stadiums
and Stranding Teams.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020,
www.nytimes.com/2020/02/25/world/europe/coronavirus-soccer.html.

12. Information of the current financial status inside Barcelona and the contradicting facts among
receipts and the staff.
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Sports journalist & social media producer at Goal.com.

Helps understand how big clubs, as for example in this case Barcelona FC, are affected by the
pandemic and the long lasting impact it may have.

Frances, Sam. “'Barcelona Are the Club Worst Affected by the Coronavirus Crisis' - Bartomeu
Predicts 'Two to Three Years' of Financial Problems.” 'Barcelona Are the Club Worst Affected by
the Coronavirus Crisis' - Bartomeu Predicts 'Two to Three Years' of Financial Problems |
Goal.com, 2020,
www.goal.com/en/news/barcelona-club-worst-affected-by-coronavirus-bartomeu/zotux27riwe81
vkc1mu1m0ok5.

13. Information about the monetary side of small clubs and how they'll survive or not.

Mitchell is part of the Associated press for AP News.

Helps understand the difference in effect a smaller club may take compared to a bigger club.

Mitchell, Tom. “Small Soccer Teams Take Big Financial Hit Because of Virus.” AP NEWS,
Associated Press, 28 Sept. 2020,
apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-london-soccer-archive-e826957b58d257c88b0218f4369bd89
7.