Concentration and key actors in the representation market for players in the big five European leagues

Using the big five European leagues, England, Spain, France, Italy and Germany, as a case study, this chapter provides a detailed empirical analysis of the representation market for players under contract with clubs over a period of five football seasons from 2010 to 2015. Firstly, it gives an overall overview of the representation market across these leagues, demonstrating the level of concentration in different market segments. Then, it considers the peculiarities of each league to offer a precise analysis of their labour markets, providing more detail on some of the most influential individual agents and agencies that have emerged. This chapter provides a detailed empirical analysis of the representation market. In 2015, the big five European leagues together generated 11.3 billion in cumulative revenue, and spent 6.7 billion in wage costs and in estimated transfer fees in the region. With such fees being spent, the most relevant and influential football intermediaries are domiciled in these countries and operate within their professional leagues. The FIFA TMS (2015) and ECA (2014) and extrapolating across the current season we have been able to model the likely transfer commissions paid to agents by clubs in the big five leagues from the 2009 summer transfer window to the 2015 winter transfer window. While market share is defined by the total percentage of professional players represented by an agent or an agency within the big five European leagues, the concept of market power is based on the total sum of the potential transfer market value of the players involved. This chapter provides a detailed empirical analysis of the representation market. In 2015, the big five European leagues together generated 11.3 billion in cumulative revenue, and spent 6.7 billion in wage costs and in estimated transfer fees in the region. With such fees being spent, the most relevant and influential football intermediaries are domiciled in these countries and operate within their professional leagues. The FIFA TMS (2015) and ECA (2014) and extrapolating across the current season we have been able to model the likely transfer commissions paid to agents by clubs in the big five leagues from the 2009 summer transfer window to the 2015 winter transfer window. While market share is defined by the total percentage of professional players represented by an agent or an agency within the big five European leagues, the concept of market power is based on the total sum of the potent