Football "dream TEAM"

Martin Wagner, president of TEAM, spoke to GoalNews

BY GIORGOS KYRIAKOS AND GIORGOS SAZEIDIS

Football! The king of sports! Cliché and a thousand words, but absolutely true. The sport that captivates millions of football fans around the world. The sport that hides emotions, passion and that has the power to send correct and social (and not only) messages. The Champions League and the Europa League are the two events that steal the show every year. Who does not look forward to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays? Who is not looking forward to watching the top footballers? Two successful events that "hide" behind them a colossus. A mammoth company in the field of television rights management.

TEAM is responsible for managing the television rights of the Champions League, Europa League, European Super Cup and Women's Champions League. It is essentially the company in which UEFA entrusts the rights of its strongest "brand name". A Cypriot is also on the Board of Directors of "TEAM". The vice president of KOP, George Koumas, whose offer and knowledge have greatly helped the company. "GoalNews" spoke with the president of TEAM, Martin Wagner, who referred to many interesting issues related to the field of television rights.

Mr Wagner, what is UEFA's revenue from the concession of television rights to the Champions League and Europa League? "From the period 2018 until 2021 it is an amount close to 3 billion euros per year. We are talking about the Champions League, the Europa League, the Women's Champions League and the European Super Cup, which we give to channels around the world. And this amount shows the strength of these events. We believe that we have one of the strongest products on the market ".

How much have TV rights changed in the Champions League? "The money does not stay only in our company or in UEFA, but is returned to the clubs. And this is because we have a strong system of solidarity between us. We have a very strong organization (Champions League), UEFA is fine with the central management of television rights, as long as the money is returned to the participating teams. In this way it supports football in countries that do not have a very strong economy. There is a lot of competition in football and we try to find the right ways to keep the fans close to the sport and to maintain the momentum of our events. For example, we increased the dynamics of the Europa League with the automatic participation of the winner of the tournament in the groups of the Champions League of the next season. We find what is best for the world and our trading partners. "

How difficult is it to manage the rights of two such big events? "We need proper marketing with TV rights because there is a lot of competition. Of course, we have two of the most powerful products in football that can undoubtedly compete with the most powerful brands around the world. I believe that in sports we have the television rights of the most powerful events. Even in the Europa League it is amazing that people are more interested even in the German or other major European leagues! "You see Chelsea focusing on the tournament to win it and get to the Champions League."

What is the duration of your contract with UEFA? "We have the rights from August 2018 until 2021. So we have time until then to sell them on the channels. "Then, if UEFA likes what we are doing, then we will renew it until 2024. We have to be smart with the market and know very well when and where we should give the rights."

What is your opinion about Cypriot football? "It is amazing what the teams of Cyprus have achieved so far. Cyprus is a good example where football is so successful. People like George Koumas did a lot for the development of your football. He knows football very well and that is why he has a position on the Board of Directors of our company. It is fantastic what Cypriot football has achieved, that is why Mr. Koumas is with us ".

How is your collaboration with George Koumas? "It is the first time that we have with us in the TEAM Council a specialist, such as George Koumas. He knows how to do his job extremely well. He knows the business and the market, he knows how to manage and manage television rights. Companies like TEAM need to be competitive and only an expert like George Kouma can make it competitive. That is why we have a very good cooperation. I see what the KOP leadership did for your football and of course it is an advantage for TEAM to have one of your own people in the Council. He is one of the best in this job and his knowledge is valuable ".

Kumas: "It is a great experience":  Cyprus, our football and the KOP should feel very lucky that one of our people is a member of the TEAM Council. The vice president of the Federation, George Koumas, explains to "GoalNews" his cooperation with the company and presents his own views. "I have heard a lot about TEAM in the past, but now that I am a member of the Board of Directors, I consider that it works very professionally and this can be seen from the numbers and the cooperation it has with UEFA and the clubs. They know their job very well, they explore all the markets, even here in Cyprus or Malta, in Spain and Germany. "For them there is no difference, they go there, they know the people, they research the market and they return to UEFA with the best results", stated initially.

He added about the importance of his presence in TEAM for Cyprus: "It is a great experience for me to work with TEAM. The way they work, the way they think. This year in Cyprus the television rights are close to 16.000.000 euros. However, the budget of most clubs in our football is 75% of the television. The amount is high for Cyprus, but so is market demand and competition. The clubs make big investments and my disagreement is that they only invest in transfers. Not for their growth, their stadiums or their lighting. This is something we as the CFP need to focus on. This money must be invested in something that will remain. So my view is that the amount is right, but the money that goes to the unions must be used properly. "

Source: goal.com.cy