The Club: How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports

The Club is the inside story of how English soccer's Premier League became the wildest, richest, most popular sports product on the planet, "a narrative that is part Great Expectations, part Game of Thrones, in equal measure." (Roger Bennett, NBC Sports, Men in Blazers) This is a sports and business tale of how money, ambition, and twenty-five years of drama remade an ancient institution into a twenty-first-century entertainment empire. No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaire owners and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly two hundred countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul. Deeply researched and drawing on one hundred exclusive interviews, including the key decision makers at every major English team, The Club is the definitive soccer history and wildly entertaining narrative of how the Premier League took over the world. This is a story of boom and bust--except, in football, the bubble never burst. The Breakaway League: Discover the secret meetings and backroom deals that severed a century-old institution and created a sporting empire built on ambition, drama, and money. A Financial Gold Rush: Follow the money as Russian oligarchs, American tycoons, and Emirati sheikhs poured billions into ancient clubs, changing the game and its English soul forever. The Battle for Television Rights: Get the inside story of the high-stakes bidding wars that turned English soccer into the planet's most popular, and wildest, entertainment product. Exclusive Interviews: Based on one hundred exclusive interviews with the key decision-makers, from Rupert Murdoch to the owners and executives at England's biggest teams.