«A company can have commercial representations abroad,
but it will be really multinational only if it produces whole or part of its
products outside its own territory... the logic of the production, insists
MUCCHIELLI, dominates. » (1998, p. 18). Admittedly, our effort will
have consisted in establishing parallelism in the strategy of
internationalization between the clubs of football and the multinational
corporations. The concept ambiguity of production is not likely to facilitate
the comparison.
Nevertheless, we think that the recruitment of the young
players, like aim had by Paris Saint-Germain, approaches an activity of
production, of which it would be, mutatis-mutandis, the corresponding elixir.
Because, ultimately, which account here is more the finality of recruitment
than recruitment itself. By this process, Paris hoped to improve its success
what results in the expression « prepare the future » that
reports the PSG News-, its results in various competitions and of course, its
finances.
But, the choice of Africa is not a mere chance.
If « players with weak remunerations coming from
Africa » (Késenne S., 2000, p. 97), because of their talent,
appreciated well and are sought by the European clubs, how much stronger reason
on the spot they in Africa would cost, so that the clubs do not want to make of
it the hinged plate of their economy of scale ! UDRY (1998) answers that
« these young players buy for one anything ». And
MUCCHIELLI (1998, p. 135) calls this strategy « the research of
lower cost », for which a firm also can multinationaliser.
The strategy and the logic of production, at the base of the
activity of the PSG in Burkina Faso, are detailed by NYS J.F (1999, 30):
« The vast exodus of the sportsmen of the developing countries
concerns currently more than 700 Brazilian players, and the clubs refine their
strategies of recruitment by organizing true networks. In this respect, let us
quote the project of the PSG to open a center of formation in Burkina Faso.
This center would see becoming about 6.000 young 14 year old players, resulting
from all the countries bordering on Burkina Faso. Only the best would emerge
and go to Tunis ; they would be involved in the center of formation of the
Hope of Tunis and would go then to Geneva, where the PSG signed a convention
with Servette. Lastly, both or three players likely to evolve/move in the team
first of the PSG would be found in Paris ». Questioned quite front on
this project of investment, Roy Claude (1997), then directing sportsman of the
club, began again that «we discovered extraordinary people, much of young
players come from all the African continent and a particularly gifted
attacker ».
It should be added that the French club had conceived
to reach several cooperation agreements with clubs of football of the countries
as well developed as under development. Such is the case of the agreement of
partnership which it planned to sign with the Hope of Tunis «in order
to exchange technical experts and to locate the best African or even Asian
players » (PSG News of January 05, 1998) which défraient the
chronicle of the Tunisian sport more and more, in phase of professionalism
(HTTP/www.ftf.org.tn/non_amateurs.htm).
In fact, the strategy of the PSG would be liked planetary or
total. Thus in addition to the cooperation agreement with the Swiss club of
Servette, the French club had in its pocket the project to conquer Brazil,
where Ray, his former member, would be used to him as commissioned agent, but
also China (PSG News of January 05, 1998). All these agreements with sporting
goal are recut with the strategies which the multinational corporations
concoctent and implement in order to be internationalized. Indeed, as MARTINEZ
(1996, p. 71) recognizes it « in this process complexes, but
increasingly obvious, the universalization of the international economy
generated all the others : that of technology, the means of communication,
the culture » and why not that of the sports !
Schematically, one can consider Paris Saint-Germain as the
firm team related to formation and manufacturing units located a little
everywhere in the world, either by cooperation agreements (strategic alliance,
case of the agreement with Espérance of Tunis, conceived with an only
aim of exchanging technical experts and of locating better African and Asian
players), or by a kind of greenfield investment, i.e., the creation abroad of a
had manufacturing unit with 100% by the head office (case of the International
center Planet Champions, PC I).
But of recent information in our possession inform that Paris
Saint-Germain would have sold the International center of formation Planet
Champions in private Burkinabés and foreigners. In spite of that,
Planet, which does not declare less association with humane vocation, in this
acknowledged direction that it frames the désoeuvrés children,
but talented, continuous to play the same function, that to train the young
players come from a little everywhere from Africa.
It contacts managers of the prestigious clubs of Europe and
proposes the best sportsmen on sale to them. The Planet Champions defectors are
numerous, each season, to press the Parisian ground or other towns of France
and rest of Europe, to make tests, which very often prove to be conclusive. The
allowances of sale are copious and do not return all in the pockets of the
families of the players concerned. Therefore, the role of a manufacturing unit
of this center is well maintained, in spite of the fact that it does not depend
any more of Paris Saint-Germain, his initiator and creator. Certain clubs of
France, for example do not avoid any more combining their effort of recruitment
of new players with Planet Champions. Such is the case of Saint-Etienne.
Paris-Saint-Germain
PCI
Espérance deTunis
Servette
The experiment tried by Paris Saint-Germain could be followed.
But that of Ajax of Amsterdam appears to be an alternative for it, with the
clear characteristics of a direct foreign investment. It is what we will
show.
