0. INTRODUCTION
The multinational firms, to which was always allotted, wrongly
or rightly, the capacity to prolong the exploitation of their activities
abroad, are not any more, unfortunately, the only economic actors with
affectionner the epithet of international. In other words, they are not any
more the only ones with being able to draw advantage from widening of the
markets, nor to butt itself with the obstacles, always so inherent in
universalization. Machine of collusion and centering of the interests between
several actors, universalization, like points out it the economist Nigerian,
OKIGBO P. (1999, pp. 101-102), is obviously, a process which plunges its roots
in the oldest times. One should not regret to quarter the conquests of
César, through his many combat, at the same time glorious and sometimes
terns, in research what the world would bring closer, to start with European
space. César thus traced the stakes of what the economists of the
néo-liberal school were going to exploit and conclude, namely,
universalization. The sport, especially, «the professional sport does not
escape the movement from globalisation and universalization which touches the
economic world », BAYLE Emmanuel and DURAND Christophe (2000, p.154)
write. Much more, Jean Jacques GOUGUET (2000, p.5) informs, even if
« the sports activity acquired long date an international dimension
(the Olympic Games for example), but the new forms of universalization are
spirit to radically upset the methods of organization of the sporting
spectacle », especially the marriage multinational
sport-companies.
In fact, the relations between the multinational firms and the
sport, often discrete, but always present, are not only old. BOROUGH and
GOUGUET (2000), speak about one « interaction enters of the
multinational firms, a side, and the sporting movement, other ». They
were also tightened of more beautiful, lately, at the point to transform the
universe of spectacle into a world of businesses, quite as prosperous as
profitable. To qualify this effort of conversion of the spectacle into
business, the expression «metamorphosis » is not
exaggerated at all.
It is true that certain multinational corporations were made a
name in the manufacture and the marketing of the sporting equipment, and this,
through planet : ADIDAS, NIKE, REEBOOK, to quote only they, for those
which passes had known to exploit since, and in time, the ring of weddings,
still virgin, between sport and business.
Currently, at the sides of this category, several others try
out and consolidate their opening in the commercial universe. Because, this
last ended up haunting, without much effort of resistance of their share, the
clubs and federations sporting, and to be right of them, following the example
irresistible gravity, pitiless opposite any object on the surface. How not to
pay attention to this evolution, when, as ANDREFF Wladimir (2000) indicates it,
«quotation of the clubs out of purse, transformation of the legal
structures of the professional clubs into trade undertakings, opening of the
capital of the clubs to the operators external with the sport, diversification
of the products of the clubs (merchandizing) and privatization of the financing
of the clubs » are very used by the sporting mediums !
The sport, thus, ceased being the exclusive eraser, which it
was since then, of the ludic and spectacular thirst for the athletes on the one
hand, and of the spectators on the other hand. While waiting to find a cause
with this reversal, one thinks already that the entry of private in the
sporting movement and the financial revenues that it would be able to generate
are not foreign with the metamorphosis of football spectacle in football
business. BAYLE and DURAND (Ibidem), above mentioned, increase
that «this tendency to the privatization of the professional sport,
that it is accompanied by a formal takeover or a pressure such that it confers
on the operator external a very broad control of the system, constitutes an
element of the organization and financing of the professional
sport ».
It is thus, to the point, which analyzing the phenomenon
lucidly, BOROUGH (1998) draft that « the sport became the object
of considerable financial stakes binding four major actors to an international
level : sponsors, diffusers, manufacturers, agencies of
marketing ».
The years '80 of last century are decisive in the way in which
the sport, in general and football, in particular will behave. Football, will
continue to lean on its principles, while being cleared, at the same time, the
lucrative way, hardly, him ascribable.
But, speech of the sport is a subject, certainly, attractive,
only which are likely to appear too broad and too vagueness in end of the
accounts. There is a whole arsenal of sporting disciplines, for which it will
be necessary for long, to devote the many ones and rich studies. However,
within the framework of this analysis, we limit ourselves to football, the
strategies of its internationalization and so that this one could be capable to
bring to the development developing countries of Africa, them which seem to
constitute one of the most snuffed routes operations of internationalization of
the sport under examination. Some reasons chair this choice thus.
First of all, football remains one of the most popular sports
and most spectacular in the world. Then, even in countries where its
significance was reduced to the simple spectacle of the districts less attended
by certain social classes, in the United States for example, it acquires width
more and more. The course of the final phase of the world 1994 out of American
ground is only one of the eloquent signs.
Lastly, the infiltration of the private mediums of businesses
impregnates an at the same time social and économico-financial dimension
to him considerable. Its authorities take care daily of the expansion of its
practice, without too much revealing the financial aspect which sticks to him
certainly and obviously with the skin. The choice of Japan and South Korea, to
which could join the North Korea would be a step towards « ground
promised businesses of the 21st century », namely, popular
China.
The proof is given by the hyper-mediatization of which it is
the object and the detailed attention which is given to him on behalf of the
authorities as well as on behalf of the populations. Indeed, the least possible
report which can still strike made state of than since the years '80, football
became a socio-economic and financial phenomenon indisputable, to which studies
are devoted more and more. This tendency towards an industrial research to
football is however not yet proportional to the media promotion from which it
profits.
Television, for example, draws each day contours of its
idylles with the sport, and football in particular. Captivating the breath of
the televiewers, increasingly many, it évertue with length of the days,
to drive out, then to deliver to the public, on hours of massive audience,
images and subjects of current events of football : results of the
national championships, the matches of the leagues, the matches of
qualification for international competitions, the movement of the transfers of
the players and the chronicle of their amounts, the hooliganism and also the
doping of some.
At first sight, the specialization on the matter of certain
private chains of television left indifferent even impassioned football,
without in light the vast trade appearing which proceeded there. Going back to
several years in the United States, this trade had succeeded in proving its
prowesses. QUIRK J. and STRONG R.D, which quote Bayle and Durand (2000, p. 152)
also showed that «the slip of the historical property of
associations (sporting) worms of the private operators is a perceptible
tendency in Europe which has, contrary, always preceded in the United States
«.
Today, the passion which endiablait the fans of football
formerly overflowed this more and more narrowed and caricatural context, for
pavoiser and to reach the policies, the financial ones and the industrialists
of this world.
Admittedly, the sport forms integral part of the company, even
if its evolution of these last years gives the impression to remove its social
role to him, to recognize of it to him only that of economic policy and
financial.
In more than one way, it is acquired, as ILLKA Vuori write it
et al., (1995, p. 15), that « the sport can be directly a factor of
social wellbeing by getting leisures, by improving the physical form and by
supporting insertion of the individuals in the company and their maintenance in
good health. In addition, the economic dash that the sport brings contributes
to consumption, the income, employment and the development economic local,
regional ", why not continental ! That being, fear that the infestation of
the medium of the businesses in the sport, without possibility of saving the
ethical face «does not result in a loss of the sovereignty of the sporting
capacity » (Borough and Gouguet, 2000), does not seem less
alarming.
If the transformations of football delight as far as they
worry about other continents, like Europe, less should be isolated for they
analyzes in the African context. This continent has such a delay of development
of its inhabitants whom it has, with respect to the generations to come, a true
challenge to be launched. (KAMANDA wa KAMADA, 1976). Football, one of the banal
elements, could, without really having row of panacea, contributing to its
manner with the raising of this challenge, because, otherwise would amount
wondering with Axelle KABOU (1991) «if Africa refused the
development », would be only on this aspect. Even if, elsewhere, the
efforts to be undertaken are enormous, development of great economic projects,
with the proof that Africa does not cease giving on its performances, as
regards football, it is necessary to believe, truly, with a dimension of
«the anti-drift of Africa in distress » (NDESHYIO Oswald et al.,
1985).
The subject thus interests the developing countries,
especially those of Africa which abound in thousands and thousands of young
people, without work but kneaded talent in the football, which, of the
remainder, could only, to offer to them the prospects for a dignity and a life
full with direction and vitality.
In fact, speaking about Africa, Mr. KOFFI Annan (1998, p. 26)
noted that although « all the countries belong from now on to an
international commercial system ... a number of them are badly integrated
there and others remain too vulnerable vis-a-vis its instability. In Africa,
the maintenance of a sustained high growth in the long run will depend to a
large extent on the capacity which their exports will have the countries to
diversify ». As football, like all the sports, can be entered and to
be the subject of calculation in the trade balance of the States, it deserves
all the attention of the political and economic leaders to channel it, as all
the economic activity which results from it, towards this diversification.
« Africa with is crossroads, observed Alassane
OUATTARA (1999, p. 2), but it must be integrated fully into the universal
village which... it became our planet must also redouble efforts to accelerate
the growth by stimulating the investment deprived by a larger opening of the
markets and trade ».
The private investment presents, in Africa, a discussed
assessment. To crescendo begin with the reduction flows at one time reserved to
him, particularly « the low level of flows of the direct foreign
investments towards Africa » (UNCTAD, 1998, p. 11). It has, in the
sectors tanker and mining, often considered as source of the civil conflicts
and impoverishment of the local populations. The charges by the movement for
the survival of the people Ogoni (MOSOP) against Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria
or those formulated by the populations of the Democratic Republic of Congo and
the Republic of Congo, respectively against Rafter-GULF-oil company, Elf and
the American multinationals are kind to attest the meaning. The Democratic
Republic of Congo undergoes an atrocious war which returns it simply victim of
its mining richnesses.
It is not obvious to however conclude thus with the private
investment, already possible and perceptible in the world of football. It is
one of the rare fields where the Africans do not see themselves closing the way
from abroad as workers. Football runs a little the counter to what
« the developed countries often closed their markets with the
competitive African products. » (KOFFI Annan, 1998, p. 26).
Since our study would like to fit in the right wire of the
optimistic arguments, it proves to be relevant to wonder whether that does not
appear illusory, as long as the macro-economic indicators especially at the era
of the globalisation, in particular on the African continent are not the good
one forecasts : « 85% of the world trade are done in the
triad : European union, the United States and Japan. The share of Africa
east in lower part from the 4% and forever be also low. » (Isabelle
PLUVINAGE, 1999, p. 9). It is much more amusing to see the things differently.
0.1. METHODOLOGY.
Social sciences do not have methods which are obligatory, if
one wanted to carry out such or such other study. « The working
method will never arise as a simple addition of techniques which it would be a
question of applying just as they are but well like a total step of the spirit
which requires to be reinvented for each work. » Thus, in the field
of research in social sciences, « the devices of investigation
vary considerably from one research to another ». (QUIVY Raymond and
CAMPENHOUDT Luc Van, 1988, pp. 3-5). That being, it goes without saying that
ours, presents, falls under the diagram of the analytical reasoning of a new
phenomenon, namely economic internationalization of football business. We will
endeavor to describe the fact and to compare it with the step multinational
corporations.
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