The Club by Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg

9.5 out of 10

For over a century leading to 1992, association football in England consisted of many teams roving several tiers. In said year, the top division incorporated into a new entity: The Premier League. Television deals became huge moneymakers for the EPL--and revenue no longer had to be shared with lower ragtag squads. Soon, a new wave of owners started buying clubs. It did not matter if it was a Russian oligarch, an Arab prince, an Asian tycoon, or an American stock trader.  Nearly anyone with deep pockets could join the competition. New stadiums were built. Expensive players were signed. Merchandise was sold all over the world. Oddly, efforts to stabilize the league's income have often been pushed aside by the six perennial powerhouse teams. Three decades in, there are hints of a familiar type of schism. 

Wonderful writing style by Brits who have reported for the Wall Street Journal in the US. It might help to know historic conversion rates between [$]Dollars, [£]Pounds, and [€]Euros. Alas, big money is big money. Convenient for a Yank, I did not need to know special vocabulary like "kit", "pitch", "clean sheet", "penalties", or "football".