IGU Regional Conference, Kraków, Poland
18-22 August 2014
IGU 2014 Book of Abstracts
IGU2014 – 1077
Football player transfers as an example of economic migration
Trzepacz P.
Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Institute of Geography and Spatial Management
Migrations are a phenomenon investigated by geographers on diverse spatial scales but also in the
context of socio-economic preconditions present at the time. Transfers of footballers, while often
very publicized by media, also share a set of characteristics proper for economically driven cross
border migrations. It is possible to find similarities between economic migrations and such transfers:
a) Just as it is the case with cross border migrations, shaped by visa regulations or immigration
laws in a given country, football transfers are subject to limitations in respect to the number
of footballers allowed to play in a given national league,
b) Much like directions of migrations into other countries are largely dependent on the level of
socio-economic development of a given country or a region, in case of transfers football
players strive to play in leagues at the top of charts and which offer highest contracts to
players,
c) Just like outgoing migrations carry with themselves negative trends such as brain drain, in
case of football player transfers are synonymous with „leg drain”, which weakens the league
of a nation loosing such players.
The discussion regarding organization of football championships on both league and international
level is ever more frequently characterized by calls to introduce significant limitations, after a growth
of gap between strongest leagues (migration boosted: German, French, Spanish, Italian, English) and
weakest ones (migration drained: Central & Eastern European, African leagues) became too obvious
to ignore. Doubts are raised especially by the quick pace in which citizenship is awarded to foreignborn players just so that they can be put into the first line of a team. Practices like that are criticized
by FIFA. The main aim of this study is to indicate spatial aspects of football players’ foreign transfers.
In order to achieve this aim the following research questions were adopted:
a) What are the factors determining internationalization of football matches in individual
national leagues under the FIFA umbrella?
b) Are dominating vectors of football player transfers in line with migrations to foreign
countries which reflect traditional and contemporary socio-economic catchments?
The research was conducted based on information regarding player contracts in all leagues under
FIFA in 2011 and 2014. Detailed research for the period of 1974- 2014 was conducted in respect to
Poles contracted by foreign leagues across the world and for the period of 2001 – 2014 in respect to
foreign players contracted in Poland by 2 top leagues (Extra class and the First League).