Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. They’re the so-called Big Three of the Premier League. Then there are the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan and Bayern Munich on a more European scale. Let’s not waste time trying to name every "big" club in the world, because I hope you will slowly see what I’m ranting on about.

So, the burning question I pose to all readers is what does it take for a club to become big? Notice I have not referred to the Big Four in England, because Chelsea only became the fourth entry when a certain Russian billionaire intervened. Remember when Chelsea were in huge debt and had to sell off their best players? Only when Jose Mourinho took over the reins did they really become a force to be reckoned with. They were never going to be able to do that with Claudio Ranieri as manager.

What happens then to the smaller clubs? Is the football world a capitalist market where the big teams get richer and the lesser teams get poorer? What about the mid-table teams? Will they always stay there and never improve or get relegated? How does a club break into the G14 elite of Europe?

‘Is the football world a capitalist market where the big teams get richer and the lesser teams get poorer? What about the mid-table teams? Will they always stay there and never improve or get relegated?’


Granted, the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers have shown this season that they are contenders for European spots, yet will they ever reach a stage when they can be considered seriously as genuine title contenders again?

Chelsea literally struck gold when Roman Abramovich decided to rescue them from the pits of debt and were able to attract high-calibre players and a top coach to turn them into a big team. Without a Russian bank full of money, would it be possible for a club to slowly climb up the ladder or is this merely chasing a lost cause?

Leeds are the perfect example of a potentially big team faltering because their cash flow could not match their ambitions. How about Fiorentina who once had the likes of Gabriel Batistuta and Rui Costa? They went through bankruptcy and later their infamous scandal. Don’t forget Blackburn are the only team to have won the title outside the Big Three/Four, yet today the most they can hope for is probably a UEFA Cup spot.

Thus, from all this, I have concluded that there are only certain ways for a club to reach this elusive “big” status:

1. Have a rich billionaire buy your club – Worked well for Chelsea. They are now a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League and in Europe, even after the departure of Mourinho.

2. Hire a Jose Mourinho – More important than buying a big-name player is hiring a big-name manager. The club automatically receive more attention and suddenly become a contender. Big-name players just don’t cut it. But would the status of a Bolton suddenly be transformed if Mourinho decided to take over tomorrow? I think so!
3. Spend £50million on Ronaldinho – Instant fame! Guaranteed!

I guess it is inevitable that money will make the world of football go round, separating the haves from the have-nots, the big hitters from the small fry. Fans have lost a substantial amount of power when it comes to club decisions nowadays. Perhaps one day, in our lifetime, we will see a Blackburn or a Sevilla defy the odds and become a “big” club.