TRADING FOR FOREIGN FOOTBALL PLAYERS, A MODEL IN THAILAND

Abstract

This research employed qualitative methods to study a general pattern of buying and selling foreign football players in Thailand. Data were collected from in-depth interviews and the meeting of the group of eminent persons. The purpose of the research are to (i) examine problems associated with trading football players who make the move to Thailand, (ii) investigate the patterns of trading overseas football players, and (iii) suggest the way in which buying and selling can occur and the use of trading patterns in an efficient manner, with the aim of discovering suitable patterns in the context of Thailand. This research dealt with sample groups that consisted of representatives from eighteen (18) Thai League 1 (T1) football clubs and those concerned with trading foreign football players in different functions/ departments totaling thirty (30) participants including club presidents, team managers, coaches, sports lawyers, the Thai football media and football agents. The research tool used was in-depth interviewing questions based on sets of theories and concepts of buying and selling football player both domestically and internationally. Eminent experts reviewed all the interview questions prior to coming into use. After the findings from interviewing expert groups were obtained, such findings were further analyzed to form a set of interviewing questions indicating major and supporting issues on the process of trading football players in Thailand. Thereafter, five (5) eminent individuals would be invited to examine and amend the form of questions. The interviewing form would then be further developed through an expert panel meeting again in order to obtain the most complete interviewing form. The findings of this research suggested that trading foreign football players in Thailand involves six (6) steps/ stages, namely (i) foreign football players’ preparation prior to entering Thailand, (ii) Thai football clubs’ preparation before buying in football players, (iii) recruiting football players from foreign countries, (iv) decision-making concerning signing a foreign football player, (v) executing a written contract, and (vi) contract termination.