#2 Richard Scudamore
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Richard Scudamore is the man who, since his arrival, has kept the business of the Premier League running like a well-oiled machine. He was appointed as CEO in 1999 and has been heavily involved in all the major regulatory changes that have affected the League since then.
A lifetime Bristol City fan and a qualified level 5 referee, Scudamore has spent a vast majority of his career revolutionising the Premier League.
Following the controversy over third-party ownership of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, the Premier League, headed by Scudamore launched an independent investigation that resulted in the ban of third-party ownership of players. FIFA took their queue from the Premier League and banned it for all its members. Scudamore also advocated for clubs to maintain financial sustainability while doing business.
He wanted clubs to operate within their financial means for the long term and introduced stricter financial regulations in 2013. When the British Parliament questioned the foreign ownership of clubs, Scudamore defended their right to do so saying they bought into the English football culture, not the other way round.
Most importantly, Scudamore expanded the Premier League’s reach far beyond anyone’s imagination. He is singlehandedly responsible for the Premier League’s overwhelming presence across the globe, especially India.
The deals he has negotiated for domestic and international broadcast right for 2016-19 is worth £8.3 billion pounds. This figure has only increased with time and Scudamore stands to receive a £6 million bonus for his work.
