Arsenal-Mania

Footballers are not too greedy - the game has simply become too rotten!

By Joël Che on Wednesday, July 2, 2008

There is a war going on in football. The main international bodies FIFA, UEFA and CAF are at war with each other. They are fighting over control of the game. The clubs are at war with the national and international organisations over control, regulations on players and expansion. The clubs are at war with each other on the pitch for trophies, off the pitch for players and international market share. The players are at war with clubs over movement rights and money. The agents are at war with clubs and everyone else over players' movement rights and money.

The battlefield is on the pitch, in the courts, in special interest ground like G16, in bitter election battles in associations and stock exchanges. The punches and blows are exchanged over the media. We haven't even mentioned the fans, big financiers, tycoons and oligarchs.

Football is not just a game. It is business, it is politics, it is power, it is a toy for some and one of the most powerful products in history. The problem is that with so many stakeholders, a clear vision for football has to be shared among all for all of these groups to function well together. Quite clearly, there is no shared vision so the war continues.

The power is divided between all those locked in battle but it is popular misconception that the players have the most power. Footballers in this war have almost the least power. They are certainly less powerful than the associations, the press, the clubs and even the agents.

It is tempting to think of the big players only but those are only a minority of footballers – as a group, even the biggest players – they are just tools in the game and commodities that get traded around with little or no control over their destiny. At 10 years of age or less, they get owned removed from school and play to the master. By 30 they get dumped out on the streets to figure out what to do with possibly 50 years of life with little or no skill to transfer jobs outside football. In those 20 years, they would have been traded about 5 times.

Let's take Freddie Ljungberg for example. He ran into every challenge, threw himself at a piece of leather going at 60kmh, exposed his balls to metal studs and broke his bones. He worked his body to the ground and has now retired from international football. He has nothing left – maybe 1 more year in league football. He leaves with all he earned during that time to last him 50 years, some great memories and a few medals.

Freddie loves football and has lived his dream but it came at a price – a price well worth paying for your dream. But if you look at it another way, how much did Arsenal, Halmstad, Sweden and West Ham earn from his toil? Should he have demanded a greater share of that? Is it greed if did?

Modern footballers are beginning to realise that loyalty is a one-way street in football. You are required to be loyal to your club but only if you are able. They will certainly not be loyal to you when you are not able. You will be auctioned off to the highest bidder and more often than not, you will not be able to decide where you go. I listened to the girlfriend of former Cameroon international, Lucien Mettemo. She said the same thing that Henning Berg's girlfriend said. She had been shipped out to a dozen cities over a few years with no control over where she lives or how long she will live there.

Modern footballers are also beginning to realise that the odds of winning it all (League, Cup, Euro / African Cup, World Cup) are pretty slim – even if you are a very good footballer. Cantona, Dennis Bergkamp, Ballack and I could go on have won only won League and Cup trophies. In fact, if you're not an Italian, French or Brazilian who has been playing for Real Madrid, Liverpool, Man Utd, Bayern, AC Milan, Porto or Barcelona over the past few years then you could not have got the range of trophies, no matter how good you are.

Players can see that even if you play for one of the top 8 clubs in Europe the chances of winning the Champions League in your career are not certain much less the World Cup. Essien and Ballack, etc. played for 2 great clubs that won domestic leagues and cups and played in the Champions League every year but it's quite possible that as great footballers as they are, they could will finish his careers with championship medals but no European or international medals.

Modern players can also see that David Beckham will have a good retirement fund not because he won everything, not because he was better than Dennis Bergkamp, Ballack or Cantona but because he exploited his stock to the maximum. Michael Owen, John Terry, Ashley Cole, etc. have all tried to do the same. Sometimes the club and the player can satisfy each other for very long like with Paul Scholes, Giggs, Bergkamp, Gilberto and even Henry. Many times they can't.

Cesc stays at Arsenal because he will get the chance to play, he still commands loyalty and good money and his chances of a trophy do not mathematically improve by moving to another top 8 club because Arsenal is already there and he is young.

Hleb may want to move because trophies and starting every game are becoming less important at 27 than gathering life experiences and building up the retirement fund. Wenger is in doubt about a good player like Arshavin who is 27 because he cannot play 2 games in 3 days. Why should Hleb think his chances of building his retirement fund will be improving rather than diminishing at Arsenal?

I still believe footballers want to win trophies but don't dismiss the urge to prepare yourself for the rest of your life. Think about yourself for a moment.

I have worked for 5 companies in the past 10 years. I made the biggest jumps in salary by moving jobs not by asking for a raise. I cannot bear the thought of the fact that someone else would have decided where I would go when I left one company to another and that I would have had no control over when I leave.

Football is screaming to the world that it is special case but yet where it suits them, they rejoice the fact that the EU ruled against Blatter's plan because it was against normal EU employment law – i.e. football is not a special case. Just for the record, I didn't have much time for that plan or for Blatter.

Ronaldo has won everything he can with a club. He's 23-years-old with plenty of football and life experiences ahead of him – why should he be forced to stay in one place? Would you? Why should he work in Spain and then decide to work in Italy for a while. I have worked in 3 countries for the experience of it.

A team sport as Wenger always says and quite rightly too, needs stability. You can't put a few guys together on Monday and expect to do well on Tuesday. The Bosman and Webster rulings go against stability and as Wenger, rightly again, has predicted, it looks like this might lead to the end of transfer fees.

The current situation is not good for the best expression of football. Teams need stability to function at their best. But we may never have this with football as long as there is the amount of money circulating in it. It is therefore urgent for us to get to the end game (maybe end of transfer fees and simply go for one season notice period) so that new solutions can then be found under those conditions. Maybe that is the best stability we will have. Many competitive businesses function with talent with the threat of 1 months' notice but they have found other ways to ensure loyalty.

I love my club and I hate players pretending in midseason that they will stay and then leave. I'm sure Wenger was not told straight by Flamini that he was going to leave and therefore we lost opportunities to get into the market early or keep Diarra. Vieira's flip-flopping also cost us Carrick and Essien. The current system is full of deceit, tapping up, sneaky deals, etc. We need to cut the crap.

I have thought about this and decided that clubs and money are far more to blame than players. Players are simply looking after themselves because nobody else does – not even their agents. By and large, players tend to do their best on the pitch. Flamini did not relax once even though he knew he was leaving by the end and I really respect that. It also shows that there are possibilities in a more flexible employment environment.

I will continue to be annoyed when players leave and I will continue to detest the sneaky ways they do it. I will continue to detest agents and other clubs tapping up and disrupting players but I will always try to understand the player for leaving even when they say daft things like Ljungberg did when he moved to West Ham: "I wanted to move to club with more ambition and I want to win trophies" (not verbatim).

Or when they say they wanted to win trophies by leaving a team that missed the trophy by 2 points or lost in the final – so you couldn't win it yourself and you decided to go to the guys who've won it so they can win it again for you?

User Comments

38

Yogesh

Posted on 7 Jul, 2008 at 10:17 PM - Reply

If i was Justin Hoyte and i was earning 780000 pounds an year for my rubbish play, i would be more than happy to sweat it our for 10 - 15 years, earn about 10 million pounds and live happily ever after...

its blatant rubbish that a player needs to transfer because he is getting 55000 pounds a week instead of 60000 pounds a week which in turn puts his retirement in jeopardy... 55000 thousand pounds a week translates to almost 3 million... if my lifespan in football is 10 years and my average salary is 40000 pounds a week over those years i will earn 20 million pounds... and that is enough for a average guy for 5 lifetimes...

37

soldier boy

Posted on 6 Jul, 2008 at 12:43 PM - Reply

Footballers are over paid end off.i play saturday and sunday league football and havent earned a penny so for someone to sit there and say stuff like this is noncence.

36

Peter

Posted on 6 Jul, 2008 at 10:05 AM - Reply

This is a bit of masterpiece of an article. It deserves wide dissemination. Well done Joel!

35

kl gooners

Posted on 5 Jul, 2008 at 05:52 PM - Reply

i need 4 years to get this 35000 pound :(

34

Bertie Mee

Posted on 4 Jul, 2008 at 01:56 PM - Reply

Premiership players can be paid in 1 week more than the annual salary of a person on average earning.
They should be able to accrue a substantial retirement fund from this, the average joe will need to work at least 40 years. Players can already hand in their notice by requesting a transfer. But are not prepared to do this because they will lose the 5% from the transfer fee. As for preparing for retirement in their 30's, they get plenty of free time in which to study and train for a new career.

33

Bertie Mee

Posted on 4 Jul, 2008 at 01:55 PM - Reply

Premiership players can be paid in 1 week more than the annual salary of a person on average earning.
They should be able to accrue a substantial retirement fund from this, the average joe will need to work at least 40 years. Players can already hand in their notice by requesting a transfer. But are not prepared to do this because they will lose the 5% from the transfer fee. As for preparing for retirement in their 30's, they get plenty of free time in which to study and train for a new career.

32

mallam

Posted on 4 Jul, 2008 at 01:15 PM - Reply

well said. i agree completely

31

don

Posted on 4 Jul, 2008 at 10:10 AM - Reply

Some interesting points. Forgive my ignorance but I still don't see how scrapping transfer fees will solve the problem. Surely players just then be given 'brown paper bag' payments as an inducement for moving from one club to the other?

My view is simple. Contracts MUST be honored. Alongised which, each player is allowed to give a 12 month notice period (to coincide with the beginning of his final year of his contract) to his club before moving to another club.

30

TY Chuah

Posted on 4 Jul, 2008 at 10:05 AM - Reply

first of all, kudos for your lengthy but most certainly compelling and thoughtful article. i do agree and i like the fact it urges people, especially fans like the rest of us to think and know that most times we sit and view from top-down of a game(end product at that). Most of us lack the compassion and empathy of a day-to-day footballer situation, earning their money and life. Each having and trying to do what they believe in and sometimes comprimising certain ideals too...

29

gt

Posted on 4 Jul, 2008 at 05:54 AM - Reply

Nice article, and I agree with what you say. For most players, football is just an occupation. Loyalty to a club is just a fantasy falsely applied to them by the fans. So I don't blame them for demanding a transfer if the time and salary is right. I would have done the same if I were in such situations. How many of us stay in the same firm for the entire career anyways?

28

Babatunde

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 10:29 PM - Reply

Nice article, the problem of modern day football summarised in not so many lines.

27

delboy

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 10:13 PM - Reply

can anyone tell me, what is the story with the Nasri signing or What????????????????

26

gooner10

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 04:06 PM - Reply

very insightful. i agree with the players looking out for themselves and their job having a short shelf life. i would do the same to be honest. such is the sad state of football nowadays...

25

aliyu

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 02:58 PM - Reply

Well said Prof! and it got worse when the like of Abrahomovich bought their way in football.It simply killed the beauty of the game and it is getting worse every year.

24

Aabbs 7

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 10:42 AM - Reply

I think what you say is true up to a point, at the ends of the day, very few clubs show loyalty to former players, they have to make the best of the short careers that they have, but surely money cannot be everything for a player.
What about actually enjoying the football being played. When Ashley Cole left Arsenal for Chelsea, ok he got his pay rise, but no one can deny his football has suffered, Mourinho doesnt like his full backs bombing forward, whereas Wenger encourages them to bomb forward, Arsenals style of play suited Ashely Cole down to the ground, but he chose Chelsea simply because of the money, and the belief they were going to win more stuff, I'd really like to know, is he happy?? I doubt it, moneys not everything.

23

mnicholls

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 10:13 AM - Reply

Poor old footballers eh , just trying to build for the future, why dont they consider getting something like a job after football rather than retiring.

22

Kelly Black

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 09:47 AM - Reply

Very good piece.Well done!

21

Soibam.Homer

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 06:32 AM - Reply

This is by far one of the best articles i have read in Arsenal-Mania.I have been regularly following this blog and have gotten Tired of reading about the speculations regarding players leaving or coming to Arsenal, About players wanting to leave or agents conveying their player`s future plans etc.

Thanks Joël Che for giving an insight on what is going on inside of the footballing world. And letting us see regarding player`s transfer from a whole different perspective.Now i don`t feel that bad with players leaving the club, u have justified it in certain ways.
Would love to see more of such articles

20

Prashant Kasbe

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 04:55 AM - Reply

Very well said Joel..
Its like few Arsenal fans where not supporting Arsenal when Henry left they thought this team will not even qualify for CL and now the same bunch of guys are praising AW for his work.

19

Prashant Kasbe

Posted on 3 Jul, 2008 at 04:54 AM - Reply

Very well said Joel..
Its like few Arsenal fans where not supporting Arsenal when Henry left they thought this team will not even qualify for CL and now the same bunch of guys are praising AW for his work.

18

kevin

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 11:44 PM - Reply

100 percent agreed

17

Alfi

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 09:45 PM - Reply

As we say in Norway. You hit the nail with this article.

16

Seun

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 06:57 PM - Reply

Awesome article again Che. Well done brother

15

Najam

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 06:17 PM - Reply

Great article. Sums up pretty much everything thats happening in football.

14

Xiao

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 06:03 PM - Reply

Thank you for this article. I think sometimes we don't exactly see footballers as people with their own lives.

I live in the US, and when my college (american) football team's star player decided to quit because he lost love for the game, I was so disappointed and angry, although the thought never came to me as to feel sorry or glad that he stopped doing something that wasn't bringing him joy anymore.

13

Brooke

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 05:30 PM - Reply

OMG

Well said, a well informed and more to the point - very fair article.

Somebody give this boy a raise before he goes to Barcelona :)

12

Ben

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 05:09 PM - Reply

Excellent analysis JC. Our club has got to realize that times have changed. We can not be exploiting 'child labor' and be winning trophies at the same time. When these children graduate, we pay them a wage far below their market value. Take Ade for instance. Arsenal is valuing him at 45m euros and wanting to pay him 45,000 when elsewhere he could get double!! The club makes a lot of money out of these players, why can't they pay a competitive salary? Wenger himself is earning lots of money comparable to the other top managers, why can't players like ade be paid highly when their stocks rise? Arsenal has got to wake up and match other big clubs. Depending on Wenger's shrewd dealings in the transfer market is not sustainable. We need to respond to the market forces or else we shall forever be graduating players for the other top clubs. Manu won using a mixture old and young players. For us we discard our elderly players and rely on promising talent only..the case in point, the invisibles. Just see how Scholes and Gilberto are treated by their respective clubs! Gilberto feels unwanted and may soon look elsewhere. Henry, a legend left because the club 'lacks ambition'. Football has changed and so should Arsenal, otherwise we will soon become an academy among the elite.

11

Harith

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 03:55 PM - Reply

You're absolutely right. There is something wrong inherently with the system. Half of the people in there are greedy for money. Most of them trying to cash in on every single opportunity that comes in their way. Football isn't what it used to be anymore. Especially with all the media hype for the players and clubs. I think FIFA should bring in a salary cap for players. Also on the transfer fee paid for the players. Clubs shouldn't be allowed to buy anymore players until they clear all their loans or if their loan amount gets beyond a certain limit. Stringent rules on the flow of money would probably bring back the beautiful game :)

10

Kyle

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 03:48 PM - Reply

Best Article Ever!

9

Ade Yusuf

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 03:06 PM - Reply

What a well researched article.This piece is so in-depth that it is bound to change a lot of perceptions about players leaving.Like you said a team needs stability to excel and in essence a balance needs to be found between team stability and players desire to move at the slightest hint of a pay rise.

8

gaz

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 02:44 PM - Reply

good article keep up the good work & i hope governing bodies & the rest of the world thinks like JOEL CHE!

7

matt

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 02:37 PM - Reply

I see your point in a way but I earn a salary of 30,000 a year and feel I work very hard for that money. If a premiership player earns 35,000 a week that means they earn the same I do in a year in one week, put it another way I would have to work for 52 years to get the same money as they get in a year. So what your saying is that they should behave like a spoilt child trying to get a move to another club/ pay rise because they have to worry that when they retire they will not be able to get another job. Have they never heard of pension funds or savings.
I have no sympathy for them they are all mercernaries. Everybody talks about how loyal Giggs and Scholes are they are both being paid over 70,000 a week why would they need to move

6

Jason

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 02:32 PM - Reply

Great article SPOT ON MATE

5

jibola

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 02:00 PM - Reply

joel,you are right,money is the king of the game,coinsidering the likes of cashley cole and mattheiu flamoney,one begins to wonder if they are playing for money or because of the passion...... the norm can't stop again because the coming generation now sees vthe pay more important than the play.am not surprised when players like very poor ADebayor is demanding for a pay rise!

4

Danish Gooner

Posted on 2 Jul, 2008 at 01:57 PM - Reply

Milan,the team who used to spend,spend,spend are now trying to hackle over the prize of Ade.They are so hypocritical saying things like we cant afford Ade even though they print their own money.For years they have paid billions of pounds in transfer fees for players good and bad and now they want to hackle.Let them pay the price !!!!!!