Where is the soul of football?
Written by Joel Che on Sunday, July 13, 2008
The biggest football tournament in the world starts today while the football world focuses on money and speculation.
The Gothia Cup is the biggest tournament in football in terms of participation and reach. Last year 59 countries sent 1551 teams with 33346 players (boys and girls between 11 to 19) to play 4320 games and scored 16136 goals over 7 days. But Sky Sports are not here. They are out looking for Ronaldo.
There are hardly any great players that have not played at the Gothia Cup that has taken place in Gothenburg since 1975. Among some of the winners are Alan Shearer, Andreas Pirlo, Ze Roberto, Julio Baptista, Xavi Alonso, Emmanuel Adebayor, etc.
However, the vast majority of Gothia Cup participants never go on to play professional football. These are kids who love the game and share the fun, comaraderie and beauty of football. Whenever I watch the Gothia Cup, I always remember Francesc Fabregas talking about the joy of playing like kids.
Many of these kids love the game so much that they will never play in the modern competitive context where they will be forced to be extremely practical. Some love the game so much that they will acquire that discipline. But both should be celebrated because they are part of the joy of football – especially important now that the joy of playing the game is being replaced by the financial or egotistic demands of winning at all costs.
The Gothia Cup is 33-years-old and still maintains its fun, diversity (girls are included and almost 70 countries take part yearly) and joy of the game. Neither FIFA nor huge football clubs are involved so that might explain it.
Talking about FIFA, Mr Blatter made a good point about allowing Ronaldo to play where he wants to play. That makes sense and it pains me to accept the Blatter can make sense. The same should go for Adebayor, Hleb or whoever wants to move. But of course Blatter ruined his point by referring to players as modern day slaves due to their long contracts. It wouldn't be Blatter if he hadn't.
The current football contracts are not slave contracts. It is important to understand that modern football contracts have nothing to do with tying players down for the duration. Pele has now advised Ronaldo to "honour his contract". The term "honour your contract" in terms of staying the duration is silly in a football context because that's not really what football contracts are there for.
Bacary Sagna demonstrates the point when asked if his new contract means he will stay at Emirates for the long-term: "Not necessarily. In fact, it doesn't mean anything. The proof is that most of the players leave even when they are under contract. The important thing is most of all to perform well."
Good for Arsenal that Sagna knows the important thing – perform well.
Football contract are there as a means of increasing a players wages and securing the value of player as an asset. For example, a club signs 21-year-old player X on a 4-year contract in 2006 for £5 million paying him £20,000 a week. He plays so fantastically well in his first season that his market value increases to about £9 million. His market value is influenced by his ability, the fact that he has 3-years on his contract and his age. The player knows his worth more and the club want to pay him more as a reward for his performance.
Instead of simply giving him a pay rise, the club draft a new contract where he earns £40,000 a week and extends for another 3 years. The player signs the contract in order to earn more and the club now have the rights to this 22-year-old until he is 28-years-old. His market value is then higher because anybody who wants him cannot wait for the contract to run out so they have to buy it off his current club. The player's market value increases because the club have all rights to the player after the new contract to say £12 million.
Clubs don't give players pay raises without tying them longer. If a player doesn't want to extend his commitment period then he has to forego a higher salary for the rest of his contract. The player either has to make a decision to see off the rest of his contract at lower pay and lose that money or give the rights to himself to the club.
Ronaldo extended to get more money but it also gave Man Utd a better chance to profit from him. He didn't extend his contract because he thought he would stay at Man Utd for life. Sagna is doing the same. For Flamini, he decided to have control of his destiny so he refused to sign – but he had less time to wait. In all probability, Arsenal would have sold Flamini for £15million anyway even if he had committed.
A football contract is all about money – it has nothing to do with commitment or honour. Apparently, Manchester United won't sell Ronaldo out of principle. What principle is this? The principle that sold van Nistelrooy when he didn't want to go? The principle that forced Gabriel Heinze to go to Spain when he wanted to go to Liverpool? It is a non-sensical stance. It is posturing and a poor attempt at standing up against what they see as bully boys.
There are only two principles in contracts and transfers.
You get an offer that is higher than the player's worth to your team so you sell or you get an offer that is lower than the player's worth for your team and you don't. Lampard is not worth £8 million to Chelsea especially at his age, his wages and with Deco in the team so he can be sold for anything over that. Ronaldo is probably worth £50 million to United. They would have won nothing without him last year so they don't want to sell.
If a player wants to leave and states so then you only have two options - keep a player that doesn't want to play if you can afford to have £50 million on the bench or unmotivated or sell to the highest bidder.
So basically, the contract only determines value, it is nothing to be honoured because both parties piss over it all the time. It's very purpose is not that honourable.
So tomorrow I will walk out to the park and catch my first Gothia Cup for this year. Last year I was so impressed and sucked in by a team called Kampala Kids League from Uganda. This year they return as 16-yea-olds. This year I have to find a new team.
It usually happens by watching an huge number of group games and them stumbling on a team that is just so much fun to watch - a team that plays like kids. It might be a team from Malaysia, Guatemala, Kazakstan, or Bosnia this year. I don't know but I look forward to finding out.
User Comments
15allan ball
Posted on 17 Jul, 2008 at 06:02 AM - Reply
Do you know if a team from New Zealand is playing in this Gothia Cup? It sad if we arent, as we are a long way away from other countries so its hard for our young kids to get the experience needed to go further.Even though Rugby Union is our national game ,far more kids play Football ( soccer ) than any other sport and with 65% of all females playing some form of sport we have alot of talented women players, i beleive that one used to or is currently playing for the Arsenal Ladies team, what we lack though is exsposure to these sorts of tournament.
Great article and like most who play the beautiful game, i play for the love of it still very competitive at age 45,keep up the great work
14kakibola
Posted on 16 Jul, 2008 at 06:23 AM - Reply
you said it all...man!!!
13sai
Posted on 15 Jul, 2008 at 08:15 PM - Reply
love the work. fergie its time u retire grandad.
12victor Kaahwa
Posted on 15 Jul, 2008 at 10:09 AM - Reply
What a nice analysis about transfer business many of us dint know the basics behind the contracts coz you would hear today a player signed a 7 or so year contract and the next day you hear he has left. As for loyalty players should learn to respect the contribution clubs put in their career development as we have seen players come from nothing to superstars just because of particular coaches especially with arsenal. And when they leave because of greed they flop else where, the likes of Anelka. so Why not stay longer and pay back before moving on.
11jp20
Posted on 15 Jul, 2008 at 08:09 AM - Reply
i cant believe of all people fergie is talking about honor!!!!
preposterous!!
10jahgunner
Posted on 15 Jul, 2008 at 05:09 AM - Reply
Very good article, it was enlightening.
9Yusuf
Posted on 14 Jul, 2008 at 03:26 PM - Reply
Another wonderful article by Joel. Your ability to present a point in simple and sensible terms is outstanding. I congratulate you for that. However, I disagree with your notion. Players should have a degree of loyalty to their clubs, e.g Fabregas knows he is a very important part of the future of Arsenal FC; walking out would be disastrous for Arsenal, so from these types of players, you need to know where they stand. If they plan on leaving anytime soon, they should make this clear then replacements could be found. Of course, Fabby, being the special player that he is, went forth and signed an 8 year contract - that, if anything, is loyalty.
8jackson
Posted on 14 Jul, 2008 at 02:55 PM - Reply
Great article. Loyalty really can't be found in modern football. Henry left Arsenal, any player can leave Arsenal.
7Dennis Asiimwe
Posted on 14 Jul, 2008 at 01:15 PM - Reply
I do like the article, both as a Gunner and as a Ugandan. Seems we are making our mark on the footballing world, what with our national coach leaving to coach Hearts, and our kids running riot at the Gothia Cup! Bravo!
6cem
Posted on 14 Jul, 2008 at 11:57 AM - Reply
I see on different blogs people critisizing wenger for being unable to keep hold on their players. But as stated above it's pointless to force a player to stay. You will have an unmotivated player, who performs worse and his value will decline subsequently. But the club must still pay the player during his contract. So it's a no-win situation. Wenger is doing the right thing.
Sooner rather than later United will realize this and sell him. If they want big money, they must sell asap.
Speaking about contracts I must say that, contract should not be treated so lighty. A player cannot just threaten to quit a club after one good season. You have to be consistent and show it's not a one-off season.
Maybe in reality contracts don't mean anything but it doesn't mean they should be ignored.
Loyalty is a good thing, we are loyal towards our family and friend so why shouldn't we be towards our employers???
5Meghan
Posted on 14 Jul, 2008 at 04:19 AM - Reply
Good read.
4Gunner4life09
Posted on 13 Jul, 2008 at 06:04 PM - Reply
I played in the Gothia cup last year and represented Malaysia in fact, but I don't think I didn't turn pro because I love the game too much - I'm just not good enough :D
Brilliant article though, I think I completely agree with everything you have stated. Although I feel that players although this might be a debatable sentiment should have some loyalty to a club or a manager - especially one like ours who does give opportunity to extremely young players to make it big.
3DR ACE AL-GAFFER
Posted on 13 Jul, 2008 at 04:46 PM - Reply
This is reality! Yet part of the team building process. The gaffer must try and keep the players he wants, via diffrent tactics and truths! Players, via agents know their current spot price, thus a move more than a new contract is what agents want! Arsenal ONLY wants true GUNNERS, yet must give them thier true value! Like in all business!! a losses does happen! I hope its all part of the boards strategy :) as both profit and winning is the goal of top club football!!
2re:No!
Posted on 13 Jul, 2008 at 02:42 PM - Reply
The one problem that Blatter forgets is the other side of honouring contract. I can even understand the logic that a played should be allowed to leave if he finds a better offer somewhere else or due to other circumstances (just imagine - you work for a company, but your wife gets her dream job in another country - you would then perhaps both move to the country - why should footballers not have this option?) But on the other hand - you do nto perform as you like, you get injured, you are out of form - if the club would then halve the footballers salary - again we wouold speak about slavery. So players are OK not to honour their contract, but clubs have to do that no matter what? (e.g. Owen and Newcastle)
1ade somoye
Posted on 13 Jul, 2008 at 02:41 PM - Reply
At last, someone with a proper grasp on the issues. Too bad the press, Blatter and Pele are the ones getting airtime. All they've done is muddy the waters further. I'm a lawyer and i've understood the concepts involved from the beginning. A personal services contract always carries the risk of being terminated at any time. Realistically speaking, paying a person who doesn't want to work for you makes no sense. If a truculent Ronaldo stays and scores no goals next year all he'll lose are his goal bonuses. Man. U still have to pay him regardless. If a player wants to move get the best you can from those who want him and replace him with the transfer fee. That's life. Ronaldo could have made life easier for everyone by being consistent. A clear statement of his intentions would have helped this transfer happen.
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