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Does Money Matter Too Much In The Modern Game?

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In a world with the likes of Messi and Ronaldo lighting up our television screens; it is a pity that money plays such a part in the success and failure of our beloved clubs. With Manchester City and Chelsea seemingly buying their way up the premier league, there was once a time where football was played because of the love of the game and not the love the of money. Unfortunately it seems that money matters in many ways, with extreme figures of transfer fees and wages currently dominating our sport headlines.

In a world where clubs such as Portsmouth and Plymouth are struggling to make ends meet, is the game simply going to turn into a business where money will dictate much more than previous years?

Naturally the most recent example of this is Manchester City, with the Abu Dhabi United group taking over the financial control of the club in 2008, just 6 years after being promoted to the English Top Division. This of course changed the fortunes of the mid-table club, resulting in a change of emphasis and ambition. Suddenly this team of hard working youngsters became a team of all-stars, with Robinho, Tevez and Lescott arriving for money that would have been a pipe dream a few years ago.

Obviously, a large proportion of Man City fans have no concerns over this, with many defending their current financial status, suggesting that every team in the premier league has some sort of wealth, or ‘Chelsea did it first’. However, a major issue with Manchester City is this: where will the youth players go? Unfortunately it seems that Micah Richards will be the last youth prospect to flourish as a main stay in the City first team for a while, with the current philosophy seeming to be ‘We can buy new players when these ones get too old’.

This leads on to what attracts players to these sorts of clubs, as surely a team with little hope of trophies would not bring Robinho to the premier league. Again it comes down to money. With weekly wages that would be equivalent to what many earn in a matter of years, premiership footballers within rich clubs can expect to be financially set well into their future.

Yet still a select few demand more. It seems the lavish premier league lifestyle leaves the typical Wayne Rooney or Mario Balotelli with little change to spare, resulting in an expectation of ridiculous amounts of money each week for their services. This provides a further issue for both fans and managers, as, the idea that these players believe they are bigger than the club itself instantly provokes complex decisions over discipline, selection and how to handle these players.

However is this criticism fair? It is important to recognise that only a small proportion of footballers actually make it to the extreme amounts of money, with a more and more struggling to make a living out of the game. It takes great talent and determination to break in to top flight football, so perhaps they should be rewarded handsomely for their efforts. Furthermore, if offered £250,000 a week for entertaining, many of us would have no issue with accepting it. These footballers have a short career in general, being lucky to have 15 years in the game, therefore who can blame them for building up an early retirement fund?

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  • It's Grim Oop North says:

    I personally think that Professional Football probably is all about the money, and has been for a century or more.

    “The days of Bobby Charlton and George Best appear to be a distant memory for some fans”

    Are you serious? Please read up on Georgie Best’s drink and cash fuelled lifestyle, he makes Balotelli look like a saint in comparison.

    Remember the New York Cosmos, who have just arisen like a Phoenix from the flames of American obscurity, just played at OT, home of football marketing? They threw hundreds of thousands of dollars at seventies football stars who all ran after the silly money like yokels chasing a rolling cheese down a hill in Gloucester (or somewhere rural) – yes Pele, Marsh et al, money grabbing whores the lot of ’em, or normal professionals furthering their wages if you prefer.

    There’s nothing new about City and Chelsea spending money to buy success, take off your rose-tinted specs please and learn your football history.

    Also, if you don’t like the money aspect, follow amateur teams who are totally playing for the fun of it.

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