After being omitted from the England squad that traveled to South Africa last year, Leighton Baines insisted this was not due to claims of homesickness. The defender explained that whilst he was missing his family, “it’s all part and parcel of being a footballer.” When we consider the number of footballers that play away from their homeland, this seems to be a fair assessment. Whilst players are bound to struggle to settle in to different cultures, cities, and teams, in making the decision to move, both Tevez and Balotelli must have considered the possibility of missing home, but felt the progression of their career was more important.
Whilst it seems Tevez has substantial grounds for wanting to leave Manchester City, Balotelli’s claims of ‘homesickness’ perhaps deserve further scrutiny. In his first season at Chelsea, Drogba complained that he too was suffering being away from Marseille. In the years that have followed, the Ivorian has become a prolific goal scorer at Stamford Bridge and any signs of being homesick seem to have gradually disappeared.
It seems somewhat unfair to try and make an overall assessment as to whether or not claims of being ‘homesick’ are credible or not. However, there are certain factors that should perhaps be taken into consideration, when trying to assess the validity of such claims. For instance, if a player is complaining of homesickness whilst they are playing well then this seems to provide good reason to believe their claims to be genuine. If, however, the player is struggling with form or not living up to their expectations, questions over the integrity of their complaints should certainly be raised. Of course, where a player moves on to is also a strong indicator as to how ‘homesick’ they in fact were – for instance, should Tevez move to Spain or Italy, then the credibility of his ‘homesickness’ will be significantly low.
One thing is certain: Mancini faces the unenviable task of distinguishing between those claims of homesickness that are in fact genuine, and those with an ulterior motive. Let’s hope for his sake that Aguero can settle in a little easier in Manchester.
Written by Thomas Kenny for FootballFancast.com.
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