- May 18, 2006
- 8,694
- 16,028
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you but football players have it all their own way these days. Financial security beyond their wildest dreams and the power to hold clubs virtual hostages to their whim and emotions. Almost the exact opposite to the way the clubs seemed the own the very souls of players a few decades ago.
Let's put it another way - say DL simply did not want to sell Bale under any circumstances? He says to GB, "no, you signed a contract with us and we've honoured our part and are paying you a hefty wedge. We'd like you to do the same."
That's hardly unreasonable is it? All very mundane and everyday. Obviously things like "notice" don't exist but then again, most employees aren't given upwards of a 100K a week as a salary in compensation.
The point is that any shenanigans we witnessed this summer with DL trying to accommodate the player's wishes but get as much for the club out of the deal as possible would have paled in comparison to what would have occurred in the above scenario. No Levying done, just one adult talking to another to behave in a professional manner. It's not like Bale was playing for free after all. He still got paid when injured etc. It would have been carnage.
That's not to say clubs are the bastions of integrity but even if a player turns out to be less than desirable on the pitch, the cubs simply can't go on strike and refuse to pay them their tens of thousands a week. An important difference.
That's the problem with football. All this money and still 90% run and operated in the laziest and most amateur fucking manner possible. It's embarrassing. A model professional in this game rarely gets called a model professional. No pat on the back for turning up on time or working their hardest in training and games. Honouring contracts. Instead they get the moniker - "legend" - so low are the standards. By doing the bare minimum, they're an "example to us all".
So I guess, like yourself, I don't hold it against them after they've left in less than amicable circumstances. None of them get my respect though.
I agree and it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, the taste of Madrid's salty balls to be presice. I don't feel sorry for footballers and their "problems", but I don't really feel much for any of them when they're not on the pitch wearing the shirt. Apart from Sandro obviously. But they are still people at the end of the day and if they decide they want to move, they normally make it happen.
If I played for Spurs and Madrid came in for me I'd tell them to get stuffed, but I'm a fan. If I played for a club beneath us in the pecking order like Liverpool and my dream club Spurs (I have a picture of myself aged 10 wearing the shirt) offered £80m for me, even though I had a contract I'd find it hard to know what to do. If I had agents and the whole media telling me it was the best thing for my career etc, it would be even harder. Hmmm, actually I would jump at the chance to play for Spurs but I support Spurs more than Bale supports Madrid.
We'll probably have the same conversation a few years down the line, it would be nice to see some kind of designated player system like the MLS, not the same but maybe just a way to encourage top players not to chase big money moves so early in their careers. I wish there was a solution but the money is already in the game and that won't change. Not that Bale went just for the money, but it could have been the difference between leaving now or in a years time. I'd do a lot of things for £300,000 per week, I wouldn't play for Arsenal though.