Since the beginning, football has sparked something very strong in those who follow it, the cheer’s feeling, through wins and losses. Besides the public, the football players themselves also fall in love with this sport, or at least that was the case in the past. In the middle of a new landscape full of sponsorships and million dollar contracts, the fans ask themselves: Is football still driven by passion, or the industry and the money corrupted its essence?
Was the old football about love?
Football historically emerged as a community driven sport, moved by passion. And players identified with this feeling as well. A big example for football and for this topic is Pelé, considered the biggest athlete of this sport of all time. The king of football refused multimillion-dollar offers from the most influential clubs in Europe, because of his loyalty and love for his former club, Santos.
In an interview with Madrinista Real, he stated in portuguese: “I don’t believe that I needed to play in Europe to prove something. Football is very different nowadays. Anyway, I have received offers from Europe and preferred to stay home”. He has shown his unconditional passion for his team and for football practice, without bothering with the pressure of living a international career.
Another case comes from the ex-player Rogério Ceni. One of the greatest idols of São Paulo FC, who proved his love for the club during his career. Several European clubs have shown interest in the goalkeeper, but all the offers were rejected, building one of the most known fidelity stories in football.
In statements about his career, Ceni declared in portuguese: “I stayed at São Paulo, and it was the best decision because now I’m enjoying what I did for the club and the affection of all the fans.” This deep loyalty with football and his clubs shows us what it is means to play for the love of the badge, not for money, attitude which became an example to follow. But, this ideal found in the majority of the old athletes started to change its way, so does football.
Sponsorships: the new industry
Financial flows in football have increased in the last few years. According to ekospor, the football economy size represents 40% of the global sports economy. A reality that was distant, nowadays gained form with thousands of dollars and sponsorships involved in this sport’s universe. Although, all these new systems affect this industry in the way how professionals behave during their careers.
From the moment earning millions becomes one of the rewards of this sport, greed surpasses the value of passion for football and starts to dominate players’ preferences. A remarkable case of a player who prioritized money in his career was goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The player was playing for Milan and was considered one of the club’s greatest prospects when he left behind his entire history at his former club to sign a multimillion-dollar contract with Paris Saint-Germain.
Fans of the Italian team felt betrayed and abandoned by Donnarumma, who was labeled a mercenary. In a match played between the two clubs, Milan supporters threw fake dollar bills printed with the player’s face as a form of protest, creating the term “Dollarumma,” a reference to the payment he chose to prioritize.
Years ago, the chances of this scene happening would have been low, since this entire market has only emerged recently. According to UEFA, European football clubs have become a multi-billion-euro ecosystem, with revenues projected to surpass €30 billion, reinforcing the idea that football is no longer only a cultural practice but also a large-scale commercial industry.
It has become increasingly expected for players to accept opportunities in countries where football is not as highly valued but offers better financial rewards, or to leave their home clubs early in order to earn more in European competitions. As a result, less importance is given to the passion for football that once seemed untouchable, transforming the sport into the monetary industry it has become today.
The public’s question
Due to this new scenario, the beloved fans ask themselves about how player’s attitudes will develop from now on. By prioritizing the monetary matters, the players reduce their effort while they are playing and don’t develop an affective relationship with the sport and everything related to it.
The new athletes became common attitudes like leaving one’s home club too early, joining rival teams for financial reasons, or accepting offers from less competitive football leagues solely because of higher salaries — among many other decisions that continue to frustrate fans worldwide.
Arab football perfectly illustrates this scenario. According to Globo Esporte, by 2023, the Saudi league was already generating around 790 million dollars, which continues to attract many players who could have built or continued stories of passion with major clubs and leagues, but are instead motivated primarily by money. As a result, the few remaining cases of football played for love continue to decline due to the financial industry that increasingly dominates the sport.
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The article above was edited by Mariana De Oliver.
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