Has Money Become So Strong That It Can Break The Thread Of Loyalty?

[Kaladin]

Recently i just read an article where there has been strong links between DDR and PSG and it got me thinking...
The last era of loyal players are starting to go fade away (JT, Totti, Puyol, Zanetti, Giggs and much more) and thinking this we are in a an era where wealth will keep inflating while loyalty is still a moral value upheld by few players. I mean there are players that gave everything to their team and wanted a different taste (Henry, Del Piero) but still do you think that in probably 20 years time, the barrier between player and club will just be a paper with a name on it?

[Onyx]

Usually a team with money is looking to win major trophies.

So I think the players are moving to win a trophies/join a better project.

You don't really get anything by being loyal, it's trophies/success that counts.

[Die Borussen]

if it is how mt describes it then i dont get it
if players are loyal to a team its cause it was their childwood dream team or the team that trusted & highlighted them to the football world
so they r loyal cause they love the club why would they want to win trophies with another team? it doesnt make sense to me
whereas leaving about money would be understandable since they want to secure their future life which will no more include high wages

future football will include loyal players, i think sooner or later someone will step up and stop money from delating the transfer system scale
if not, it will also depend on how the teams themselves react in enormous offers

[Art Morte]

Recently i just read an article where there has been strong links between DDR and PSG and it got me thinking...
The last era of loyal players are starting to go fade away (JT, Totti, Puyol, Zanetti, Giggs and much more) and thinking this we are in a an era where wealth will keep inflating while loyalty is still a moral value upheld by few players. I mean there are players that gave everything to their team and wanted a different taste (Henry, Del Piero) but still do you think that in probably 20 years time, the barrier between player and club will just be a paper with a name on it?

Loyalty? What loyalty? Why should football players feel particularly loyal, it's their job to play football. People very rarely feel loyal to their jobs.

Those players you mentioned there all play for big clubs and most are on very high wages, I think it's the wrong conclusion to make that just because someone has been at the same club for many years he must be loyal to the club.

Personally I don't expect any players to be loyal. Only those who are genuine fans of the club they play for, but those cases are extremely rare in football.

[Guest]

the innocence of the game is long gone. It has become more of a business now. You can't however, blame it all on the players. Loyalty should work both ways, while players are not as loyal on the average, neither are the clubs. Clubs buy and sell players as if they are pieces of equipment, and naturally the players won't be as loyal.

[Onyx]

Also why should loyalty be seen as a good thing and moving to another club for money/success a bad thing?

[Arsenalfaithfull]

Because it takes the emotional aspect out of the game. Why not just place cyborgs in the pitch and have them go at it then?

[zizzle]

Also why should loyalty be seen as a good thing and moving to another club for money/success a bad thing?

Have you watched City lately ?

[VanDeezNuts]

in 10 years we will have this same thread but there will be new players that are loyal.

its just impossible to say this current crop of players are loyal yet because they havent aged enough to be considered loyal like the players you described obviously.

[InteristAli]

I think we should not condemn every player that moves to another club for success, although a player going for money is a bit of a different issue when success isn't part of the decision.

Having said that, I think player who are loyal is just a wonderful thing to have in this day and age of football. For me, seeing Zanetti play week in week out is a beautiful thing to see. I'm sure it applies to other clubs as well. You can almost feel their love for the club, their appreciation for the fans and above all the loyalty they have. Yes they might be getting a lot of cash but don't you they deserve it? Besides, I'm positive that they could have gotten a bigger pay check if they went to another club but they stayed put.

Using Zanetti as an example, he doesn't get much you know, certainly not the highest at inter. My point is that loyalty is always a good thing in football and we should respect those players on that front but I don't think it's right to condemn others for moving to another club for success, or in most cases, to better themselves and/or test themselves in another league or club.

[Rev]

Please, there are plenty of loyal players out there, it's just that sadly most of them aren't good enough for their respective clubs.

You look at Arsenal. We had Lansbury, who was a genuine fan yet we sold him to some Championship club due to various reasons.

Frimpong looks like he's leaving, even though everyone that follows Arsenal knows he's the most protective and aggressive (in a good way) player when it comes to our club.

The real question is, is there a decrease in loyal and talented players? (I mean at least close to WC potential)

I think 10 years down the road, people will respect even more these players who stuck with their teams through the hardships and eventually became successful with their respective clubs.

My 2 cents.

[Dante]

What i always found hilarious , is how much any fanbase in the world wants their players to be loyal to the club ..when each season they demand to see new faces in their team ..

As long as a player is a real proffesional on and off the field , he's loyal according to my standards . That's always been the main characteristic of any loyal player .

[rwo power]

Well, if you look at Raúl's case - he was loyal to Real for a long time, but one day, Real decided he wouldn't be a guaranteed starter for the club anymore. Do you expect a player who loves the game to stay on the bench just for loyalty's sake? I think in that case you could say the club let the player down, but as the club needs to go for success, too (otherwise fans and club bigwigs would be rightfully upset as well), there was no real solution to keep both player and club happy and have the player stay.

[Onyx]

Also why should loyalty be seen as a good thing and moving to another club for money/success a bad thing?

Have you watched City lately ?

They won the EPL last season.

[FalcaoPunch]

Do fans today care about loyalty? Or winning?

[VanDeezNuts]

Do fans today care about loyalty? Or winning?

thats a good question.

how about this one-

would liverpool fans trade gerrard for the epl title?

[The Messiah]

Lahm..

Schweinsteiger.

Badstuber.

Alaba.

Muller

Ribery

Kroos

Boateng

Neuer

GOMEZ

NO AMOUNT OF MONEY CAN TAKE THEM OUT OF BAYERN MUNICH

[McLewis]

Usually a team with money is looking to win major trophies.

So I think the players are moving to win a trophies/join a better project.

You don't really get anything by being loyal, it's trophies/success that counts.

Totti has received worldwide and unanimous adoration from fans, footballers, coaches, athletes from other sports, and the Pope. He's won the Golden boot, a scudetto, a world cup and A Coppa italia....all while remaining steadfastly loyal to Roma.

Tell me again he didn't "get" anything for being loyal

[The Messiah]

Usually a team with money is looking to win major trophies.

So I think the players are moving to win a trophies/join a better project.

You don't really get anything by being loyal, it's trophies/success that counts.

Totti has received worldwide and unanimous adoration from fans, footballers, coaches, athletes from other sports, and the Pope. He's won the Golden boot, a scudetto, a world cup and A Coppa italia....all while remaining steadfastly loyal to Roma.

Tell me again he didn't "get" anything for being loyal

I think what he was trying to point out is that he could have achieved more.

[Onyx]

Usually a team with money is looking to win major trophies.

So I think the players are moving to win a trophies/join a better project.

You don't really get anything by being loyal, it's trophies/success that counts.

Totti has received worldwide and unanimous adoration from fans, footballers, coaches, athletes from other sports, and the Pope. He's won the Golden boot, a scudetto, a world cup and A Coppa italia....all while remaining steadfastly loyal to Roma.

Tell me again he didn't "get" anything for being loyal

By 'you don't really get anything' I meant you don't sorta get any significant trophies etc.

E.g. you're not going suddenly going to auto-win the CL for being 'loyal'. By 'not winning the CL' I don't mean the player won't be able to win it by playing etc, I mean he won't win it for just being at the club.

[Ion Creanga]

what is this shit with football is a job, job means money etc...
If you move for money you are morally retarded and end of it.
They move from the clubs that have very high wages to clubs with unbelivable wages just for more millions... Greedy bitc*es, not worthy of respect!!
Moving from As Roma (who has everything you need as a footballer) to PSG is just ... No words.. why losing the enthusiasm, the spirit, the love of fans, the romantism of As Roma for a shite club??

Those of you who say that there's no problem in moving for a club with nothing but money are retarded with pathetic life. You'll never know how to get away from your boring life


You want example of morality?? Gigi Buffon... World champion in 2006 with italy, got relegated in the same summer... He is the most wanted goalkeeper by all the clubs, and what he does? He remains at SERIE B Juve with no perspective of winning something in the next years and risking to be lost in mediocrity.

[VanDeezNuts]

just think of all the awards ronaldo would have won had he stayed at sporting..

[Donuts]

what is this shit with football is a job, job means money etc...
If you move for money you are morally retarded and end of it.
They move from the clubs that have very high wages to clubs with unbelivable wages just for more millions... Greedy bitc*es, not worthy of respect!!
Moving from As Roma (who has everything you need as a footballer) to PSG is just ... No words.. why losing the enthusiasm, the spirit, the love of fans, the romantism of As Roma for a shite club??

Those of you who say that there's no problem in moving for a club with nothing but money are retarded with pathetic life. You'll never know how to get away from your boring life


You want example of morality?? Gigi Buffon... World champion in 2006 with italy, got relegated in the same summer... He is the most wanted goalkeeper by all the clubs, and what he does? He remains at SERIE B Juve with no perspective of winning something in the next years and risking to be lost in mediocrity.

Football has been a job since they started paying players I don't see how this is so hard to understand.
Every club is a business and it pays it's employers to work for them *the players*

[Ion Creanga]

And you select you job only by the money you earn??
I can become a drug dealer here, in my home town...but i don't want because i don't want to ruin some kid's life, despite earning tons of money... I'll become a math teacher, cause this is what i do, this is what i like and this makes me happy, not because i want to earn lots of money...

what is this shit with football is a job, job means money etc...
If you move for money you are morally retarded and end of it.
They move from the clubs that have very high wages to clubs with unbelivable wages just for more millions... Greedy bitc*es, not worthy of respect!!
Moving from As Roma (who has everything you need as a footballer) to PSG is just ... No words.. why losing the enthusiasm, the spirit, the love of fans, the romantism of As Roma for a shite club??

Those of you who say that there's no problem in moving for a club with nothing but money are retarded with pathetic life. You'll never know how to get away from your boring life


You want example of morality?? Gigi Buffon... World champion in 2006 with italy, got relegated in the same summer... He is the most wanted goalkeeper by all the clubs, and what he does? He remains at SERIE B Juve with no perspective of winning something in the next years and risking to be lost in mediocrity.

Football has been a job since they started paying players I don't see how this is so hard to understand.
Every club is a business and it pays it's employers to work for them *the players*

[Kaladin]

I think this has become a question of "Is Football more of a business than a sport?"

Players now a days seem to try and milk the club they're at for as much as they can, then move on to another club and repeat the process. I guess you could say Michael Owen is a prime example of this. Some footballers tend to care more about their wages than the club itself, or the fans. Of course there are a few exceptions, but at the end of the day - it brings up the aspect that there wouldn't be so many foreign players migrating to play if it weren't for ridiculous wages.

I guess what im trying to say is that business is overshadowing the actual game itself now.

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