Why are professional footballers so uninterested in football?

At least that's the picture I've always gotten, that pro footballers care and even know very little about what's going on even in their own league, let alone in world football.

The obvious and also partly true explanation is that when you're involved in football as closely as the players are it becomes just a job for you, but I still find it a bit surprising how little many players know about anything that's going on in the sport. Like, Philippe Coutinho, just for an example, just said in an interview that "I remember Manchester United won the Premier League last season. That is as far back as I know (about the Premier League)."

Sure you get the occasional players who are passionate about football, like Gary Neville or Jamie Carragher, but so many of the professional players don't seem to care about the sport at all that I find it a little disappointing even.

What do you think?

Maybe Coutinho just doesn't have much interest in the Premier League.

The_Badger wrote:Maybe Coutinho just doesn't have much interest in the Premier League.

That's also the impression I got from the comment.

hmm, there's only so many hours in the day and they train and play quite a lot so they do a lot of "football stuff" themselves. after 2,3,4 hours of football a day it's normal that the rest of their day won't be spent on more football. i love football but 4-5 hours of it a day is a lot. honestly after 2 back to back games that's enough for me to feel a bit sick of it myself

regarding coutinho i think in brazil a lot of people watch more serie a than epl too. pretty sure i remember him saying that

One possible explanation is that players shy away from most media coverage of the game so that they don't engross themselves with the politics of the game...
Take Torres for example...
If, over the past couple seasons he were to read everything said in the media about him, he'd probably have hung himself by now...

A couple seasons ago while we were being embarrassed (dont remember which opposition, there too many anway) . One of our younger players tweeted something about his new car or something and asked fans what do they think... Got eaten alive after that.

If someone remembers this shit pls remind us. Im really curious and it would prove Art's point even further.

Its a shame really but what can you do about it, greed is the weakest point at humans.

andiii wrote:hmm, there's only so many hours in the day and they train and play quite a lot so they do a lot of "football stuff" themselves. after 2,3,4 hours of football a day it's normal that the rest of their day won't be spent on more football. i love football but 4-5 hours of it a day is a lot. honestly after 2 back to back games that's enough for me to feel a bit sick of it myself

^^^This

There are exceptions in sports though. Mike Tyson is a passionate boxing fan who knows everything about his sport.

Btw Gary Neville is only 'passionate' about EPL, Carragher could tell you the Torino B team starting XI.

^^^ Dat Man Utd bitterness.

Assou-Ekotto says he only sees it as a job. I'm not sure if he follows football.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/may/01/benoit-assou-ekotto-tottenham-hotspur

Believe it or not a lot of footballers see it that way. Bi-Winning level is only really achieved with passion though.

messi doesn't watch football much either

I'm pretty sure after their experiences with reporters and other media people who interview them, they decide to stay away from all coverage as it is more often than not pretty brainless. ^^

They spend a lot of time Playing football so i understand if they don't follow it as much as us for instance. They might watch the Big games but that's all imo. It's important to take his mind off football otherwise you're gonna get crazy or bored. Also they have a family.

By the way , i like BAE's outspokenness

Some are involved in football because they have a talent and treat it like a job

But even those passionate about it can't follow it as much as fans do without putting just about every waking hour they have into it.

Imagine how little time a footballer would have to do 'their own thing' if they also followed all the comings & goings of football.

It's a time issue, too, but most of us fans work or study and we still have time to sacrifice to football.

What I find perhaps the most weird about footballers being uninterested in the sport is that how come you've been so motivated to play football and train so hard since you were a kid if you at no stage developed any level of fandom towards the sport?

Also, I tend to like such footballers more who care about the sport in general rather than those who treat is only as a job and don't follow what's going on outside their own club & career.

Even if your passionate about something, you need a break.

You can have your dream job and be passionate about it, but after your shift from that job is over, how many times do you go home and do your job (or related things) more? You spend time with your family, you have a different hobby... I don't think a lot of people bring work home with them even if they like their job.

I think that's how it is with footballers tbh. Then there are the ones that don't follow football...at all. Like BAE.

Art Morte wrote:It's a time issue, too, but most of us fans work or study and we still have time to sacrifice to football.

What I find perhaps the most weird about footballers being uninterested in the sport is that how come you've been so motivated to play football and train so hard since you were a kid if you at no stage developed any level of fandom towards the sport?

Also, I tend to like such footballers more who care about the sport in general rather than those who treat is only as a job and don't follow what's going on outside their own club & career.

My best friend is a great footballer, he loves to train and he's played years of his life now. He likes the physical game on the field, he gets bored watching football on tv.

I loveplaying basketball, i like trainjng, practicing and olaying pickup games, i know next to nothing about NBA.

Also, if i had supermodels, fans, agents, the media and club people chasing me all day andif i were a millionaire and i had to constantly fret about who really likes me and who likes my fame and money, then maybe i too would have my mind on others things instead of watching football.

My father used to work about 10-12 hours a day,he'd sleep for about 8 hours and had about 4-6 hours of free time every day.I'm pretty sure he wanted to work less(He couldn't though because he was the Boss)and Im also pretty sure he was pissed every time he was contacted about work in his free time.


I guess that's the case with footballers.All they do every week is play football that most of them they would just not rather be bothered with it in their free time.