Robben blasts players going to China in their 20's, says you have 1 career & you are wasting it !

Robben: "I do not understand players going to China at the age of 27 or 28. Those guys are at the peak of their career. That is a waste"

Robben: "You only get one career. I sort of understand players who are already in their 30s but not the younger players"

Robben: "China are offering maybe four, five or six times the amounts you get at a big club. But money has never driven me"

Robben: "A move to China is basically acknowledging your career is over. I want to keep playing at the highest level as long as possible"

Robben: "I'm having a great time at Bayern and I am playing at one of the best clubs in the world. I would not know where to move at my age"

Robben is an elite player, every big club in Europe will pay him an enormous salary

For example, i fully understand if an average-good player like Witsel wants to go there. At Juve he would have earned six times less than what Ding Dong FC is offering. 18M per year is somewhat unexpected when you ain't a world-class player... makes you think twice about it. Money is not everything but a footballer's career is fragile and does not last long, around 15 years i'd say. You play there for two years and you can make a living out of it for the rest of your life.

Yea but you have 1 Career - Top league titles in an good European League, CHL titles, National league spots, WC games.

You have 1 life n 1 Career as well - And these people are paid massively in Europe - They bath in money of sorts.

I can understand if they are 30+ & want to play for 2-3 years in China & make money for their retirement. But Oscar type guys?

They should have ambition & should want to be the next Rivaldo & Ronaldinho. If you truly love the game & are good, you should aspire to be a legend!

He jelly

What a stupid thing to say... not every player LOVES to play football. For a lot of footballers, football is a job like everyone else's so of course they will chase the money, especially at a lower league where they are not pressured to perform week-in-week out to earn the money they are getting AND are praised as superstars too.

Problem is that the point "you only have one career" could just as well used to justify accepting a Chinese contract on monster wages you would never, ever get anywhere in Europe.

If you only have one career, better try to earn as much as you can. Because unlike Robben, other players aren't immediately recognizable superstars who earn more than enough for the rest of their lives already and will always get a job, in the media, later.

Hell, if Robben is broke later, I'd let him crash on my couch no questions asked because I love him. And I'm surely not the only one.
I wouldn't do the same for Oscar, and I can't imagine anyone else would.
So Oscar better get that money while he can.

I'm seeing a trend of bald people and idiotic interviews

Because obviously the world revolves around Europe.

Football the world's game? Nope, its only Europe.

This is the idea, from a rich man, why every world cup outside of Europe is shunned. In my life every world cup that has happened outside of Europe(America,South Gorea/Japan,South Africa,Brazil) has been slated for the most ridiculous things.

I remember back when I was in college during the 2010 cup people were even mad about people blowing vuvuzelas in the stadium  like how angry do you have to be to focus on the most benign of buzzes. Crapped on the football used during it.

2014 people acting "Concerned" about the Crime in Brazil when it is one of the biggest tourist destinations on earth. Like a tourist wouldnt get robbed walking down the streets of Rome or Barcelona, like politicians in europe are not also corrupt with public funds .

2002 with people questioning Japan getting a cup before they actually qualified for one(and in fact Japan actually qualified for France after that thanks to the public interest and funding built from getting the cup, but screw them they were not already there from the start so they shouldn't have got it over Mexico, who they were going to give it to AGAIN until Gorean and Japanese businesses lined their pockets with those sweet sweet sponsor deals. Then we got an entire world cup of people making fun of fans actually picking up their trash as they left, and people leveling the harshest criticisms towards the ref of cheating. Like the ref in the same tournament didnt screw the USA of a clear handball and penalty against Germany.  Same Germany that, undeservingly, made it to the final to get destroyed. Obviously nobody speaks about this because it goes against the narrative.

Of course football revolves around Europe. That's why the best footballers of South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania all come to European clubs to prove themselves.

And vuvuzela were ebola. They got banned because of how annoying they were. And the concern with 2014 WC is that prior to the start of it there were several riots and protests against it. The reason people are embittered for 2002 WC is not because it was held outside of Europe, but because it was the most blatant match fixing and corruption driven WC of the last 50 years.

Katy Perry wrote:Of course football revolves around Europe. That's why the best footballers of South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania all come to European clubs to prove themselves.

They come to Europe because they pay more. Well, at least they did before China came along. Now there begins an exodus to the super league.

Katy Perry wrote:And vuvuzela were ebola. They got banned because of how annoying they were. And the concern with 2014 WC is that prior to the start of it there were several riots and protests against it. The reason people are embittered for 2002 WC is not because it was held outside of Europe, but because it was the most blatant match fixing and corruption driven WC of the last 50 years.

There was 0 outrage when the US was screwed by the ref against Germany though in the EXACT same tournament. All of the outrage is focused on South Gorea getting past sides they were, if we are going to be completely honest, better than at that point. Spain came out arrogant against a home side, and learned the hard way what happens when you don't put away your chances. And honestly it was not even just the refs because I remember people complaining about joint hosts before a single ball was even kicked. People didnt want Japan hosting period because they had never made a world cup when it was decided.

The vuvuzela thing is benign. Its a different culture. Same way a person going to see England play might not want to hear an old Naval song that were sung by people who went around the world killing people. People can accept its culture though, and that its no harm no foul. The vuvuzela, in the same vein was no harm no foul. After a week of the confederations cup they were pretty much background noise.

LMAO first time I've ever heard anyone defend vuvuzelas, that was the football equivalent of cancer.

Yes club football 100% revolves around Europe. If you want to extend that then you get to South America. That's it. There is a reason why only these two confederations have won world cups and no one else has even made it to a final in 80 years of the tournament.

What are these nonsense comments about 2014. Brazilians themselves were the ones protesting and rioting before the world cup and the confed cup to draw attention at the fact that the government was in shambles and chose to favor a money vacuum, filled with corruption, over more pressing issues. The football wasn't against the 2014 world cup at all, in the end people even praised the tournament. Pretty much everyone agreed that it was much better than 2010. Only England complained because they complain about everything to do with FIFA, no exceptions.

I'm also gonna assume that you haven't been to Rome, Barcelona, or any big city in Brazil based on that comment about crime.

pls go with this victim complex and misplaced euro hate. Its hilarious to take this "big bad football europe" position since 3 of the last 4 world cups haven't been in europe.

Betty La Fea wrote:

Katy Perry wrote:Of course football revolves around Europe. That's why the best footballers of South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania all come to European clubs to prove themselves.

They come to Europe because they pay more. Well, at least they did before China came along. Now there begins an exodus to the super league.

Katy Perry wrote:And vuvuzela were ebola. They got banned because of how annoying they were. And the concern with 2014 WC is that prior to the start of it there were several riots and protests against it. The reason people are embittered for 2002 WC is not because it was held outside of Europe, but because it was the most blatant match fixing and corruption driven WC of the last 50 years.

There was 0 outrage when the US was screwed by the ref against Germany though in the EXACT same tournament. All of the outrage is focused on South Gorea getting past sides they were, if we are going to be completely honest, better than at that point. Spain came out arrogant against a home side, and learned the hard way what happens when you don't put away your chances. And honestly it was not even just the refs because I remember people complaining about joint hosts before a single ball was even kicked. People didnt want Japan hosting period because they had never made a world cup when it was decided.

The vuvuzela thing is benign. Its a different culture. Same way a person going to see England play might not want to hear an old Naval song that were sung by people who went around the world killing people. People can accept its culture though, and that its no harm no foul. The vuvuzela, in the same vein was no harm no foul. After a week of the confederations cup they were pretty much background noise.

Let's examine the footballing exodus to China: there's Oscar who was having the third complete garbage season in a row, Ramires who didn't have a single good game for us since away at Camp Nou in 2012, Drogba, Anelka and Tevez on their last legs, Diamanti and Gilardino on in their 30's when playing for relegation clubs in Serie A (and they returned to Italy ASAP), some other guys from freaking Ukrainian and Russian leagues,  and the chinese government is already putting their foot down on the chinese clubs' investments. Yea, completely the same as the Europe's situation . Anzhi v.2

I don't know what happened in that game, but yea, every game of every team could have been rigged. That's how corrupted that WC was. Byron *bleep* Moreno was the referee of USA vs Portugal in the group stage, so I assume he had a hand in USA getting in the quarter final vs Germany in the first place.

And disagreed. Different culture and what not, but vuvuzela were painfully painful to listen to. Unbearable. They got banned for a reason.

@Katy Perry

I had forgot about that piece of trash.

Byron Moreno, the guy who would later get suspended from refereeing basically everywhere, down to Ecuador for constantly screwing matches. He ended up in prison in the US for smuggling heroine

But you know, South Korea being better or something or other...

It's really amusing to see how threatened fans of European clubs and European clubs themselves feel towards the rise of Asian/American football.

I guess we now know how buying off our players feels like

Rise

Let's be serious here lol.

rincon wrote:LMAO first time I've ever heard anyone defend vuvuzelas, that was the football equivalent of cancer.

And hearing "Rule Brittania" isnt cancer to people from nations who were subjugated by the British Navy?

rincon wrote:Yes club football 100% revolves around Europe. If you want to extend that then you get to South America. That's it. There is a reason why only these two confederations have won world cups and no one else has even made it to a final in 80 years of the tournament.

A very select group of nations have even won the world cup, and honestly saying that over 80 years doesnt mean much. The vast majority of African nations didnt even become nations of their own until the 60's, and this applies to large parts of Asia and even later for Oceanic regions. From this they have had to develop economies, and states, before they could even imagine creating top footballing programs. Maybe if they got calls they would make the final. I know Germany sure got a lot of help in 2002, but apparently its only egregious when an Asian Nation gets call. How about in 2010 when Michael Bradley was being Manhandled in the box by a Slovenian player and they refused to give a penalty? Obviously thats the way the cookie crumbles, but we can talk about South Gorea getting "help" 14 years ago:lol:

rincon wrote:What are these nonsense comments about 2014. Brazilians themselves were the ones protesting and rioting before the world cup and the confed cup to draw attention at the fact that the government was in shambles and chose to favor a money vacuum, filled with corruption, over more pressing issues. The football wasn't against the 2014 world cup at all, in the end people even praised the tournament.

There were clear complaints about Brazil being awarded the world cup when they got it. On this very forum too along with the outside European press associations.

rincon wrote:Pretty much everyone agreed that it was much better than 2010. Only England complained because they complain about everything to do with FIFA, no exceptions.

Only because people hated the 2010 world cup. I thought 2014 was better than 2006, yet that is never a statement people make aloud though is it? Why is this?

rincon wrote:I'm also gonna assume that you haven't been to Rome, Barcelona, or any big city in Brazil based on that comment about crime.

I have been to big European cities, and i have been to a big brazilian city. They all have areas you, as a tourist, don't want to be caught around at sundown.

rincon wrote:pls go with this victim complex and misplaced euro hate. Its hilarious to take this "big bad football europe" position since 3 of the last 4 world cups haven't been in europe.

Victim complex? What continent's fans still whine about being cheated by a ref over a decade ago? You can walk up and down USA and never once run into a soccer fan complain about being wronged in world cups. Mention 2002 and see how people go on and on about South Gorea getting help. Or the victim complex of another league finally challenging them for big talent and money.

The fact is players from around the world go to Europe because european leagues are able to pay them what they want to have a nice life. China now also offers this, and people will go over there. These places have their own history, and their own fans, and it is in no way shape or form quitting on your career by playing over there.

urbaNRoots wrote:It's really amusing to see how threatened fans of European clubs and European clubs themselves feel towards the rise of Asian/American football.

I guess we now know how buying off our players feels like

Its not this, its the lack of realism in some of these posts. Players can (and will) follow money as they want and prioritize as they want. The thing is, football is not new and we've seen movements like these before. We saw the same promises before in the US, in the UAE and then in Russia. Now what is different in China?

There may come a point where China is the best league in the world, that's not the case today though. There is no need to call things something they are not. There is also no witch hunt against World Cups outside of Europe. FIFA actively tries to put it in new countries and changed the rules so that it cannot be held in the same confederation without 2 tournaments spacing it. CLubs market to Asia, supercups are played there as well.

Its the making up strange theories and baseless statements from him/her, that is just weird.

Katy Perry wrote:
Let's examine the footballing exodus to China:

Ok, lets do that.

Katy Perry wrote:there's Oscar who was having the third complete garbage season in a row,

Linked to Juventus, and could fit in many middle-sized clubs in Europe. If we are being honest he would also start for MOST sides in the premier league. He was a big property in the world.

Katy Perry wrote:Ramires who didn't have a single good game for us since away at Camp Nou in 2012

You mean the ramires that was the best player in your FA cup title that same season, and also one who single handedly walked through a Manchester city midfield that consisted to the likes of Silva,Toure and Milner in their prime? Ramires should have been Chelsea player of the year the first time Mata won it. Without him, your midfield of an Old Lampard, and a lazy Mata, was average at best.

Katy Perry wrote:, Drogba, Anelka and Tevez on their last legs, Diamanti and Gilardino on in their 30's when playing for relegation clubs in Serie A (and they returned to Italy ASAP), some other guys from freaking Ukrainian and Russian leagues,  and the chinese government is already putting their foot down on the chinese clubs' investments. Yea, completely the same as the Europe's situation . Anzhi v.2

Sounds like a latter two who couldnt handle the pressure of the Chinese League. How about Wiesel, also wanted in Europe? Texeira? Paulinho?

Katy Perry wrote:I don't know what happened in that game, but yea, every game of every team could have been rigged. That's how corrupted that WC was. Byron *bleep* Moreno was the referee of USA vs Portugal in the group stage, so I assume he had a hand in USA getting in the quarter final vs Germany in the first place.

Or the US team was better than an overrated Portugal side who got exposed during the tournament?

Katy Perry wrote:And disagreed. Different culture and what not, but vuvuzela were painfully painful to listen to. Unbearable. They got banned for a reason.

When I was watching the USA put Brazil to the sword during the confederations cup final in the first half I didnt hear the vuvuzela once. If you are invested in the football what difference does a buzz make? It was petty, and it was banned because FIFA had to take away attention from their corruption and saw an easy way to score points with people.

Stay in your bubble betty.

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:Yes club football 100% revolves around Europe. If you want to extend that then you get to South America. That's it. There is a reason why only these two confederations have won world cups and no one else has even made it to a final in 80 years of the tournament.

A very select group of nations have even won the world cup, and honestly saying that over 80 years doesnt mean much. The vast majority of African nations didnt even become nations of their own until the 60's, and this applies to large parts of Asia and even later for Oceanic regions. From this they have had to develop economies, and states, before they could even imagine creating top footballing programs. Maybe if they got calls they would make the final. I know Germany sure got a lot of help in 2002, but apparently its only egregious when an Asian Nation gets call. How about in 2010 when Michael Bradley was being Manhandled in the box by a Slovenian player and they refused to give a penalty? Obviously thats the way the cookie crumbles, but we can talk about South Gorea getting "help" 14 years ago:lol:

You see, you don't really understand how to argue. None of the text that is crossed out matters. No one was mentioning why is football centered around Europe, but the fact that it is. You can give the reasons why this is the case, why it may or may not be unjust. It doesn't change the facts though.

The rest of the text... If you believe that, then you haven't been paying attention to football. Every team gets calls for or against. In the end, through 80 years of tournaments the best come out on top. The teams that keep reaching finals and winning cups are the best, no doubt about it.

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:LMAO first time I've ever heard anyone defend vuvuzelas, that was the football equivalent of cancer.

And hearing "Rule Brittania" isnt cancer to people from nations who were subjugated by the British Navy?

Yes it is. Its a bit harder to ban than a big piece of plastic though. One thing being wrong is not ground to introduce other bad things.

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:What are these nonsense comments about 2014. Brazilians themselves were the ones protesting and rioting before the world cup and the confed cup to draw attention at the fact that the government was in shambles and chose to favor a money vacuum, filled with corruption, over more pressing issues. The football wasn't against the 2014 world cup at all, in the end people even praised the tournament.

There were clear complaints about Brazil being awarded the world cup when they got it. On this very forum too along with the outside European press associations.

There are complaints about every world cup ever awarded to anyone. Brazil didn't face a particularly different or outrageous backlash, don't rewrite history. What are the european press associations?

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:Pretty much everyone agreed that it was much better than 2010. Only England complained because they complain about everything to do with FIFA, no exceptions.

Only because people hated the 2010 world cup. I thought 2014 was better than 2006, yet that is never a statement people make aloud though is it? Why is this?

Maybe because its not everyone's opinion? your opinion doesn't have match others. If you liked it more than 06 then rep it. Others will rep the ones they liked more. Not everything is a big conspiracy, 06 got a lot of things right and a lot people like it a lot.

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:I'm also gonna assume that you haven't been to Rome, Barcelona, or any big city in Brazil based on that comment about crime.

I have been to big European cities, and i have been to a big brazilian city. They all have areas you, as a tourist, don't want to be caught around at sundown.

Then you should have better perspectives on it. Crime in the big cities in Brazil is a much MUCH bigger issue than it is in Rome or Barcelona.

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:pls go with this victim complex and misplaced euro hate. Its hilarious to take this "big bad football europe" position since 3 of the last 4 world cups haven't been in europe.

Victim complex? What continent's fans still whine about being cheated by a ref over a decade ago? You can walk up and down USA and never once run into a soccer fan complain about being wronged in world cups. Mention 2002 and see how people go on and on about South Gorea getting help. Or the victim complex of another league finally challenging them for big talent and money.

The fact is players from around the world go to Europe because european leagues are able to pay them what they want to have a nice life. China now also offers this, and people will go over there. These places have their own history, and their own fans, and it is in no way shape or form quitting on your career by playing over there.

There is no "european" opnion on football or "this continent" banding together. Do think England gives a crap if Italy is wronged? Or Germany if France is knocked out? This "us against them" is your own construction.

Lets see the results of this. If you are willing @Betty.

Today, not in 2, 20 or 200 years, how strong (relative to others) are the Chinese league and the Chinese NT?

rincon wrote:Stay in your bubble betty.

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:Yes club football 100% revolves around Europe. If you want to extend that then you get to South America. That's it. There is a reason why only these two confederations have won world cups and no one else has even made it to a final in 80 years of the tournament.

A very select group of nations have even won the world cup, and honestly saying that over 80 years doesnt mean much. The vast majority of African nations didnt even become nations of their own until the 60's, and this applies to large parts of Asia and even later for Oceanic regions. From this they have had to develop economies, and states, before they could even imagine creating top footballing programs. Maybe if they got calls they would make the final. I know Germany sure got a lot of help in 2002, but apparently its only egregious when an Asian Nation gets call. How about in 2010 when Michael Bradley was being Manhandled in the box by a Slovenian player and they refused to give a penalty? Obviously thats the way the cookie crumbles, but we can talk about South Gorea getting "help" 14 years ago:lol:

You see, you don't really understand how to argue. None of the text that is crossed out matters. No one was mentioning why is football centered around Europe, but the fact that it is. You can give the reasons why this is the case, why it may or may not be unjust. It doesn't change the facts though.

The rest of the text... If you believe that, then you haven't been paying attention to football. Every team gets calls for or against. In the end, through 80 years of tournaments the best come out on top. The teams that keep reaching finals and winning cups are the best, no doubt about it.

So everybody gets calls. You can admit this. Why do people Harp on South Gorea's great victories in that world cup then? Surely you can notice the bias there?

rincon wrote:

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:LMAO first time I've ever heard anyone defend vuvuzelas, that was the football equivalent of cancer.

And hearing "Rule Brittania" isnt cancer to people from nations who were subjugated by the British Navy?

Yes it is. Its a bit harder to ban than a big piece of plastic though. One thing being wrong is not ground to introduce other bad things.

Its harder to ban that because they know it wouldnt score them easy political points by doing that. They know their European audiences were in full support of getting rid of the Vuvuzela, so they acted fast to get rid of it. Its all political.

rincon wrote:

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:What are these nonsense comments about 2014. Brazilians themselves were the ones protesting and rioting before the world cup and the confed cup to draw attention at the fact that the government was in shambles and chose to favor a money vacuum, filled with corruption, over more pressing issues. The football wasn't against the 2014 world cup at all, in the end people even praised the tournament.

There were clear complaints about Brazil being awarded the world cup when they got it. On this very forum too along with the outside European press associations.

There are complaints about every world cup ever awarded to anyone. Brazil didn't face a particularly different or outrageous backlash, don't rewrite history. What are the european press associations?

Talksport,for one, talked down on brazil and crime for months before the world cup started.

rincon wrote:

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:Pretty much everyone agreed that it was much better than 2010. Only England complained because they complain about everything to do with FIFA, no exceptions.

Only because people hated the 2010 world cup. I thought 2014 was better than 2006, yet that is never a statement people make aloud though is it? Why is this?

Maybe because its not everyone's opinion? your opinion doesn't have match others. If you liked it more than 06 then rep it. Others will rep the ones they liked more. Not everything is a big conspiracy, 06 got a lot of things right and a lot people like it a lot.

These opinions don't exist in bubbles though. People had written off the 2010 world cup before it started. They spent an entire year complaining about the vuvuzelas there after the confederations cup. Complaining about the crime, even complaining about the football. It was the epitome of pettiness.

rincon wrote:

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:I'm also gonna assume that you haven't been to Rome, Barcelona, or any big city in Brazil based on that comment about crime.

I have been to big European cities, and i have been to a big brazilian city. They all have areas you, as a tourist, don't want to be caught around at sundown.

Then you should have better perspectives on it. Crime in the big cities in Brazil is a much MUCH bigger issue than it is in Rome or Barcelona.

Yet Brazil remains one of the biggest tourist destinations on earth. Why is it only an issue when its tournament time?

rincon wrote:

Betty La Fea wrote:

rincon wrote:pls go with this victim complex and misplaced euro hate. Its hilarious to take this "big bad football europe" position since 3 of the last 4 world cups haven't been in europe.

Victim complex? What continent's fans still whine about being cheated by a ref over a decade ago? You can walk up and down USA and never once run into a soccer fan complain about being wronged in world cups. Mention 2002 and see how people go on and on about South Gorea getting help. Or the victim complex of another league finally challenging them for big talent and money.

The fact is players from around the world go to Europe because european leagues are able to pay them what they want to have a nice life. China now also offers this, and people will go over there. These places have their own history, and their own fans, and it is in no way shape or form quitting on your career by playing over there.

There is no "european" opnion on football or "this continent" banding together. Do think England gives a crap if Italy is wronged? Or Germany if France is knocked out? This "us against them" is your own construction.

Of course there is an us against them. England cares about what happens with other european nations because they have an invested interest in them when it comes to spots and power.

UEFA represents a quarter of FIFA, yet receives nearly half of all world cup spots. You compare this to Africa, who also represents roughly a quarter of FIFA, yet they only get about 15% of world cup spots. What part of the game is this?

How did this turn into a Europe vs Rest of the world thread? Robbed is not saying that you can't go to China because it's not Europe, he's saying that [if you play football because you want to be the best] you shouldn't ruin your career by going to a Mickey Mouse league. Obviously to a born competitor like Robbed he can't understand someone that plays only for money, as he states in his interview.

rincon wrote:Lets see the results of this. If you are willing @Betty.

Today, not in 2, 20 or 200 years, how strong (relative to others) are the Chinese league and the Chinese NT?

If AFC got 13 spots like UEFA China would be in the world cup. Always.They don't look good, but they have a new manager so this year is make or break for them.

I don't watch the Chinese league, but I am going to try to start this year.

I see we let Ding Dong FC slide, well done gents. Anyway, football doesn't revolve around Europe in the sense that if European football is to go poof in the morning, I would continue to play and follow other football around the world. That being said, if you want to really see the best football and really show your true worth as a player, Europe is where it is at. No question about that.

As for what Robben said, I wouldn't call it wasting your talent. Sure, that glory of being labelled best in the world would definitely not be available in China but their livelihood would certainly get ridiculously easier with the amount of money they'll make. Certainly not wasting your talent there and yes, it is about the money. Messi ain't getting paid with love and affection, it's in Euros.

Re: which WC was better. I too preferred 2014 over 2006 despite me having a vested interest in the latter. Also, South Korea beat Spain fair and square. Yes, the linesman (from my own nation) messed up big time but Spain did not capitalise on their chances and the ref didn't make Joaquin miss the deciding pk.