The Money League

The present situation which is developing in world football reminded me of "Show me the money" dialogue deliveried by Cuba Gooding Junior in the movie Jerry Mcguire to Tom Cruise. Yes money is important in football, but how much? Till it becomes too much even some of the richest people start crying against it.

When a club becomes a global brand and is followed around the World, it gets a bit disconnected with its own city or the region I guess. Liverpool's population might be around lets say 6 lakhs, so even if the whole city supports Liverpool FC which is obviously not possible as there is Everton, here the business part of football makes an entry and sadly emotion and passion takes a back seat.

The owners who see the clubs from commercial angle think, Yes we are from Liverpool but we can be a Global Club, moolah is there and the best way to reach people around the world is through television. Yes this has already happened and you can find fanatic supporters of Liverpool FC and other big clubs here in India too, some of them might be more passionate than a person who lives next to Anfield. 

For many years clubs have been cashing on this but European Super League has taken a step further by promising to give fans match between top clubs on regular basis, and in that process doubling their income however there has been a huge backlash for this coup of sorts orchestrated by the big 6 clubs. 

I am sure nobody is against money in football but this game is much more than just the cash, this is the very reason why National Teams are not allowed to put sponsor's logo on their shirts. Playing for your nation is considered  something scared which should not be valued by how much money you make but by the pride you feel. Even many club supporters are against too much money coming into their teams and the owners forgetting about the real fans.

The best way forward is probably to maintain a balance between passion and money. Both set of club fans, the local and the global should be kept happy. For a boy from Liverpool it's nothing like going to the Anfield and watching the Reds play, for someone in Mumbai, it's the best way to chillout with friends after a hectic week at a bar watching Liverpool in a crucial Premier League game.

European Super League is biased in this regard as they are just targeting the global fan base of the clubs through Television and other broadcast mediums overlooking the passion of the local fans. However even the large majority of the fans around the world have also condemned this move, some even calling the clubs greedy. Message is loud and clear to the owners of big clubs- don't try to buy us with money, football and clubs means much more to us than just that.