Men's Soccer (Football) Thread Soccer • Page 732

The whataboutism is a slippery slope though when it comes to the levels of integrity we’re talking about, when you start going down the path of “man doesn’t all of this just suck” you start losing the poignancy of calling out the seriously bad stuff.

 

Not trying to be whatabout-ist, more just nihilist I guess… #whenemogoestoofar

 

By all means, I’m part of the problem you’re speaking of, tho. I did attend Qatar WC with a full understanding and recognition of what I was implicitly/explicitly supporting. For me, I rationalized it (personally, not saying this is legitimate) by acknowledging it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, both from a travel and sporting perspective. And, on the heels of Covid, just fuck give me something to be happy about.

 

I think there’s a case to be made that European football fans (world football, really) should feel pretty similarly about American ownership groups scooping up teams as they do about nation-backed groups.

 

Very true. Even English ownership groups like Tony Bloom's should get a fair dose of criticism.

 

I’m sure for a small minority of people, race plays a part. But that’s also a convenient shield to hide behind.

The main problem is obviously that these nations have awful human rights records involving modern slavery, mass executions, murder, imprisonment of LGBTQ members, etc.

but ultimately, people don’t like them because it ruins the leagues. Look at the domination of PSG in France and, to a lesser extent, City in England. More so, the money they put in essentially unbalances the entire sport. It’s well known that PSG bought Neymar for such a huge amount of money largely because they wanted to destabilise the market and ensure only clubs like them could afford to buy superstars in the future.

American capitalist investment groups, like those that own about 12 PL teams, also suck and would ideally not be involved, but it’s a different sort of evil. But, one that also needs to be monitored because it’s not far from them having the 14 clubs needed to force through changes.

 

Also, this proves why sportwashing works.

This is a very left leaning website, with accountability threads in several parts of it, and yet when it comes to sports teams suddenly everything is forgiven if they make your team win. And we’d probably all be guilty of doing it if it was our club.

Look at how City fans defend their owners, how Chelsea still sing Abramovich’s name, and PSG players lifting their owner up on their hands on Saturday. Terrible people, but all is forgiven because they made their clubs successful out of nowhere.

 

Apologies in advance as I won't be able to word my post as eloquently as some of the above, but I don't think the divide between American and European/ Rest of the World points of view on the topic can be overstated. And I truly don't mean that in a 'lol yanks' kind of way.

I don't think a lot of Americans truly understand the direct connection many people have with sports teams in other countries. They are, historically, working class institutions. Many owed by the fans, for the fans. Even those that aren't or weren't, they are community assets. Each owner is a custodian for the future. I won't pretend to fully understand it as it's not as much of a thing in Britain, but the European Ultra mindset also.

That culture is alien to many in America. Where a sports team can be picked up and moved overnight. Where all teams are owned by greedy billionaires getting the town council to pay for their vanity project, a billionaires boys club. Billionaires that abuse their workers due to minimal employment rights. The leap from accepting those sorts to state actors and human rights abuses isn't so far.

 

Kind of disappointed Newcastle haven't had a crack here. £18m for him is a great buy.

As for the ownership thing, I'm obviously compromised with the Newcastle situation. I'd rather we weren't owned by a Saudi investment fund. I hate that they keep doing things which tie the club to that state as well (the away kit basically being a Saudi national jersey is particularly miserable), but whilst Newcastle are owned by a particularly nasty state, they haven't distorted the sport in the same way that Chelsea, City and PSG have. Despite the backing, it's all had to be done under pretty tight constraints with PSR (which, whilst not perfect, I think has been positive).

So far as I know, I don't think we've done any dodgy shit so far on the financial side.

Also, the people who have fundamentally changed the behaviour of the club aren't the Saudis. They just provide the backing and reap the benefits. It's quite a weird position to be in, to be both extremely aggrieved that you're owned by an appalling state (and some fans are embarrassingly supportive of that) and also be able to see that he club is just being run sensibly for once.

 

Unrelated to the larger conversation as a whole, but related to this particular post: that’s why college athletics are bigger in the US than most pro sports. So we do have that cultural, “my place” connection with sports. It’s just the collegiate level. I remember telling @Nick about that in a pub in Dublin a few years back after a huge Tennessee-Alabama game I’d just attended.

 

Just some casual laundering going on between Forest and Textor. Nothing to see here. Apparently, all 3 of the players are crap lol

 

Americans on the socials not knowing who Klopp is lol. To be fair, I wouldn't recognise any high profile NFL coaches!

 

I’d recognise Nick Sirianni and that’s it lol.

 

I'm not old enough to remember the last Liverpool to Everton success (not vice versa), but a lot of the older folks I work with keep talking about Kevin Sheedy who is an absolute cult hero by all accounts. Coincidentally, Sheedy was tossed to the side by Liverpool. Their loss, our gain if he plays like he did for Boro and Scotland.

 

Want to be clear that i’m absolutely not hand waving away the criticism of billionaire soulless ownership groups scooping up teams like it’s nothing and the part they play in the erosion of the traditional fan/community culture that is such a big part of why a lot of foreign fans fall in love in the first place. Just think the City and PSG stuff is a level or two worse than the average billionaire ownership stuff.

 

Aaaaaand he’s signed for Barcelona LOL

 

I know it’s a weird situation and Levy has a tough decision to make. But the way he’s gone about it seems like a mess.

They might sack Ange because of how poor we were in the league. They didn’t do in the season because they wanted to give him a chance to win Europa. And then he did. So they give him kind of an ultimatum to keep his job and he delivered. But he still might not keep his job.

Meanwhile, they’re talking to multiple managers about the job. And doing so during the season and in the week after despite Ange still being in the position. Just feels disrespectful and a disjointed way of doing things. It screams that Levy doesn’t know what to do. And chances are he’ll get it wrong whichever way he goes.

 

It’s hard to know how new transfers will mesh with their new club, but based on what City and Liverpool have already done 2 days into the window being open, I think they’re going to run away from the rest of the pack next season. Ridiculous windows.

 

Bias aside, the league needs City to bounce back so the title race goes as close to the wire as possible. I'm saying the same for Arsenal, too. I hope they find their CF.

I've felt this way for ages as my team is years away from challenging for the league.

 

I know I posted this earlier but this tweet has a little more context. A lot happening around the club. Some crazy rumors I don’t believe haha but it’s going to be an interesting summer.

Really hope this investment isn’t the Qatar group that’s been rumored for so long.

 

Also, this really sucks for Palace

 

Brighton of all clubs is a punch in the dick.

 

So it’s a problem for Palace, but not the City Group or Red Bull?

Hmmmm.