Fantastic piece! Definitely the acquisition of certain clubs by certain individuals posed some questions when that has happened. It is worth noting that to the crisis that is going right now ( or maybe a result of it) is also the disappearance of the concept « the sport for the masses » as it was known in the Eastern Bloc. Clubs were owned by the factories or by certain governmental institution. Stadiums were present everywhere and communities were rallying around their town’s teams. Small towns were able to have incredible teams, such as Flacara Moreni from a small industrial town who qualified for UEFA cup in ‘88 and played against FC Porto.
Unfortunately when the Iron Curtain was destroyed, so did the concept of sports for the masses. The humbleness of players was soon replaced by huge desires for profit, for expensive cars, clothes, etc. The stadiums which were public and accessible to all were privatized, taken over or completely destroyed.
Sport was no longer accessible to the masses, but in order to do it, you needed money. Or you had to be extraordinarily talented and be lucky enough for someone to spot you.
Interesting read. I wonder how your essay would incorporate the underdog success of a team like Leicester City -- was it a Cinderella story or perhaps can the money be triumphed? Additionally I think it would be interesting to take a statistical analysis of the how much money is spent by a time vs how successful their results are. I would assume of course there is a correlation, but potentially it could be diminishing returns.
Finally, I would be interested in a comparison with draft-like sports in the USA. Do balanced teams result in more exciting games? I personally enjoyed watching Messi, Suarez, and Neymar play, which can only be made possibly by the exuberant wealth of a team like FCB.
Fantastic piece! Definitely the acquisition of certain clubs by certain individuals posed some questions when that has happened. It is worth noting that to the crisis that is going right now ( or maybe a result of it) is also the disappearance of the concept « the sport for the masses » as it was known in the Eastern Bloc. Clubs were owned by the factories or by certain governmental institution. Stadiums were present everywhere and communities were rallying around their town’s teams. Small towns were able to have incredible teams, such as Flacara Moreni from a small industrial town who qualified for UEFA cup in ‘88 and played against FC Porto.
Unfortunately when the Iron Curtain was destroyed, so did the concept of sports for the masses. The humbleness of players was soon replaced by huge desires for profit, for expensive cars, clothes, etc. The stadiums which were public and accessible to all were privatized, taken over or completely destroyed.
Sport was no longer accessible to the masses, but in order to do it, you needed money. Or you had to be extraordinarily talented and be lucky enough for someone to spot you.
Interesting read. I wonder how your essay would incorporate the underdog success of a team like Leicester City -- was it a Cinderella story or perhaps can the money be triumphed? Additionally I think it would be interesting to take a statistical analysis of the how much money is spent by a time vs how successful their results are. I would assume of course there is a correlation, but potentially it could be diminishing returns.
Finally, I would be interested in a comparison with draft-like sports in the USA. Do balanced teams result in more exciting games? I personally enjoyed watching Messi, Suarez, and Neymar play, which can only be made possibly by the exuberant wealth of a team like FCB.