[Guest]

How do you all feel about the Barca - Real fight over Figo. It just seems to show that players have less and less loyality to their clubs - look at Barmby at Everton, Anelka at Arsenal etc. Does money talk above all else?

 

[Dae]

I hope that thought didn't just occur to you. ANyone who follows sports knows that money is king. Business is business. I'm surprised Figo did what he did, but then he pulled a simialr bidding war when he left Sporting Lisbon. On second thought, I suppose I'm not too surprised.

 

[Guest]

I know money talks in football and always will but the players are using this more and more to their advantage. Players like Maldini, Baresi and Giannini - one club men- are a dying breed and this makes me sad for the future of football.

 

[theLegend]

We still have Nesta and Totti.

 

[Guest]

Three thoughts on the subject:

1) I hate the fact that money turns out to be the single "rethorical" factor that ALWAYS ends up winning an argue/a negotiation.

2) I love when players show addiction, affection and loyalty to their clubs (for example, my own favourite player in my IFK is "Raggarn", 14 seasons for the team). Likewise, I can understand supporters are getting upset over "disloyal" transfers, like the Figo-case (another example: Lucic, a former IFK-player, went as Bosman-di-merda to Bologna. IFK was left without a penny in compensation. Later Lucic returned to Sweden... to AIK, our worst rival).

3) ...but I cannot understand the unbelivable extent to wich the criticizm are drawn! Figo seems to be compared to the Devil now. A spokesman for a Barca supporter club said: "Figo won't be forgiven even by God." Come on, guys! If a player wants to leave for another club, just let him - they are all free men! When it comes down to it, football is a game played for the fun, it's not about good or evil, right or wrong. We really shouldn't be that quick judging people. Barca was given a FORTUNE for Figo, it was not only a fair deal, IT WAS A SPLENDID AFFAIR made by BARCA!

Conclusion: in my point of view, there isn't THAT much to complain about as long as the club is compensated. What we REALLY should fight is the damn Bosman-rule and the players who uses this rule without any second thoughts. Sometimes these players should sit down and think about the many people who worked FOR FREE - and for the love of football -in their mother clubs, during their years as kids.

 

[Dae]

Come on. Football is their job. Yes, it is a game and should be played with passion, and it is. Just watch Portugal v. France in EC 2000 and tell me Figo doesn't love football and want to win. Players should have the right to go where they want. The Bosman rule is good as far as freedom and commerce go. It does put an end to many players staying with one team forever. What the clubs need to do is create better contracts if they want players to stay forever. Figo isn't Catalan, so to expect him to have some huge loyalty is silly. He does have a stronger feeling for Sporting CP, but of course, they could never pay his salary. What I don't like about the Figo affair is that everyone involved (Figo, club presidents etc.) tried to manipulate and use each other. It makes the entire thing stink.

No one really loses in this deal. Yes, you can say the fans were the only victims, but think about that. What do the fans really lose? What do we suffer? Nothing! We'll find somebody else to cheer. We always do.

 

[Guest]

There is so much money in football now days that the Figo story is hardly surprising and for the sort of money involved you can hardly blame him for leaving.
I agree it is extremely frustrating for fans though.

Take Arsenal for example, last season an Arsenal supporter would have gone to Wembley to cheer on Overmars and Petit against Barcelona, this week Arsenal play Barcelona and Overmars and Petit will be playing against them.

In my opinion it turns the game into a farce but the sad reality is so long as football continues to generate the revenue that it does it will always be a major part of the game.

 

[Guest]

I feel sick about the way Figo leave Barcelona. It's kind of betrayal. If he just simply told the fans that he wanted to leave and ask the club to release him, no one would criticise him. But he'd signed a pre-contract secretly and even said he wouldn't move to Real Madrid and was angry about being used by Perez before Perez won the election. Shame on him. I used to thought he's a great player, but now I think he doesn't deserve any respect from the fans. If I was a fan of Barcelona, I might have assassinated him.
I really hate the fact that now money rules the sports world. Does anybody behave like a sportsman anymore??