The Dehumanisation of Footballers

There are lots of different ways in which we view and talk about footballers, whether that be their position, how they play the game, or what they are worth, but we rarely talk about them, or view them, through the lens of them being human beings.
In this video, HITC Sevens takes a look at the language that we use to describe football / soccer players, the consequences of that culture particularly for released academy and youth team players, and the mental health crisis that no one talks about.

[@od9694]

I'll never loose respect for Alfie's ability to drag out an intro for an almost offensive amount of time

[@tomashalusek9181]

I don't think your respect is worth all that much considering that you can't even spell the word lose properly.

[@daithimcnally8212]

its a talent in of itself

[@citizensnips2348]

It really annoyed me when I first started watching his videos. But it's starting to grow on me.

[@daithimcnally8212]

@@citizensnips2348 its part of the charm

[@kingdaniel69]

I always think that. Get on with it.

[@96wtfomg]

My most disliked phrase is the "stick to football" each time a player tries to take a stance on some issue, just like any normal citizen with an opinion does

[@soundscape26]

Totally. And as an F1 fan I'm also used to hear that regarding the drivers as if their sole purpose was to entertain us. They are citizens too.

[@ethandalton6480]

Bamford has summed this dumb argument up perfectly. Everyone has a life outside of their job. Would people prefer footballers to use their platform to talk about things like mental health or the environment, or go out drinking and doing drugs every night?

[@markwilson5967]

Well said!!! I agree!!!

[@xavier1752]

Not all stances are positive and beneficial though. Footballers have very impressionable audiences as seen by the Romain Molina leaks. Footballers are rarely ever educated (nor have to be) on various political issues and additionally, it isn’t that advantageous in sport in general to be very intelligent. So much of the time it’s footballers or famous individuals spouting nonsense that really don’t have a grasp of to an audience that can’t relate to them or will accept/believe what they have to say because they revere these people (a problem in it of itself). This is more common and problematic in places where governments are more authoritarian. For example, much of the Brazil national team are supporters of Bolsonaro, a corrupt despot who doesn’t even believe in Covid. If/When they peddle these coerced stances on their local base, it can genuinely be a very serious issue so I don’t know if I can agree with your statement

[@cyn1clcynide]

@@xavier1752 They probably support Bolsenero because they don't have much other choice.

[@seriousYoutubeChannel]

My dad was a former professional footballer im the 80s and in Brazil in the São Paulo state second division and he always tells me football is an ungrateful sport he’s seen so many stories of former teammates in his youth academy and club going crazy on the street because they never made it big or himself almost quitting because he kept getting rejected luckily he persisted enough and managed to play a couple a years.He has a story of when he was at his youth academy for a football club called caldense who plays for the 4th tier in Brazil and compete against cruzeiro and athletico mg in the Minas state division he had a teammate called fugera who was an extremely talented player he was gonna go to Vasco but in the 80s players had no power so the club didn’t let him go and he went nuts.This is probably why always I’ve thought about footballers off the pitch when they make a mistake on the field sorry for the long comment but I wanted to share this.have a good day Alfie

[@moonwolf8470]

Your dad is GOATed boi

[@markwilson5967]

Thanks for sharing, I had no idea.

[@ywoulduchoosetousethis]

All professional sports.

[@martypines9704]

I remember hearing how at Mainz, under Klopp, they insisted on academic development and job training alomngide football. They had a whole programme to help those who didn't make it as footballers into the world of employment. Their view was that it was the club's duty to support their young players transition out of football if that was what happened to them. I don't think many of our UK clubs are that repsonsible.

[@enviousshade1770]

More reason to love klopp

[@lalitthapa101]

We dehumanize not only footballers but personalities like actors,singers,etc in general. And social media has only fueled this dehumanization and abuse.

[@stijnlintsen300]

Definitely. And the other side if that medal is the deification of the same people, where their fans become almost blind to all of their human flaws

[@dimsan5]

Social Media has certainly amplified it , but as Alfie was getting at towards the end the issues of dehumanisation has more history to it than just social media and is linked far more into how we view these people just as assets . Newspapers and media has far more of the blame than social media . Social media reflects the culture set by those institutions.

[@anon131]

they deserve it, actors, athletes and personalities think they're above the public think they can dictate to the public, tell them how to live, tell us what we can do and say, what they can't do or say, all the woke crap they spew, most are groomers and offenders, they deserve no respect or pity, multimillionaire delusional uneducated clowns that should just know their ace do what they're paid for an go live their life in the quiet they so wish for

[@achry907]

agreed ........

[@markwilson5967]

But look how much some get paid weekly!!!!

[@jamescooper3739]

14:46 I can remember when west brom played west hame away maybe 4/5 years ago, a west ham fan had shouted "You can't blame your cocaine addiction on your dead daughter". Livermore then reacted and tried to confront the fan. The newspapers the next morning all had headlines detailing the fact he left the bench to go into the crowd, and confront the fan, however, 90% of the reports never mentioned the reason why he went into the crowd, as that probably wouldn't sell a paper as well as a controversial story about a footballer trying to fight a fan

[@ndumisotembe2460]

Looking at how fans behave in Twitter, this is still a huge problem.

[@barbarian92]

I mean, Twitter by itself is a cesspool. No surprise that sports fans (in general) take things too far.

[@thomasmahoney4991]

@@barbarian92 Spot on. People give Twitter and the opinions shared on there far more attention than they deserve

[@rohithraman6488]

Not just football, Twitter in general.

[@thomasmahoney4991]

@@rohithraman6488 couldn't agree more

[@alohatigers1199]

Social media is not the problem. It is a tool. A tool that allows people to show their emotion to the world, both good and bad. It’s like saying guns are the problem. That’s up to you to decide if guns are the problem. I’m not starting this argument

[@jonathanisyeah]

Finally somebody addresses this. They judge players as if they aren’t human. The fans, the media and even the higher-ups treat them like they’re superhuman or something.

[@marianschoeller8764]

The reason why fans do this and people in any other aspect of life tend to do this is because they are completely clueless on how excellence is developped. They always assume its matter of "hard work" or talent and then some form of intangible "tactical brilliance". Where as in any walk of life talent can play a role, but how anyone else develops a skill is by developing good habbits (mechanics) and turning them into a somewhat automatic process. Once you reach and maintain a level of high mechanical excellence only then you have full space in your head to think about stuff on fly. But even that often isnt the case. You very rarely dont get enough time to think during a match, more often then not its the on fly creativity that seperates some players. You have to be creative and or risk taker. Any competition is often enough more of a poker match combined with mechanical element rather than chess match. What however having extra free space in your head allows you to, is to then wearstand the possible mental hardships during a game (missing a pass, getting off guard etc.). So the reason why fans get it twisted is because they only see the both extreme of spectrum. Lets say mechanical prowess accounts for 20% of the game then theres about 60% is the mental battle which I mentioned (be it concentration demands or mental hardship demands) and then you have another 15-20% which is "tactical brilliance". Fans completely neglect the middle part which is the 60% and only understand the both extreme of spectrums and there for they then end up calling players stupid, unable complete a pass etc. cause they cant see the mental aspect of any discipline.

[@mancunioner]

They're paid an extortionate amount of money to effectively play a game. They work 4-6 hour days and then get to retire at the age of 35 with millions in the bank. There's people in professions like nursing and policing in particular who are viewed as nothing more than a uniform, get paid a pittance and get physical and verbal abuse from people, to their face, not online. I can guarantee any one who does either of those jobs would give their left arm to swap with the footballers, but can't imagine any footballers who would

[@jesuisunstroopwafel]

Superhuman AND unable to made mistakes.

[@seans4961]

@@mancunioner lol cops have a cushy job with a power trip

[@alexthesb2241]

@@mancunioner and that makes abuding footballers, or anyone okay then? Really?

[@madridfan89]

People are quick to criticize Ronaldo without remembering he's still grieving a baby boy he lost, but it's not just him you see other players like Adriano that was criticized for his weight and performances when he was drinking heavily because he had just lost his father

[@Diego-mk8xn]

Hopefully we can reach a point in football where a all tear is treated the same way as mental health anguish.

[@WERTYUIO821]

I don't remember Adriano being criticized? He was mostly acted similarly to how people acted with Ronaldo "If only X didn't happen, we would have an amazing player" style

[@gabsnandes7818]

@@WERTYUIO821 I'm Brazilian, Adriano was scrutinized to no end

[@xavier1752]

If anything Ronaldo needs much more criticism and way less praise

[@vaughncoolman8273]

The way that Man City dealt with David Silva when he experienced a medical issue with his son Mateo was a good example of looking out for the player, but i can't think of another one, even from City.

[@ciudadano1995]

Because is a new issue and clubs still don't get a hold in how important it is to treat players as human beings. At least city is a club very fond to evolution for marketing reasons so the young lad situation must set an example to improve certain matters soon.

[@rohithraman6488]

That was extremely admirable from City

[@vaughncoolman8273]

@@rohithraman6488 it was, gets me in my feels every time i think about it, luckily Mateo is healthy now

[@bestrafung2754]

I'm a City fan and I remember we also let Pablo Zabaleta take a break from football and go back to Argentina for a bit because his dad was ill or something.

[@sirsurnamethefirstofhisnam7986]

But you didn’t get Yaya Toure a birthday cake you heartless monsters?!?!

[@BenaldoCR7]

There was a fantastic article in the Athletic speaking to Charlie Scott, a lad who I played against at high school level: He was an ex Man United academy player in the same age group as Marcus Rashford but was released at 18. He now plays in Hong Kong but had real issues with his mind after his release.

[@fadhilideche2831]

Everyone asks what Neymar is doing. But no one asks how is Neymar doing.

[@fsfaith]

One of the most sickening things is that mental health is still viewed by a lot of people as "not a real illness". It is a very real thing and a lot of the time it is beneath the surface. And with regard to the switching their brain off thing. Maybe at the time they're fine. But later on it may manifest as things might leak into your subconscious. That said these kinds of latent manifestations tend to happen when you're younger but it doesn't mean it won't happen when you're more mature.

[@Yash-zg3dp]

Ferran Torres for example was crying after having a meh game against Napoli but fans instead of supporting him said he has a weak mentality like wtf players can't even show emotions now

[@Lucky-sh1dm]

I’m sorry but these footballers literally are getting paid like 10-50k a week in some cases I don’t give a flying fuck about their “mental health”. the real people with mental health issues are the working class backbone of every country who for the last couple years have been treated nothing less than an average lab rat and have been gas lit and manipulated by a media apparatus that is actively trying to stimulate pain and hate. The people who are living day to day in that system are the real heroes and the real ones who are struggling. These fucking pre Madonnas who get oil money thrown at them out the ass all for just simply keeping their cardio up and being able to play a child’s game don’t deserve any consideration and when they get abuse that’s part of the contract. If it literally pains them so much of being a failure and being recognized they can just move to America where literally Karius could walk around scott free and not have to give a fuck. These footballers are losers and take their dicks outta your mouths

[@nigget-tv-videos4135]

people understand it is real illness, however they can get best treatments etc, while the avg man/women has to wait over 1 year . thats what peoples general point is

[@dairebeare7839]

Or that once you have a certain income level you are magically immune from mental illness. If you think about it, having a job where millions of people judge you and call you shit every week, where you’re always one injury away from retirement, and where you’re retired at 35 with few life skills, none of that makes for good mental health.

[@mancunioner]

@@dairebeare7839 the lack of life skills are pretty irrelevant though when you’re 35 and have about £20m+ in the bank

[@bricktop.]

Anyone else seen that video with CR7 where he says he's never been able to take his son to the park? That's really sad that a parent can't do that without a thousand idiots shoving a phone in his face.

[@sukhdevr3489]

He could try a really good disguise lol.

[@JohnnyMaverik]

He can buy the fucking park, cry me a river.

[@joshuab9226]

Reminds me of one of Eric Garcia’s first games for Barça, against Athletic Club where he had a really bad game, and people were hating on him, but it turns out he’d just found out that morning before the game that his grandpa, who he was close to, had passed away.

[@chillipowder0169]

Great video Alfie. As a United fan I'm really unnerved by some of the dehumanising criticism directed at Marcus Rashford by some other people in the fan base. People have called him "useless," and have made the claim that he "doesn't care about United because he doesn't run" even though he's returned from a series of injuries (fractured vertebrae, floating bone in his ankle, and general fatigue and wear). Some have even called him a PR merchant, and a "sulker" because he hasn't been wearing a rictus grin on his face and sprinting up and down the pitch like a madman every time he plays This is after the fact that Marcus has been in double figures for goals in the Premier League for 3 seasons running, and was pretty much our best player (until Bruno Fernandes and CR7 came into the fold). The man is clearly going through some trouble, mentally and physically, but he's still received a torrent of abuse in online spaces, which I'm sure he's aware of. It's maddening. Like you said, footballers are humans, not machines just designed to play and fade out when the match is over. Some fans just can't empathise.

[@jamesfriel2166]

Same with Maguire, he performed well for united for a few years. But now is the subject of constant abuse and ridicule and people expect him to brush it all off and start improving again. Wouldn't surprise me if quite a few of the united players have developed mental health issues over the last year.

[@pratosaurusrex1128]

@@jamesfriel2166 while I agree with what you have said this highlights that it’s not just fans and the media, but the football clubs and the FA themselves that should be accused of dehumanisation. If this were a company in any other industry, and their main staff are experiencing mental health struggles, more care would be taken to attempt to help them overcome this, including allowing them to take some time away from the front line to concentrate on these issues. In the case of Rashford and Maguire, they have both been starting many games when their performances show that they shouldn’t be there. I wouldn’t blame them if the reason for their bad performances is down to mental health struggles. The FA/UEFA and FIFA have also created this environment with the constant international games and friendlies effectively to line their pockets. In the 2000’s every other off season was time for players to detach from the game and recharge. They don’t get that now with the Nations League taking up that time off.

[@soundscape26]

@@pratosaurusrex1128 Agree with you in this last point... this League of Nations is the most unecessary competition ever.

[@WERTYUIO821]

@@jamesfriel2166 He didn't perform well... . He performed as well as Karius did for Liverpool before the Champions League final. You win but your opponent score 2 goals. Then the fans try desperately to tell everyone that your players is the best in the world through "stats"

[@chillipowder0169]

@@WERTYUIO821 but that wasn't even the case with Maguire though? He was a mainstay for Leicester and for England, and was targeted by Guardiola for City because of his defensive and passing abilities. Solskjaer signed him, and we transitioned from a counter-attacking style to a more possession-based, proactive style, which we didn't have the personnel or tactical nous to execute. Nonetheless Maguire was in the team of the tournament for Euro 2021, and for the 2018 World Cup. It's not Maldini or Puyol levels, but it's hardly fair to call it Karius-level disastrous.

[@travislevison6074]

I find this really interesting. I also recently had this same realisation with the whole pochetino-PSG saga. For months and months reporters and fans (including myself) have been speculating and reporting about him being sacked by the club, how he is hated by the players, the fans, and the owners. Only recently did it occur to me that all of this publicity is about a man- with a family, with loads of pressure on his back, with a LIFE- and we’re talking about him losing his job like it’s nothing. Obviously it’s not the same as an ordinary person losing their job due to the ridiculous payout and wages they receive, however it’s still a very odd concept and could have a substantial impact on their Mental health

[@pjkerrigan20]

Alfie continues to make the most consistent and relevant content in all of football. Not enough people talk about this issue, I think it comes down to a lack of empathy in the sport. That is a reflection of our societies too tho, we are chronically losing basic empathy on an international level. Not only do we need to treat footballers more as humans, but we need to do better at treating ALL people as humans. Oddly enough, I think Ted Lasso is really relevant as an example here. The show’s main themes are mental health, human connections, the familial nature of sports teams, and the complex inner lives of all people. I think watching the show legitimately made me a more empathetic football fan. It’s a thoughtful, well-written, and wonderfully down-to-earth show that should be a must watch for fans of the beautiful game. Sadly, I think many of the people who would most benefit from understanding the show’s perspective are the same people that’ll write it off and never watch it bc it’s an American show with a ridiculous concept.

[@libby_b0145]

Society dehumanises footballers, along with pretty much every famous person. Whether they are an athlete, singer or actor. It’s like we think “oh they’re really rich and successful, they don’t have feelings or struggles like the rest of us”.

[@Diego-mk8xn]

Sometimes I believe people forget what sonder means. That everyone you pass by on your way to the market has lived just as complex, horrible, and beautiful life as you do. Hopefully with time we can change these perspectives

[@soundscape26]

Great video Alfie. This is a topic I often address with some of those around me and the argument is invariably the same... "they earn millions so they can take whatever". I would send them this video but most people nowadays have the attention span of a goldfish so they would only watch the first 5 minutes. Thanks for the video and, as always, for your social conscience.

[@mancunioner]

what about nurses and police officers who earn £25k a year to be physically and verbally abused then?

[@soundscape26]

@@mancunioner That's one big whataboutism there, but fine... of course both nurses and police officers are worthy of the same respect as well, but Alfie's video is not about them.

[@stephenkoshy3127]

@@mancunioner rather than putting forward a deflective case of whataboutism. We as a society ought to be more empathetic towards people in general regardless of their standing.

[@mancunioner]

@@soundscape26 whataboutism. such a pathetic word. Na his video isn't. He chooses the low hanging fruit instead

[@mancunioner]

@@stephenkoshy3127 whats your point?

[@890nunu]

and this is why this is the best channel on this website. thank you for always speaking up on important, yet not widely discussed topics, alfie. i’ve been a proud subscriber for more than a few years now and i grow prouder every day. much love.

[@leehaseley2164]

Teacher here. You got it bloody spot on🤣🤣🤣

[@adambrianhughes6242]

Hey Alfie great video. The reason why people don’t consider players mental health or whatever goes on in their lives is that they watch football for the sport and judge the players based on their performances. Mental health in general only becomes an major talking point when someone commits suicide or attempts suicide. As humans we only care for what happens in our own lives and not what happens in everyone else’s lives as we don’t have time to focus on what everyone else is doing as we have our own priorities and commitments.

[@rohithraman6488]

Great video Alfie. I'm sick of people expecting footballers to sprout wings and walk on water just cause of how much they are paid

[@TheBallProphet]

Thank you for this vid Alfie As an aspiring sports agent and entrepreneur from Nigeria that wants to keep my dream untainted by greed, this is a great insight into how to go about treating young footballers

[@Hilversumborn]

One of your best works so far Alfie.

[@abduladheemal-saedi]

As a young academy footballer who’s trying to find a club who struggled with injuries and personal problems which resulted in my worst season ever (this season) especially I’m not one of the players who play at a big global academy I could relate to so much to this, so thank you for showing others about our perspective. :P

[@danielkarmy4893]

'While there is acknowledgement of the fact that mental health as a concept exists in football now' - Alfie, within our society, there is still very little acknowledgement of the fact that mental health, and mental illness, exist at all. We're pretty much the same age, so you'll also remember the days when understanding - and people's capacity for understanding - genuinely was zero, but I'm afraid it's still barely registering on the scale here in 2022. There is so much further to go, as you so eloquently point out in this video.

[@lthecatt9667]

This is why the "loyalty over money" crowd annoys me. They act as if they would be loyal to their current job if a new job offered them double the pay. Football is a job for the footballers

[@bricktop.]

Bloody hell, if you want the perfect example of those idiots, just click on the comments of literally ANY real Madrid/ Mbappe video. Absolute cretins spouting utter drivel about loyalty.

[@kitotapgono1467]

Exactly, that is why the crowd going after Mbappe need to be honest with themselves. Plus that money secured the financial stability and better opportunity structures for the people who are REALLY loyal to him. His close friends and relatives.

[@constablekennedy7705]

Scrutiny is part and parcel of Life especially for those in the Spotlight but some Fans take it way too far often times …. ⚽️

[@arzhi_azis]

Day 274: Indonesia XI If All Eligible Players Had Declared For Them.

[@Diego-mk8xn]

Keep going king.

[@YashMezzala]

Nasi Goreng appreciation comment

[@realkaibr]

one day

[@hi-rr2vm]

Keep dreaming bocah

[@EMarinoTrumpet]

You are right, people here in the USA criticize the sports system in other countries. However, parents here also push their children into sports and in many cases to the detriment of their education. You have parents pushing their girls with cheerleading from a very young age. American Football players that suffer concussions and torn knees at a very young age all to win a high school championship. In some areas and schools, successful athletes don't have to try in their academics. Even if they then make it to play in university, the guy who recruits you may not be the guy who coaches you. Also, college sports here have all sorts of complicated rules that limit what a coach can do to help the athlete. Then not all these kids get a scholarship and live a life full of trauma and regret. I say the sports culture in the USA is as toxic as anywhere else.

[@hijisfriend9030]

Remember a stat, 60% NBA player after they retired go broke. it's most caused by shitty financial management and depression

[@achry907]

This is a very important thing you have discussed .. not only football players but almost every sportsmen playing any sports can suffer through the same .....

[@joaopedrooliveira590]

Every football fan should watch this video.

[@Brendanvio]

Superb video. This has been an issue, although hidden from public view, for years. Great stuff bringing it up, those kids deserved better.

[@sidosh2229]

Day 40: Considering that the last player who played in the miracle of Bern died about 6 months ago, I would really like to see a video about the whole story between Germany and Hungary, especially because it meant so much to at least the German population

[@archipiratta]

Much-needed video this one! I hope it catches the eyeballs of those in positions of influencing this space

[@chrisojala1207]

A documentary on the evolution of the football (yes the actual ball)

[@stain4128]

This would be cool

[@ZacheryAlgaze]

I also think it's important to remember there are plenty of stories of professional, semi-professional, and amateur football players that were explicitly encouraged either by friends or family or coaches that are encouraged to sacrifice everything to potentially become professional. Can you imagine from the age of 7 like Lionel Messi being told you are going to be world class? Or imagine being Freddy Adu and playing at 13 or 14 years old

[@myrice101]

King Alfie 👑 5:40 i remember this and am thankful you brought that to light, people forget players are people

[@Diego-mk8xn]

It really is heart breaking situation. No one should be left out in the rain like that where they have to find there own shelter. Many can't. Hopefully the more we talk about mental health in sports the more serious it will be taken and hopefully this will lead to footballers taking the steps they need to help themselves before its to late.

[@dvdv8197]

0:37 Shout-out to Eden Hazard who had a great game vs. Poland over the weekend and shows some signs that he might just be about to make a huge comeback next season! 👍👏

[@92mrcheese]

Well done for getting fit enough to be able to perform adequately, only taken two years.

[@Football_Unlimited]

@@92mrcheese there’s an irony of making this comment in the comment section of this video…….

[@dvdv8197]

@@Football_Unlimited right? Lmao 😂😂

[@01JGill]

I remember speaking to Julio Baptista a few years back - he mentioned how being dubbed as a Brazilian wonderkid by the English media completely messed with his psychee and effected his playing ability no end due to him feeling too much pressure to perform

[@mrtanguelst1808]

Gilberto silva? Do you mean Denilson

[@01JGill]

@@mrtanguelst1808 Mind slipped, actually meant Julio Baptista!

[@lc1540]

I think after the recent few months, people should come back to this video. The way Ronaldo was treated in the 22/23 season by Man Utd (thinking he was lying about his son and sick newborn, refusing to let him take time off or leave the club, only to not even play him), not to mention by their fans; his clear drop in mental health, which he admitted to seeking help for, and, going on from that, his treatement after the WC and Al Nassr, all of which have been absolutely disgusting... even more so the way that media were capitalising on all of this for money and views.

[@Jack-hb4dm]

When I reached an age where the only way to continue playing competitive amateur football was in an adult team, I had no chance as a 5ft 6, weak and skinny centre back against the 6ft plus, jacked up angry men who have 10 years experience on me, I made a decision. I started coaching at my former team as a 16 year old. I’ve now got my badges and have been coaching ever since. And in my 7 years as a coach, I’ve lost count at how many times I’ve seen professional academys take clubs best players, tell them they’re too good to be there, stick them in development for a few seasons, and then tell them they’re too short, or too skinny, or that they’re not good enough. And then the kid has a hard time finding another amateur team, and if they do find one, they’re not used to the lower quality pitches, or they don’t fit in with the other players. And it destroys their love for the game. So a young lad who has good potential, fits in with the team, has friends in the team, and is comfortable. Just for them to get lured away with promises of a chance to become pro, but half the time, the academy has absolutely no intention of ever offering that kid a contract, and they’re just there so that the 1-2 players they actually care about has a decent team to play in so they can see how good they are. And then the other 12-14 lads get told to do one, and all they’ve built up over the years is ruined

[@connorryan7048]

Psychology & Mental Health of athletes is something not spoken about enough - so this is awesome.

[@russellkwaramba8433]

Oustanding piece of work Alfie 👏🏾 one of your best videos and talking about issues other football content creators or journalists would not dream of espousing

[@thomasjohnson2862]

Alfie, could you do a video on the united leagues proposal, including the idea to merge the Dutch and Belgian top flights? In a sport dominated by a small number of teams in 5 leagues, clubs from smaller countries have no chance of consistently competing, if at all, unless the size and quality of their domestic league is expanded, and for smaller countries, the only way to do this is to unite with other countries. Scandinavian, or Eastern and Central European leagues could be other suggestions. It's a little like when the Soviet top flight existed, and you had teams from smaller Soviet republics like Georgia or Armenia get huge crowds against Russia and Ukraine's top teams.

[@eashansaju8106]

would like to see this too

[@GuntherSDoumson2178]

Will never happen because we lose our Europa spots. There is already a KZbin video from fiago about this idea.

[@thomasjohnson2862]

@@GuntherSDoumson2178 You might have to lose some Europa spots, but you get a higher quality of domestic league in exchange. Plus when Dutch/Belgian teams do qualify for Europe, they'll be more competitive than they are now, so teams might not qualify for Europe as frequently as they do now, but when they do, they'll be more competitive and advance further in European competitions. Quality over quantity.

[@GuntherSDoumson2178]

@@thomasjohnson2862 Problem is that Belgians and Dutch people only support their own teams. On a sporting level there is a fierce rivalry. Dutch people will not be rooting for Anderlecht or Bruges and vice versa.

[@thomasjohnson2862]

@@GuntherSDoumson2178 Just watched the Fiago video, which was largely in favour of the idea. You say Belgians and Dutch only support their own teams, but that's the same in other countries - you don't see Barcelona supporting Real Madrid in Europe and vice-versa, for instance. But ironically, the reason Barcelona and Real Madrid are both so strong is partly because of each other's existence. Don't think it will happen, but if Catalonia became an independent country and Barcelona left La Liga, Real Madrid would certainly suffer too. That's why from what I understand, all the top clubs in the Netherlands and Belgium are in favour of the Beneliga.

[@JiteshPK]

This is hands down the best football related channel on KZbin.

[@windofhorus666]

Another factor not discussed in the video is transfers, knowing a player will have to relocate their family, kids leaving the friends from school behind, potentially having to learn a new language, is often taken for granted by us fans of the game. A player's transfer may on occasion be forced by the club, and if the transfer isn't a success it's easy to forget the player may be unsettled for those reasons.

[@alkazaryyy]

great and important video. Brought tears to my eyes.

[@MrBazzdoc]

Another great video, Alfie. Thanks for continuing to shine a light on football's more obscure, but possibly more important, aspects. From mental health, to civil rights, to corruption, and everywhere in between, you bring the narrative to us with the only bias seemingly being the truth. Well played, sir, and keep on ignoring the haters

[@middlesizeyoda3167]

This was one of your all time best videos Keep up the good work alfie

[@CMCM16116]

I’ve been waiting for someone to make a video like this for ages I’m so happy it’s being addressed

[@NaZtRdAmUs]

One of the problems is selling these youngsters a dream and then pulling the rug from then without any back up plan.

[@tomashalusek9181]

That's what life does in general. They are selling you a dream of being successful and happy. WHile life is mostly suffering and them inevitable death. Normally a painful one. Enjoy!

[@ernestowilliams9124]

One of the best HITC videos ever released

[@segafreak2000]

This reminds me of a discussion I've been involved in many years ago, way back when I was still in highschool. We've had a lot of fans of the sport in the year and used to talk about it quite frequently, and it helped that there's been fans of a lot of different Bundesliga clubs among us, not just all of them for a single club. In 2007, we were around 13~14 around the time, a player called Sebastian Deisler retired over here at the age of 27 - injuries plagued him a lot over the years, he didn't trust his body anymore, and depression has been plaguing him. Here in Germany he was always considered to be a hopeful, and after Michael Ballack left Bayern for Chelsea, he was supposed to replace him. The discussion back then left an impression on me for two reasons - one of them being that some people called him ungrateful for all the support he received from the club, and that he should have kept going. A similar thing happened when Ivan Klasnic left my favorite club, Werder Bremen, a while later - he needed several kidney transplants beforehand and the club supported him with that, so I remember some idiots calling him ungrateful because of that (later it became known that there was malpractice from Werder's team doctors though which actually made his kidneys weaker, so that always gives you a lesson about how you should never judge without knowing all the circumstances). Anyways, back to Deisler. That was the time around which Messi and Ronaldo started to bloom and take the world by storm with their performances. Clubs were suddenly on the look for who could be the next Ronaldo, the next Messi, and it was around the time that the first investors have come into the top leagues (because of course, Chelsea was already a thing back then, for example). The second reason this statement left an impression on me was because one classmate, young as he was back then, left quite a sobering statement back then - that this is going to get worse, because of exactly this boom through Messi and Ronaldo. Because clubs want more and more of those young talents, whether they can later live up to the hype or not. That popped up again after the whole Klasnic thing, and after Robert Enke committed suicide (again, because of depression), he stopped watching or following the sport entirely despite being the most obsessed with it until then. And yeah. Things arguably got worse since then. Yeah, we have slightly better awareness of mental health. But players get hyped up more and more as everyone looks for the new golden star that can kick off a new era like Messi and Ronaldo did back then. More money than ever flows into the sport, more games than ever before are being played, the press gets louder and louder... and of course, yes. Players are suddenly cut off after their career without any apparent course of career left (not everyone can, or wants to become a pundit, and only a small fraction is popular enough to still get sponsor deals afterwards). It makes you appreciate the more uncommon careers like that of Miroslav Klose, who actually learned a trade before becoming a professional player because his old team told him he wouldn't make the cut among the pros and that he should quit while he was still young - that makes his story as a late-bloomer all the better for the fans, of course, but more importantly, you can tell that it grounded him as a person. Later he mentioned in interviews that he remembered the time when he learned his trade very fondly.

[@thtben]

I was a low-level Basketball coach for a while (in Germany). I had the opportunity to have a workshop with the head coach of a professional club's youth department, participating in the highest youth leagues. He was a fairly young guy with a deep love of the game, but he said one thing that killed off my interest in being a coach at a higher level: He said they ran the federal youth leagues so that the tiny percentage of their players who will be professionals can have competent competition. Countless young guys sacrificing a lot of very formative teenage years so that a handful can end up in the top tier...

[@ViddeBrorsson]

This is so true. Thank you for making these interesting videos about important topics, Alfie!

[@matthewsmith6288]

One of your best videos by far. Thank you so much for providing such an eloquent analysis on how dystopian our perspective towards footballers is.

[@Ese96Agoaye]

0:08 To this day, I still have no idea how Nigel De Jong only got booked for that. TWO red cards in my book!

[@LeDardeursPalace]

Cause fuck Spain, that's why.

[@nicocorbo4153]

yet again. very thankful for you shining a light on an underrepresented issue. great work Alfie

[@brentjorgenson8593]

This, man. All of this. Everything you said applies exactly the same to my home country, and your commentary never ceases to make me feel a bit better about the way I feel about this shit.

[@Josh-pj7tq]

I think you've missed the mark on this one Alfie. Its common knowledge that human footballers have been done away with since 2014.

[@benday1218]

birds aren't real either.

[@orlogskapten4161]

awesome vid. I am a football fan but I never talk about football with football fans because they almost all dehumanize players.

[@diyanshu5573]

Alfie should start a podcast. His voice is so soothing

[@Emlington]

As a teacher, I found this video funny (the teacher bit) and sad in equal parts. Love you and your content, Alfie. ❤️

[@chrisomarm]

What incredible insight. I’ve stopped watching football related videos but Alfie never disappoints so I always have to click on these videos

[@Mzakt71]

This is one of the finest breakdowns of the mentality surrounding football I've ever seen. Its insane that the media has conditioned us to completely disregard basic human principles when talking about footballers, managers, referees, even fans. The way media kills nuance and leaves no room for debate is disgusting.

[@georgef822]

Love this video. So many fans are ignorant and forget that footballers are ultimately human beings with the same emotions as us all. They think just because they get paid very well that should just be completely robotic in return. And it's all fuelled by the media and snobbery. I don't see anyone ever going after the crazy salaries that Golfers or F1 Drivers earn...And there's a reason for that. Even more ridiculous is when they say "but I work 40 hours a week bla bla bla." No!, there isn't any job that is remotely comparable in terms of energy being used, compared to being a professional athlete where you have to keep in peak shape day in day out.

[@citizensnips2348]

Clubs could easily fund youth players through university or an apprenticeship as they get older, regardless of their success. Be good for them anyway, and it would be a great safety net for injured players

[@johnnymulossa4177]

When I was a teen, I used to see real players in the same way I saw them in my video game consoles, just high rated immortal chess pieces to win games. Thanks for your video, this is a great reminder that they are just as human, and as prone to failure as they rest of us, and thus need to be criticized with some grace 🙏

[@Yash-zg3dp]

One of the best videos out there Alfie! Thank you for talking about this issue

[@BitigoBlack]

This drove me away from football in 2015 (I believe). The way Real Madrid allowed Iker Casillas to leave without fanfare hit me hard. I used to follow games every week, the championship league, etc.... But I was so disgusted.....that I just dropped all interest for ⚽️ for years...except playing on and off with friends. Saw the 2018 and 2022 world cups....this last one has pushed me back to the football life. Thankfully.

[@felixbache5369]

The fact that someone like Harry Maguire is bullied daily by major social media sites and countless users is just sad. He is a footballer who is on a bad run of form, but the way people talk about him you would think he had killed someone. smh

[@Diego-mk8xn]

As LFC supporter there is nothing more I love then taking the piss out of Man Utd but I 100% agree on the maguire take. I do believe he gets to way to much shit from the media and fans. I don't care how strong minded you are but if you look your name up and it nonstop talking about shit you are as a player it has to be super tough. I think maguire might be the perfect example of how people treat footballers as objects and not as human

[@bricktop.]

And those same people would then mob him and try and get photos with him if that saw him in public.

[@Diego-mk8xn]

@@bricktop. based

[@Sand926e1]

I was just thinking about this the other day. Thank you for making a video on this topic.

[@blueexpresstv5401]

This is perhaps, you greatest video to date! Well done chap!

[@MAVJ]

It wasnt like this when i was a kid (at least not where I grew up) and we may not have said "academy system" or its equivalence in the US, but youth development when it comes to sports is just as crazy here. As someone who has a cousin who excels in soccer and a nephew who is a football stand out, the requirements and insane pressure that is put on them by their coaches is mental. They're both not even pre-teens and the schedule they try and maintain seems soul crushing. Their love of love of the game is the only reason they still do it, but what if or how long til that fades? It's insane

[@OfficialFingazMC]

A video about the success story of Port Vale since Carol Shanahan took over, considering we just won the playoff final.Her charity work, bringing in Darrell Clark, then the things he went through this season. Plus we were on a winning streak and 1 point off the playoffs and she voted to end the first covid season early.

[@TheDMVRobB]

Another good retrospective on footballers’ personal lives…well done Alfie 👍🏽

[@RomaInvicta202]

It's awesome you made this video - I really hope your boss pays you well as you're worth your weight in gold :) Shame not many people decided to watch it I don't agree with everything you said, but on the whole it is an important issue and one that should be talked about.

[@valdu5899]

This is especially common in the sport of football I've notice. We call it the beautiful game and yet we treat the players like robots

[@tom2400]

Heya Alfie, is there any chance you would do timestamps? Because I do enjoy rewatching them and it's nice to know for specific info!

[@YesOkayButWhy]

When people act out or let loose, on occasion you suspect they may not be doing well in their heart, when footballers do the same thing, you think "well, they're doing well enough in their wallet" and call them spoiled or lazy.

[@ianmacfarlane1241]

Excellent video. I've argued this for years, whenever I hear people criticising professional athletes - they aren't robots, and can go through exactly the same difficulties as anyone else. A relative of mine often complains when a golfer has a poor round, or a snooker player collapses over the course of a session, failing to understand that they could have anything going on in their life. People need to understand that they are only human - certainly exceptional humans, but humans nevertheless.

[@andrejayc3464]

Totally agree, that criticism of a professional athlete has and does go too far by fans nowadays, with threats on them and their families lives becoming a common re-occurence. And I do think that the "high tables" of each of sport should do more in to making sure that their athletes physical and mental well being are looked after. But I think one of the beautiful things about sports is that it brings up connections, conversations,debates and interactions between people of different walks of life across the globe, and the ability/freedom to be able to criticize/comment/talk about each sport and it's athletes and its own set of fans, is one of the fundamental principle things that allows for that beautiful human connection to happen. (Case in point what Alfie is doing with he's KZbin Channel and how we have the freedom to agree or disagree with him) Perhaps it maybe a case of just making sure they're are measures that protect the lively hoods of the athletes, and I think it has to come from the people at the top , that earn the most money out of the performances of these athletes.

[@obainomilano]

Best video I’ve ever seen on this channel and I’ve seen many great videos.

[@samuelschonenberger]

The strangest thing is when players are injured and some people question whether they really are

[@junyank1846]

This vid is gold!! Love from football fan from PNG!

[@bhew7409]

Great subject which I think needs more attention. Good work Alfie, I still don't get why you wont self publish your work though. If they have written it into your contract I am pretty sure thats not as legally binding as they may have told you. They contribute nothing from what I can see, for the longest time I though it was the phone manufacturer HTC. Edit: I think you raise a good point about the youth. To use a challenging example, Mason Greenwood's omission from England's team showed he had clear and observable behavioural issues. His then girlfriend was recording herself as a form of protection from said behaviour BUT it all seemed business as usual at his club team. The same club where Ravel Morrison struggled and has recently spoken about the mechanisms for this. As a 'fan' of United it worries me they are overlooking the personal development of the kids who they are very much raising.

[@bricktop.]

Mate I watched this channel for about 6 months before I realized it wasn't the mobile phone company ha ha.

[@paulmartin3420]

I love the intros to the videos

[@davidpalin1790]

You raise a good point footballers used to represent the community they came from and you as a supporter could get behind them . You can't say that now!

[@jasonrollins1385]

Marcus Rashford did thid fir his and many communities aroubd the UK and was absolutely savaged for it so i think its wrong to say footballers dont care. Its how it is interpreted.

[@jasonrollins1385]

@Ghostface yes, because the like of George best, Ian Rush and so many other stars where living in a flat above the chippy on the high road to be closer to the fans lol. So because he has the riches and still did the right thing its his fault?

[@rkeogh3467]

It should be the clubs duty to help people released from there academy

[@Diego-mk8xn]

Agreed. It is quite disturbing how frequent the throw away mentality is in football. "This young child isn't the star we thought they could be so we can sell them on for ridiculous wages well shit youngster hopefully you didn't give up on school :)"

[@mhdk677]

Stunning video! Honestly such an eye opener. Something i really haven't thought was an issue and i certainly had no idea that somw players have gone to the extend of suicide! That is mad in my eyes. And even the fact that alot of footballers go bankrupt after their careers end quite fast i may understate. The sporting world is brutal you are either the best of the best, or you are nothing at all. Sickening way we as fans threat these humans making a living, nd sickening that big corporations and clubs care so little about their players and only see them for their stats. In my opinion football as a whole is losing its spirit, its soul. Its becomming a rich man sport. Huuge companies and countries are buying clubs for their own gain. Young kids are hoarded by big clubs, just for them to grow into big money players. With them having no responsibility for the onces that aren't the next messi or ronaldo. My view on footballl has shifted so much these last years. With the super league, new champions league format, VAR, Matchfixing, Pitch Invaders, sportwashing deals, world cup in qatar, the proposal for major internacional tournament each year Football has become too popular. Too big a platform for the small lucky percentage who get to enjoy this. This is why the game is being commercialized. The game that is loosing its soul from its own doing.

[@martinrees9756]

An excellent video Alfie. Clearly you put a lot of thought into the subject before recording it.

[@danielnoah7719]

It took me 3 days to finish watching this

[@Agee1]

30:40 to 31:05 That's best description of Rupert Murdoch I ever heard

[@Diego-mk8xn]

It really is frustrating when people talk about how much athletes make. Like my brother in christ the USA gave millions* of dollars in tax emption to amazon because they were not a "profitable company" Edit: I should of added more emphasis on how much amazon get tax exemptions from. It's not million but hundreds of millions of dollars exempt.

[@thanekrueger7667]

You should do a podcast, your content is awesome. Keep up the great work, I really enjoy it.

[@chrissennfelder7249]

There's this german coach called Christian Streich, he's doing great things in Freiburg. And he's very outspoken when it comes to political and social issues. I don't always agree with him, but I think it's very important to be reminded of the human side of football. The modern system with all those youth academies and insanely high transfer fees is highly questionable from a human rights perspective. Yes, the superstars are rich and famous, but what about the run of the mill pros or all those young players who never make it to the big leagues? Young people sacrifice their health and their options for the future for the dream. This is understandable, because being a football star definitely is a great goal to have. But we shouldn't forget that football players are people. Great video essay!

[@saxpackabs]

Aristotle said "It takes a lot of effort to be angry with the right person, in the right way, at the right time." Footballers have always been an easy target for the Tabloids, but getting angry at a footballer for playing football and earning a living from it is utterly pointless.

[@joebarnes100]

Social media killed the football legends. It's made people say that the level of quality as decreased.

[@Diego-mk8xn]

That teacher intro was hilarious

[@kieronparr3403]

As a son of a teacher I can relate. The reactions my mum used to get whilst out and about were hilarious

[@Diego-mk8xn]

@@kieronparr3403 I swear when I was a kid and saw teacher out and about it was like a David Attenborough documentary "The teacher in there unnatural environment must decide between these toiletry rolls. Watch closely as the teacher makes a very important decision. They choose Andrex a safe option for them."