The Illusion of Choice

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The best football players in the world should have the pick of the best teams in the world, right?
Well, that’s not always the case. And that illusion of choice is becoming more and more prevalent.
Seb Stafford-Bloor explains why that is the case, and what the best players should do. Illustrated by Philippe Fenner.
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#Football #Soccer #PremierLeague

[@aymenalhilali2678]

the risk of spending a considerable amount of money and not getting its worth is another factor many clubs consider. It's becoming clearer that buying a young player and developing him are now the priorities for most clubs.

[@edwardcardona717]

Especially with how many of these big money transfers flop. PSG spent the GDP of a micro nation on just two players, and all it got them was a single Champion’s League final. When City and Liverpool spent big, it brought massive improvement, and eventually a CL trophy. The difference is how they spread the money out in multiple very good players who grew into even better players at their clubs

[@tayo5302]

Except that young players will get snapped up by a bigger club

[@mftmss7086]

I don't think so

[@BigPurp9]

The influx of oil clubs did irreparable damage to the economics of football. It reduced the number of big clubs who had a chance and could afford anyone if they wanted. It’s reflected in the drop off in the quality of top teams in the Champions League right now

[@notsaying7018]

​@@BigPurp9psg yes but city has been reasonable with there spending

[@BobSmith-fx9sz]

The top players have plenty of choices; however, a few clubs are willing to overspend on these players to the extent that they spend more than they earn. These players refuse to 'step down' to more reasonable salaries when they look to move clubs. In most cases, players just prioritize salary over other factors when making their decisions.

[@giacomolocati8452]

Absolutely. In reality players could have pretty much endless choices, if only they were willing to compromise on salary in favour of other aspects like tactical fit, board stability, sporting success, etc... Now, it's true that wealth in football seems increasingly concentrated among a few super rich clubs, but top players supposedly having "fewer choices" is not the reason why that's concerning.

[@muhammad4779]

a great example of the complete opposite of this statement is dybala to roma

[@madeupstory9510]

​@@muhammad4779the ratio of the 2 transfers could even be as big as 100:1. An example can't be a reasonable argument. Secondly, he did ask for a 12m€ release clause which means that he had Roma as nothing but a transitional team. It was almost like he was trying to impress the biggest of teams and leave for a bigger paycheck and Club if/when offers were received.

[@mctrials23]

Unless they run down their contracts, of course they don't. Clubs want to sell to the highest bidder. It just so happens that the highest bidder is usually also going to pay something akin to the highest wages as well.

[@goonerOZZ]

In the example that the video use, Harry Kane, evennif he slash 50% of his salary, how many club in the world can actually pay the transfer fee of £82 mil? Bare in mind that Spurs doesn't want to make any kind of deal with other EPL clubs for Kane And Mbappe actually slash quite a huge chunk of what he makes in PSG, even then there's not many clubs that can affor his salary even with that kind of "discount" Osimhen is another example, excluding his salary, who can pay €120-150 mil of his transfer fee?

[@marcosmackie]

All you're really saying is that top players reduce their choices through their vastly higher demands.

[@sponish0]

i mean thats how it works in legit all areas of business, a guy who's been in charge of a huge international company is't gonna take a job running a small local business

[@marcosmackie]

@@sponish0 indeed 👍

[@Ovenman940]

I'm sorry to hear this video is too deep for you.

[@sponish0]

"too deep for you" you sound like you're 14@@Ovenman940

[@Ovenman940]

@@sponish0 at least I can watch a video that mentions that you can't have multiple players in the same position without forgetting it 2 minutes later

[@beyondtourismbeyondtourism7242]

The most important contributing factor is the huge wages players earn today. Because every top team already has a few Elite players, bringing in another one will increase their wage bill drastically.

[@leotastic5572]

That‘s why I would disagree with the video cause if a player is ready to earn less then what they would at other clubs they have a lot of choices. If Sancho would have been ready to sit out his contract and not earn as mich as he did at Manu he would have had offers from probably 8 of the 10 best clubs but he choose manu for the money.

[@bigvirgvandijk971]

@@leotastic5572 Not true. It is considered disrespectful to leave your club at the end of contract on purpose. Especially in Sancho case where dortmund made an investment in him and were expecting a return

[@JobHans]

Why are so many overlooking the fact that agents are mostly the force behind the deals as many players with a poor background see them as some kind of father figure if you know what I tryna say

[@_leivo]

@@JobHans You can't constantly blame the agents, the best players in the world are in a good position to ask for suitable advice elsewhere and inform themselves to improve their careers

[@joostverra9130]

That's exactly why i think english fans shouldn't be so happy about the premier league's dominance

[@sac12389]

The idea one of the richest people in the world doesn’t have the choice of where to play because so few teams can afford huge wages assumes that players don’t have the choice to be paid less. There’s nothing forcing any player to go where the money is highest. They have a choice and they choose the money.

[@mangbecak1]

Just normal human being tbh. I'd hazard a guess 99.99% of employees would not get a pay cut. To do the same job.

[@MateuszMisztela]

@@mangbecak1 That's ad absurdum. Mbappe literally does not have to work.

[@mangbecak1]

@MateuszMisztela some people want money and glory. And RM probably also have the better weather than....Germany, Italy or England.

[@eavyeavy2864]

​@@MateuszMisztelayou dont have much money do you? People with money want more

[@eavyeavy2864]

@sac: fact shown otherwise. No one want lower wage

[@iirovaltonen4258]

The best players, like Mbappe, actually have choices. They just tend to choose money over everything else so they enter into an "illusion of no-choice".

[@holysword876]

Mbappe is a special case. Imagine the president of your country talking about how your country needs you and how important it is to your home city for you to stay. I mean Mbappe also happens to get a toooon of money, but he 100% has other things to worry about.

[@totsh2056]

That's not fair.

[@Baldinosalvador]

Harry had a lot of options before he decided to extend his contract with Spurs some years ago. Clubs were naturally more averse to signing a player entering his 30s at the expense of a potential club record bid. Even Bayern who took the risk is not having a good season.

[@mawiiile706]

Bayern's bad season is in spite of kane not because of him

[@Ovenman940]

Kane's the best scoring player in the world right now. They'd be having a worse season without him.

[@aymerickverin2523]

​@@Ovenman940 REALLLL, but everyone make fun of him with his "curse"

[@NR-fd9wv]

​@@Ovenman940 but it shows how limited the effect of one expensive player is even if he delivers. a smaller club would be better off if they spend that money to improve on multiple positions. and so far it's just his first season. dortmund once set a german record for the most expensive player (Amoroso). he was the bundesliga top scorer in his first season, got injured at the beginning of the second and played much worse after that. he seemed to come back in the 3rd season, had a few good games, got injured again and some time later left the club. dortmund got into financial trouble, because of overspending and underperforming. his transfer fee alone was a quarter of the clubs debt back then.

[@mananghildiyal2675]

poor kane had to play tuchelball in his first season in munich

[@senorpython2262]

Harry Kane is sadly unintentionally comedic while also being talented.

[@casteri]

The most Harry Kane thing to happen would be if he breaks Lewandowski's single season goals record in the first time in 12 years that Bayern Munich doesn't win the Bundesliga and god knows how long since they haven't won a trophy (assuming they don't win the Champions League)

[@vujhvjvgvfujk9888]

@@casteri He’s staying for a couple of seasons though so he’ll inevitably win a trophy

[@marcoalexamorim]

he should bring his "Spursyness" to PSG

[@MaetMen]

Psg is already spursy enough on their own​@@marcoalexamorim

[@casteri]

@@vujhvjvgvfujk9888More than likely, yeah but that wouldn't make this season any less funny if it does happen like that

[@McRusen]

I kinda dislike how it's a given throughout the whole video that top players have few choices because they want the most money, which is already a choice. 😅 Mbappé could easily join most teams in the world. Could they afford him? Sure, if he were to make *the choice* to leave money behind for other reasons. Say town to live in, fan base or whatever else he fancied. Sure, he might make a lot less money than his yacht-rich peers, but as long as he stayed in professional football, he'd still make enough to be set for a couple of lives. 🤷

[@tittopaulson5200]

Yeah, mbappe is leaving on free transfer. He could join any top teams. He has a choice & chose real Madrid.

[@sweeney7]

The only way he joins 'any top team' is if they sell key players or Mbappe takes a massive wage hit. Teams simple don't have the ffp budget to give Mbappe £100 million a year in wages.@@tittopaulson5200

[@ritiksinghrajput578]

would psg sell him for less than 150m?

[@tittopaulson5200]

@@ritiksinghrajput578 bro, he is going on free transfer. No need to pay PSG anything. His contract with PSG has ended

[@epicmarschmallow5049]

​@@ritiksinghrajput578isn't he leaving on a free this summer (supposedly)?

[@downstairs1816]

Tifo football taught me more about football than my manager

[@mftmss7086]

then your manager is a bum

[@downstairs1816]

@@mftmss7086 he's not a bad manager he is just very focused on teaching you the fundamentals of the game and then the rules

[@eddieherrera5314]

You’re getting dropped next game

[@jonarific8504]

This feels slightly disingenuous. Mbappe could go wherever he wanted if he ran down his contract. Running down contracts has become more commonplace over the years. Only thing stopping him going wherever is a desire to maximise his income (which he is perfectly entitled to do but to pretend that no one would take him without a transfer fee is nonsense). The other big motivator is to win things. Probably needs to be winning the champions league to win the balloon d'Or which narrows choices a fair bit. It feels like the main change from 1996 is that a handful of clubs have blown values out of the water meaning that others simply can't afford to keep pace. It started with oligarchs with Chelsea and then nation states with Man City. However, financial fair play restrictions are starting to bite and was probably only sustained over the last year by the Saudi league expenditure and Chelsea manipulating lengthy contracts (which will come back to haunt them). The real question is if FFP is shown to have long lasting teeth whether the market will adjust. Feels like we're in the readjustment phase and in a couple of years market prices may come down, and give those players this speaks of more 'choice'.

[@DavidChong]

yeah I was just about to say, if they run down their contracts, they can move on a free, becoming potentially affordable to clubs that otherwise wouldn't be in the running. There is that upper echelon of wage demands where even on a free they could be impractical for the vast majority of teams, but at least the absence of a transfer fee improves the picture of potential suitors.

[@mar77shy]

Terrible example as Mbappe, due to his greed, is unaffordable even on a free for most clubs. As you say, sure he is perfectly entitled to maximise his income, but that has impacted his options and will possibly mean his legacy will focus more on transfer drama and earnings rather than what he actually accomplished in football.

[@kb4903]

Apparently winning a cup in the USA is all you need to do now.

[@vujhvjvgvfujk9888]

I’ve heard that he’s not the only factor in play when it comes to deciding wages. Idk how that works tho

[@AeonQuasar]

M'bappe don't need to win the CL to win the Ballon D'or. All he need at to play for RM or Barca and be their best player. Easeier said then done, but Ballon D'or favors those from La Liga. It isn't a quality price, it's a populist price.

[@jasonwil]

You correctly said that a "player must accept comprises". Any player can go anyway as long as he isn't too greedy!

[@sponish0]

of course the best players will go to the clubs that can pay the best wages

[@badabuxxl]

If they are till under contract, they can't just choose their own wages and clubs, but have to rely on the two clubs to agree on a transfer fee. Kane could easily accept low wages to play e.g. for Inter, but they probaply couldn't meet Tottenhams demanded 100 mio transfer fee

[@sponish0]

some of you seem to be missing the point, kane wants to win trophies the teams that can't afford the highest wages, they won't be the one winning the biggest @@badabuxxl

[@Ovenman940]

yep, Accrington Stanley were revving up for their 100 mil bid but Kane was just too greedy!

[@michaelm.3686]

@@badabuxxlthats bs. The Club alway considers whole package: Wage + Transfer Fee-> Cost per Year . If Wage is low u can pay the Fee easily

[@Sach6251]

David De gea is a prime example as he still without a club right now. Lorenzo Insigne, Hugo Lloris, Wilfred Zaha, could some what fit into the similar mould to what is told in this video.

[@gerasimosst8643]

One of the few great comments in here, actually adding great examples. Burki also, from Dortmund for quite a while, and I'm sure I'll think of more like these. Thanks mate

[@Sach6251]

@@gerasimosst8643 😊👍

[@highnoon7097]

​​@@dumfriesspearhead7398you've missed the point. He isn't saying it's just free agents that can't find clubs you lemon. He's saying that players with ambitions to make a big career move can miss the boat if they stick around at their club too long. Zaha was always mooted to be the kind of player that takes a step up (similar to how Grealish left villa) but the move never materialised and he finds himself in a sub par league barely scratching the surface of the champions league he'd have liked to have won one day

[@stevendchu]

Insigne plays in the MLS for Toronto FC, where he is paid lavishly despite the team generally being a dumpster fire since he got there.

[@gerasimosst8643]

With multiple reports less than a year after he moved that he wants to come back to Italy, and that he offered himself to Lazio, to no avail. He wanted a royal contract from Napoli; didn't get it, went to MLS to get it(no European team would give it to him), only to find that the downgrade in terms of football was massive.

[@nathanjohnwilliamson7675]

All well and good but a reminder that Mbappe, for example, can choose to play in the English league two. Ego and thirst for money defines the choice when no transfer fee is involved. They pick their agents, they demand high salaries and bonus and thus limit their options when they are a “free agent” Choices are there. They just only want the highest wages and the best teams. No desire to play for a Dortmund type club and try to make them the best.

[@Marrab2]

If you look at what he is joining for Madrid its not that much most prem teams can afford him but Mbappe never showed interest in Prem only Madrid

[@KoreanMungBeanSproutSalad]

Me, a philosophy undergrad: Phew, sure can't wait to leave all the existentialism behind and go watch some mindless football content! Tifo: The Illusion of Choice.

[@QuantumBaller]

Your choice to watch Tifo was an illusion.

[@M4NA5]

This is finance related, not philosophical.

[@vitormelomedeiros]

​@@M4NA5 OP's comment was a joke, not an actual complaint.

[@SovietNyanCat]

As a postgrad philosopher, good luck with the rest of your course!

[@beny.5736]

I like how he just snuck Mason Mount in there as an example of a top player 😂

[@yz8504]

😂😂

[@TheDarkKnightRacist]

English media trying to overhype english player as always

[@Ash-ve8hh]

@@TheDarkKnightRacist bro shut up and quit yapping...

[@TheDarkKnightRacist]

@@Ash-ve8hh tell that to your dad

[@Djsonley]

Yeah even as a United fan myself I can't say many of us wanted the guy haha. Eriksen is a better player and he cost nothing.

[@Evemeister12]

The excess of money in the game, the disparity in wealth between a select few clubs and the rest, means that once a top player wants to move only a small handful of clubs can take him on to meet transfer fees and salary expectations. So if the top clubs are already well stocked with top players who play in a similar position to him, the footballer wanting a move is stuck. Unless he fancies Saudi Arabia.

[@12thMandalorian]

This is why top players should refuse to sign long term deals and agree to shorter term contracts, i can imagine a LOT of Chelsea's new signings are regretting signing those 8 year deals.

[@megatron3437]

Idg why players sign for more than 3 years. Its almost like they don't believe in themselves or their agents like the guaranteed cheque. Its why Mbappe is my fav player. Everyone s saying he's going to Real Madrid in the summer but no one is certain.

[@GeoguessrFC]

When a club shows enough financial interest in you, there’s only ever one choice

[@kamakaram8378]

Love ur vids. Informative short and pleasant.

[@ErikE_]

I’d say that top players still have almost unlimited choices. Like is it absolutely necessary to get paid £350.000 in a week? Even 100k would be quite alright for anyone’s finances and it would allow so much more competition.

[@Pricklypeen]

Footballers don’t come from households with disposable money usually. Money is 100% a more lucrative prospect than competition, especially in 2024 where the fandom is way too over saturated and fickle.

[@duyanhng8430]

yeah but when similar players to you earn 3 times what you are earning it gotta sting abit. It is a job after all. Also no agents are gonna let that happen

[@jacoblawton6350]

If you don’t go to the club which can afford the 350k a week all the other best players will and then you will play against them for the trophies and lose because your team is not brining in the best talent. Knowing your value and going to a club that can afford to pay it and give you teammates of equal value is important for your career. Also if you don’t get paid 350k it’s just sitting in the pockets of billionaires

[@mctrials23]

It would but you would have to be stupid to earn a 1/3rd of the wage you could in an industry where your career lifespan is probably 15 years at best and it could be ended at any moment. Most footballers also don't exactly have many qualifications to fall back on...

[@NR-fd9wv]

funny how people pretend that the players literally have no choice and then come up with reasons that are all based on the players decisions. any pro could quit his career entirely and play amateur football for free, if he wanted.

[@dunarayb]

The statement presented here is obviously wrong. A correct statement would be that the number of very highly paid positions in World Club football are limited. Or perhaps that there is a new tier of positions in World football that are ridiculously compensated . The best footballers can obviously walk into any team if they are willing to compromise pay

[@danfish300]

This was an excellent presentation. Subscribed.

[@darhaha3391]

But when they leave at the end of their contract with zero transfer fee, the cost to the new club is only wages and bonuses, stuff that the player CAN control. If they wish to join a club they have high regards for at heart (like Shearer did for the Geordies) then the player could offer himself to that one club at a slightly lower wage and bonus demand to make the signing possible. End-of-contract signings are a very potent tool in the hands of the modern player. They just don't use it the way I described because at the end of day money speaks louder than emotional attachment.

[@eavyeavy2864]

Except with that money as motivation players dont give their all

[@beskrajan]

The top players can go ANYWHERE they want, if they stop putting their demands first.

[@clasher2207]

I think that saudi-qatari owned clubs such as city, psg etc are also a reason behind that bcoz they offer so huge amounts of wages that, very less clubs can match the wage of the players and then these players hesitate to take a wage cut while changing clubs.

[@eavyeavy2864]

MU and RM broke those for decades but sure blame new

[@ace_gamer12]

I like how artistic your videos are

[@downthebanks]

Nice one, Joe. Glad to see a nod to tifo’s original format.

[@plipogamez3173]

The producer of this video is short sighted. Ronaldo made a good move, well suited to his ego, and the reduction in his physical abilities. He is getting bags of money, he can expend less energy because of the lower quality league, and he gets his ego stroked by being the face of Saudi football. Neymar is in a similar sandbox, he may appear physical capable of competing in the best leagues in the world, but I suspect most of his drive has gone.

[@BlueWoWTaylan]

I mean...they do have a choice. They simply choose to get the most money and there are only so many teams that can pay the said high wages. Now the amount of teams that can handle such financial demands have shrunk because of the current situation of the world but still, it is up to the player to pick where he would want to go, unlike in say, NBA where players can just be traded without their consent unless they put a No-trade clause in their contracts.

[@n3rdy__B]

This reminds me of how Kaka was the best player in the when and his career was on an upward trajectory but moving to Madrid halted all that cause of CR7. It's crazy cause they made the move during the same transfer session. But one of them benefited.

[@Coach-rq6jx]

It was the injury that made it all go wrong. Still, he's being loved fondly in Madrid.

[@JobHans]

Kaka got injured early in his first season and when he came back from injury a new manager (mourhino) arrived who didn't had him in his plans and preferred other players(di Maria)

[@sahil5rana]

Congratulations causal of the year awards goes to you Kaka carrer went downhill with injury and ozil after he returned from injury ozil already proved his might so Mourinho decided to bench him nothing to do with cr7 Congratulations again

[@Coach-rq6jx]

@@sahil5rana And it isn't even characteristic of a casual fan to say this, because casual fans keep their mouth shut about stuff they don't know about. In this case, it's just ignorance and hate concealed neatly behind his words.

[@sahil5rana]

@@Coach-rq6jx you just Sayed cr7 was responsible they didn't even play same formation actually kaka should have left Madrid because Ozil was way better but it wasn't like kaka was bad but as the greatest most decorated and dominant club real only demand perfection which Ozil was providing kaka was good to but he wasn't great and ozil far superior kaka could have joined. Other club and regain his form

[@TheSnkrPimp]

Harry Kane is a bad example for this argument though, because he could have run his contract down at Tottenham and then had the choice of many more suitors, with more coaches, tactical systems and countries to choose from. His own choice to renew a contract when he knew he likely wanted out soon restricted his choices.

[@neby9218]

I'm convinced it's only a matter of time before Jon MacKenzie turns Tifo into a philosophy channel

[@edflinkinp]

This is because the players in this era where spending seems (or seemed) to be unrestricted, look to the clubs who can pay them more and more and leave the footballing aspect as secondary. If football introduced a wage cap there would be more teams who would offer the same salary so the player could decide on what footballing project suits him better. This would also help with the current crisis in european football where few teams are hoarding the talent (and money) and lower ranked teams struggle to compete with the juggernauts as well as keeping hold of whatever young talent they unearth or develop. Therefore, leagues in recent years have become monologues and whose federations are trying to convince the public that they're still have "elite competition". A league has at least 18-20 teams, 2-3 competing each year isn't true competition.

[@Qualario]

I mean, the choice is still there - it would just mean taking lower wages. But your point about lack of parity (primarily financially, with everything else growing from that) is a good one. And it makes the game stagnate.

[@seanaustin9498]

Random question but what animation software or application is used by Tifo to create these videos? Huge fan of the style and execution

[@sunkanmiotitolaye9354]

Great Content!!

[@witty_comeback]

Mbappe can go anywhere he wants, he'd just have to take a wage reduction

[@sponish0]

if he wants to win trophies he needs to be at a team thay can afford the highest wages

[@natsudama4604]

​@@sponish0why doesn't he go to chelsea and join their 1 billion team? 😂 He needs to join a great team, not some schmuck team with money and no brains

[@sponish0]

great teams have the biggest budgets mate, what team without money wins lots of trophies? @@natsudama4604

[@Ovenman940]

What other real CL hopefuls could he play for that don't already have a team built around someone in that position? Not City or Bayern Munich. If he goes anywhere that can't win the CL, it's a pointless move at best, at worst giving up near-guaranteed domestic leagues every year. He's *could* play for worse teams than Real Madrid - they're just pointless moves.

[@QuirkyFactos]

Why would he reduce? Let say he is open to reduction. Some clubs entered the competition, he might sign with a club with 40% paycut. But then the club must aware that they can not expect him to give his 110% on the field. He's stepping down just for your club's sake.

[@Nifava]

Football has never been a star driven sport until very recently. People used to follow clubs, not players. It was a better system, in my opinion.

[@FootballClubGroup]

Interesting take as always Tifo, it'd be incredible to see a player in his prime take a proper pay cut to play at the place they really want to play and could add value. Any examples of that recently?

[@RoyMatzem]

We have one in Brazil, DMF Fernando (Ex-City/Sevilla) received First division proposals but refused to play in his hometown team in tier 2. Thats still waaay low profile player tho.

[@FootballClubGroup]

Thanks for sharing the example, Roy @@RoyMatzem

[@davidsellers8644]

The choice for players is still there surely. If a player really wants to leave they can see out their contract and move to any club in the world. The only obstruction then would be their own level of greed and wage demands 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@LouKingGood]

Tifo football has run out of ideas to make videos but want to keep producing them weekly so now we will get dribble like this

[@ljeronimo7]

What program do you use to make your videos?

[@TolbertOseiOwusu]

Great video ❤

[@rossmilne7325]

Love these videos, however there is nearly always a choice. The issue not touched on here is that a lot of top players do not want to take a step down in wages. I don't blame the players, if you thing of it as a job most people would follow the money, however the money in the EPL and now Saudi he skewed things further.

[@Jonifico]

Declan Rice was a particularly lovely deal, too. Lad didn't even move cities.

[@airborne_seal]

I think as well with the prevalence of wonderkids popping up seemingly everyday that clubs are focusing more on targeting young cheap potential talent than more expensive established talent, especially when they don’t have a large hole in the position of said established talent. Clubs are opting to spend

[@MikeThomassen]

Hopefully this situation that are evolving in European football will have an effect on players' and agents' greed. Where a player will cut 1/3 of his salery to go to a perfect fit club. That player will still earn way more money than he ever should, playing sport. The very elite players stands out in the sport, but it would be refreshing to see more players choose with logic and heart, rather than the wallet. Hopefully this will enable that :)

[@AeonQuasar]

Oshimen are going to be the next "too expensive to justify" player. No team that need him are going to be able to afford a 100M+ transfer this summer.

[@necromax13]

he's artificially expensive too. Serie A is currently not a highly competitive league, and an injury prone inconsistent striker from that league shouldn't command borderline record breaking transfer fees and wages. If he moves to the premier league or La Liga he's going to be yet another Nkunku or Núñez.

[@chinmaybapat6774]

There is a singular reason for all this - the clubs' and players' greed for money!

[@bungaIowbill]

While the overall discussion is interesting, the thesis of the video is quite silly and only supported by two anecdotes

[@Delboy0]

Mbappe priced himself out of the a move to the Premier League, which his huge salary demands but Real Madrid could be financially troubled if they don’t dominate Europe, because their La Liga TV deal is shrinking, which was their main motivation for a Super League to save them from financial oblivion long term.

[@tsancio]

Real Madrid's Florentino Perez is one of the best sports managers working today. Players and coaches come and go, and RM is always a contender for the Champions' League.

[@chillaxboi2109]

Money is NOT the only factor people. Tactical suitability is VERY important, too. Could Ronaldinho, Kaká, Ronaldo Nazario have played in a Pep system? Sure. Would they be as good, as impactful, as exciting? Perhaps not. Tactical suitability, club ethos, potential and AMBITION are important things for every player. Not everyone has the same strengths and therefore should not be expected to perform exactly the same way in different scenarios. Case in point, Timo Werner.

[@Babylonian_Escapee]

I figured this out years ago from Fifa carrer mode. Once a top player wins and earns too much there really isn't anywhere for him to go. Especially if the player is already in the Premiere league. Add on if the player has already won the champs league or the title who else has the earnings to afford such a player? Video game really could have been used to greater effect to simulate sports business, and other things, but they need to be made yearly so just update the roster and move on.

[@zaennik5245]

Try out football manager, it's honestly more of a simulation than a game at this point

[@uncreative5766]

I wonder if the "illusion of choice" has been skewed because of Real Madrid in 2009. Famously, they paid the world record transfer fee for Cristiano Ronaldo, paid a handsome fee to Milan for Kaka, and of course, spent money on an unheralded Frenchman named Karim Benzema. This isn't a criticism of Real, but it makes me wonder if the vast majority of us fans today think top players have an abundance of choices because of Real's summer 2009 transfer window.

[@dumfriesspearhead7398]

Or even earlier than that. Remember the Galacticos?

[@evolancer211]

Sure they might not have the selection of teams to move to in the past but I think they're ok with the absurd amount of money they're making

[@tumppuman]

Being too expensive is the players and the agents fault. They are limiting their options themselves. Thats no illusion. They can go where they want. Just take a pay cut. Those other factors (team tactic and how the player fits in the managers plans) have always excisted.

[@mozan33r71]

Osimhen brings to mind.

[@fionnbracken]

I think this is why we'll see more and more players run out the end of their contracts instead of leaving for transfer fees.

[@gabefry4974]

It's like they say in opera. Their can only be one prima donna. Most teams already have one. So finding a spot where you can be the prima donna is incredibly small.

[@marvaff6878]

Great video

[@danielpeters2675]

The illusion of the illusion of choice: assuming players have to demand insane wages and can't just go to any club that wants them for wages they can actually afford

[@alexandremoreira7694]

at the end of the day it was always like that. in my opinion every player can go to wherever they want, but they need to understand that some places pay better than others. if you want to play in spain go. when you have a yearly salary of 5 or 6 million, what diference does it make getting paid 1 less million.

[@dumfriesspearhead7398]

Everything.

[@TheMasterswordish]

Every player has some agency over where they could go. Every contract negotiation can benefit from clear communication. If you would agree to a relatively normal salary and declaring to a team that you have the intention of running your contract and then leave for another club, I'd imagine not many teams decline this. Kane could have lived like a king for 10M a year, and likely could go to every team he wanted to for that amount.

[@Ovenman940]

he could but he didn't and there's no point in him doing so since he'd just be in the same position that he was at spurs. How are you missing this???

[@NR-fd9wv]

​@@Ovenman940 he isn't missing anything. just because you don't see a point in doing something it doesn't become impossible. the video is called "illusion of choice", not "does it make sense to play for a small club". the limitations of choice are all set by decisions the players make themselves, that was his point

[@Ovenman940]

@@NR-fd9wvpeople only choose things that make sense to them

[@NR-fd9wv]

@@Ovenman940 so where is the illusion then?

[@Ovenman940]

​@@NR-fd9wvthat one would think that the BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER IN THE WORLD has more than 2 teams he will realistically choose between. Just... watch the video that's above us. It's really easy!

[@ToldoMexes]

Kane were close to join FC Copenhagen in the season 13/14 and went on house hunting around Svanemøllen with his uncle and cousin.

[@necromax13]

That was right after two failed loan spells at Norwich AND Leicester. Kane was talented but his performance was League One at best. His come up was straight up the planets aligning or something like that, as he was spurs' fourth option striker. Not even on rotation lol.

[@gpolonia]

Talented players can pick whichever club they want, they just need to lower their demands

[@mfapinheiro]

One factor that seems missing from this video and from the comments so far is the football agents. They are most of the time the force behind the transfers, forcing the players to make choices that no always are the best for their careers, but a way for said agents to cash in. Lots of times these agents are father figures for a lot of these players that come from poor countries and families (not the case with mbape).

[@jackhakken]

Tifo football is in the pockets of these agents, since the Athletic and it's David Ormstein get their knowledge of transfers from the agents tipping them. Thus putting them in debt to these agents. and the obvious lack of scrutiny towards them is thus no surprise.

[@Jonifico]

Does anyone else feel there's a shortage of standout players? I don't know if it's because the overall level of the sport has risen, or simply because less kids develop far above the average (maybe they go for other careers like TikToker or whatever and don't even consider football), but the era where superstars were relatively commonplace is far behind us. This leads teams to compete for a reduced pool of truly elite talent.

[@Kevblucas]

There should be a player wage cap at 100k a week. This would mean that players would still be played insane amounts but would be able to move where they wanted as more clubs in top level leagues could afford it.

[@amb9839]

Once the oil money got into fútbol transfer prices exploded. Nowadays aside from Premier league only PSG, Bayern and Madrid can compete. Real moving from galácticos to young talent was genius and worked very well (mostly) but is a huge risk. Now more clients are following the same strategy so is even more difficult to succeed in that. Financial control is needed to ensure spending is controlled more teams can compete and ultimately players have more choices

[@Djsonley]

While players could take a wage and go anywhere the backing and managers behind their brand means they can't just lose all those people money. It's a mutually agreed deal in contracts I imagine to keep playing for big clubs. PSG, United, Real, Barcelona, Bayern, City and maybe Liverpool at a stretch are about the only choices if you are the very best on the planet. Real, Barcelona and United will get you the most exposure - maybe City & PSG will give you the most money and give your family jobs too.

[@rmnkhr]

3:48 im sorry but i never see anyone criticise kane seriously (only banters as far as im aware of) and i dont see how a player who scored 4 hat tricks in a single season will ever deserved to be criticized

[@TheDizzyPilot]

This speaks to the problems addressed by Cliodynamics

[@MALITH666]

There is not a huge illusion of choice. For someone like Harry playing at his level, no other club had position vacant for him. We did, and he has already been more than amazing, not just as a player, but if you watch training videos he along with Muller and Neuer are providing leadership for the young guys. More return than investment for us. Why Cr7 failed constantly Post-Real Madrid was the man in personally is just full of ego. His Juventus tenure was riddled with issues, with him wanting to start all games and be their only striker. Take that for his (media-rival) Messi, who went to PSG, made good money and moved to USA. Yes there is a little illusion of choice, but it comes with who you are as a player, abilities etc. If you are at top of the game, you are the game. If not, Nope. Real Madrid wont be looking for Maguire for their defense line. So there's no point even applying.

[@dead0show]

World-class players have more freedom than the video suggests, but with a caveat. They can choose any club if they're willing to take a significant pay cut (Lewandowski anyone?). Harry Kane's situation highlights the issue of timing. Waiting too long can limit options due to transfer fees. There's also the classic "money vs. dream club" dilemma. Holding out for top dollar restricts them to a few wealthy teams. This is where some players end up in less prestigious leagues like Saudi Arabia to maintain their wages. But superstars like Messi are redefining the game! Lower salary, less prestigious league, but a stake in the business? That's innovative thinking! Maybe more footballers should consider negotiating for a piece of the club instead of just focusing on wages. The business of football is changing, and the best players need to adapt and become businessmen too!

[@Vanguardclass]

“It’s lonely at the top”…quite literally.

[@spongeaang98]

Say what you will about the North American sports system. But the NFL, NBA, MLB, and even the MLS creating teams where everyone can be profitable, well paid, and competitive with the right planning really goes a long way compared to European football. The only way clubs like PSG and Man City broke through is due to unprecedented amounts of money from nation states. Having a select 12 or so teams have it all at the top makes having the Super League inevitable.

[@ryanmedeiros9450]

The thing about choosing to stay in a club you like, playing for the fans you like, being happy where you are isnt good enough for football fans. Take Berardi, hes one of the best Serie A players since the 2010's but people will still be mad he didnt do it at Juve or Inter. Football fans dont appreciate this kind of thing

[@Laid_Back_17]

Good video

[@Unknown-nc4jq]

In NBA basketball is even worse because they have the salary cup which means that if you gonna trade for a top name that will change the fate of your team, you'd have to trade away half your existing team.

[@thabanakabo4370]

The other factor that is contributing to this is "sell-on" clauses which are now common in most contracts these days. So for example if a club inserts a 30% sell on clause this means the players release clause is going to be unreasonably high, a player who is average will now cost 60m pounds in order for club to make profit after sell on clause.

[@heinzchristian4517]

idk, theoretically you could just be worse on purpose or just dont care as much like hazard

[@MrCupONoodles]

Father Ted! ❤

[@ilidioalves7]

I was precisely talking about this with my brother in law the other day, concerning Mbappé, I was arguing he'll have no other choice than to renew with PSG. Everybody talks about him going to Madrid, but I don't see it. Madrid is a proud clube. The proudest there is, the biggest, the best. You don't snub Madrid. Period. He did so, quite in a humiliating fashion. I don't see the Madridismo embracing him there. Plus, with Bellingham scoring like a striker, does Madrid really need Mbappé? What other options are there? Well, Barça and every Italian giant, may have all the prestige in the world, but can't pay even a third of his current wages. Bayern can, but tipically won't. He can go to the Premier League. Although it's a risky business for a player like Mbappé to move to the PL without accepting the fact that you may very well be playing Europa League in any given season. See, there are 6 big clubs in England and only 4 CL spots. Inevitably, 2 big teams are left out. Apart from Man City, no other team seems secure in a CH spot every season. Nothing like, I don't know, Atlético Madrid in Spain, no matter how poor a season they have, it's close to impossible for them not to land in a top 4 spot, there are simply no better teams. So either he joins Man City (I don't see it) or he risks joining a Chelsea or a Man Utd and hope they get their act together and qualify, every season, for the Champions League. Where else can he earn big bucks while always qualifying for the Champions League? Well... PSG.

[@eavyeavy2864]

He isn't the one begging to join real Madrid. Real Madrid is begging him to join.. even after he humiliated them. Turns out, there are less Mbappe in this world than Real Madrid's 🤡

[@theambassador2350]

Top players only have a choice between 3 or 4 teams

[@joaomarques4030]

I don't really think that much has changed in terms of players' choice over the years (asides from Bosman), more that football and the world changed over the years, and so the choices are different and are made differently.

[@NR-fd9wv]

the financial imbalance becomes bigger. 30 years ago, a top club might have paid 50% more, now it can be 500% more.

[@steffen1405]

Why is it always assumed that footballers won't take a pay cut? Once out of contract they're free to do so. Look at the Barça squad. These top players are greedy too!

[@alirazavi488]

well the players EXPECT that amount of money that only a few clubs can pay, you can't take that out of the equation

[@gE0013]

Yeah, there is one big factor though: greed. Without greed, any player could potentially transfer to their team of choice. So there is a choice: to be greedy or not.

[@mrneeraj]

if you read the data on psg's salary to mbappe you sorta empathize with him. theyre paying him 15-20mm bonuses and no one else is even coming close. plus its possibly the team he supported as a child and his hometown.

[@LoneWolfCODYT]

Thank God for this video. It was so annoying during the Ronaldo transfer saga how people didn't seem to realize that it wasn't about "no one wanting him" but the fact that there are only a few possible suiters and none of them were handed the opportunity at the right time.

[@Coach-rq6jx]

Ronaldo did ask for a transfer during 2022 summer, which Manchester United denied. He must've had a destination waiting for him right then, but no one could've predicted what came next.

[@bartoclub5498]

I thought it was so true with Messi as he was arguably the best player of all time but he could only have been going to PSG or City when he left Barcelona and he couldn't go anywhere in Europe leaving PSG

[@NR-fd9wv]

it is beyond me how people seem to think it was impossible for him to go back to barca. minimum wage in la liga is below 200k i think. but somehow some people refuse to accept the fact that he does like making tens (or hundreds) of millions more than he likes to play for barca. it's an understandable decision, but some people are offended when you point that out

[@DBrealmadrid9606]

@@NR-fd9wvBlind fanboyism takes precedence when it comes to football unfortunately. For better or worse...though, mostly worse. That’s why I only ever support the club and the idea behind the club. I do not blindly support the players.

[@hc8714]

the real reason is the player themselves asking too much in relative to their value.

[@joboty5228]

This is titled like a philosophy video

[@matthewharper2957]

I think one thing you missed is why is this the case? Alan Shearer was chosen as an example, but was choice always true back then? What has actually changed?

[@zurc_bot]

Everybody wants to go to RM

[@gerdokurt]

So, we should feel sorry for the players because they want so much money that only a few clubs can pay them?

[@thomschreck]

Harry Kanes agent, his brother, is the true source of his dilemma. If he had better, or even simply experienced management his career would certainly look different.

[@dumfriesspearhead7398]

Yes, a six year contract without a release clause was crazy. He could've won a treble with Man City by now.

[@Kassiem_42]

But then on the other hand you have players like Oshimen & Boniface who can choose where they would like to go and where they feel they would fit in best.