Within the surreal eccentricities that surround the circus generated by football, underneath the indecent amounts that are handled, a dark and retrograde reality is hidden.
Football players are not free. They live trapped in cages whose bars are made of gold. You will think: blessed punishment, but there is nothing more unsettling than being held in a place against your will.
Behind these dizzying contracts are the dreaded termination clauses, still present in some of the world’s major leagues. This antiquated concept has a simple function: to keep multiple competing teams away from tempting your most talented players. It basically consists of placing a price tag on the player, which the athlete himself must deposit at the headquarters of the competition in which he participates, should he wish to change teams while he has a valid contract.
The amounts of these clauses, always inflated to favor the business or to scare away scouts, have increased exponentially. Currently, the clauses of several players amount to up to 1 billion euros, are we crazy?
At what point has football become so discredited that clubs are no longer capable of retaining their stars without having to poach them? Clubs no longer look after the interests of their players, the personal and close treatment of yesteryear is unheard of in today’s stadiums. The players have become nothing more than trading cards. If a player wants to leave, let him go, an unhappy relationship is not profitable for either party. On the contrary, if a player feels valued, no matter how many siren songs he hears, he will turn a deaf ear.
Let’s promote closeness, honesty and the adoption of joint values in such a sober and calculating world. There will be no need for shackles. When a place becomes your home, only escape keeps you from being happy.
Foot Renegades 