In the 21st century, football is a sport that is driven ferociously by the national media with breaking stories and latest scandals bringing in the big bucks for newspapers, television companies and websites. With this clamour for a story that will jump to the public’s attention footballers are now being approached to be interviewed and offer their opinions on matters that should – at times – be kept behind closed doors.
In a recent video interview, Fernando Torres placed the blame for his dreadful form and goal-scoring record at Chelsea on the shoulders of his supposedly ‘slower’ teammates. Whilst there is no disputing that Torres might actually have a point, it seems illogical to voice such grievances in the press instead of keeping it ‘in-house’. With social networks like Facebook and Twitter also becoming home to the musings of footballers these days, is it right that these players are allowed to speak as freely as they do? More to the point, why do footballers have so much to say these days?
I’m pretty much expecting the argument of ‘they’re human beings and should be allowed freedom of speech’ to follow. Whilst I agree partly with the fact footballers should be allowed to speak their mind and have opinions like everyone else, their words carry a truckload of significance in both the lives of fans and others in the footballing sphere – not least, in this instance, Torres’ ‘slower’ colleagues.
Like Joey Barton before him, Torres has gone about airing the displeasure he holds with his teammates the completely wrong way. Unlike Barton, who took to Twitter when he decied to rant about Newcastle’s owner Mike Ashley and ended up becoming the most talked about footballer in the country, Torres spoke to the official La Liga website and is now insisting his words weren’t translated accurately. Regardless of whether the interview was interpreted incorrectly, and and regardless of whether what he said was taken out of context, he still shouldn’t have openly criticised his teammates in the first place. But why did he do it? Frustration, attempting to shift the blame? Or something more sinister?
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You need to do a bit more research before publishing, my friend. The interview was given in English and is available on the web. Torres didn’t say the things attributed to him. Not even close. He merely praised some of the younger players like Daniel Sturridge and said they brought something different including pace to the squad.