One thing that is for certain is that footballers are becoming more vocal in the written press and online, and in my opinion the amount of power they now hold in the game is the root cause. Fame and fortune have risen considerably along with the level of disrespect that players now seem to have for their clubs. Some are more concerned with keeping their name in the headlines and having their share of the limelight than anyting else.
Torres’ outburst comes just a matter of days after he was benched by manager Andre Villas-Boas for Saturday’s win against Sunderland, pushing him out of the Stamford Bridge spotlight. Would he have uttered the same words if he was still in the starting 11 or am I just clutching at straws? It’s just a theory, but I think it’s valid to say that players are now starting to come out with more controversial quotes in an effort to remain in the spotlight and garner attention towards themselves. Players know that journalists and fans will put whatever they say under fierce scrutiny and debate, keeping them relevant – whether it’s good press or bad.
Players like Torres who earn millions of pounds a year seem to have adopted a ‘no-fear’ approach when talking to the press. What do they need to worry about if they get fined or reprimanded further by their club? They earn a more money in a week than most will in a year. Some blame could be attached to the media who, in their line of questioning, could subtly coax out the responses that they know will bring in the sales for their employer. Then there is the argument that footballers should be wiser and more intelligent in how they handle certain questions and the way they answer them so not to cause controversy. People may say there is no way of telling if a footballer is being incredibly naïve or extremely astute in what he is saying during an interview.
My view is that footballers go into interviews knowing what they are going to say. They are embroiled in a perpetual crusade to remain firmly in public glare and free themselves from the risk of sliding perilously into insignificance. They feed journalists with the juicy material which they know will be splashed all over the front pages giving them prime exposure and keeping them fresh in the minds of the public.
The article was written by Jak Penny for FootballFancast.com. Make sure to check out the latest news, blogs and podcasts at FFC – ed.
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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.