Monday,
July 21, 2014
Folks, news reports indicate that
footballers who made good impressions at the World Cup in Brazil are set to
reap a windfall. Where do our Ghanaian players lie?
It is beyond question that
professional football (soccer, I mean) involves more than meet the eyes. Apart
from seeking to entertain lovers of the game with their dazzling skills, professional
footballers aim at maximizing material benefits and getting the best out of
their talents whenever they feature in any tournament.
As a footballer myself (having been
a goalkeeper many years ago), I truly admire the game and wish I could go back
to pick the pieces. Alas, Nature has had its toll, and I can’t do so. I can
only sit back to watch others play it and cherish what they have to offer. As a
veritable pastime, soccer is a game of chance that any true lover of the game
should appreciate as such. No need for violence or malpractice as such.
Those to whom soccer is a
profession (meaning that they regard it as the source of income for them to
realize their aspirations in life) will see things differently. To them, it is
a do-and-die affair. That is why the game is regulated at various levels in all
countries worldwide. Investments made in the sector are huge and scouts roaming
the world for recruits have added a new complexion to the matter.
No doubt, local, regional,
national, and international tournaments continue to be held in soccer to celebrate
the game’s prominence. It is beyond debate that soccer is the most patronized
game. It may come across as a tool for building friendships at the level of
amateurism (symbolized by the Olympic Games) or professionalism (symbolized by
all competitive appearances that culminate in the World Cup).
This year’s World Cup tournament
in Brazil stands out as well patronized and highly successful despite the
initial hiccups raised by disenchanted Brazilians opposing the hosting of the
tournament by their country for various reasons. All said and done, Brazil 2014
is over and Germany has come to notice as the winners of the World Cup for the
4th time, a feat well accomplished. On the flip side, Brazil
suffered its worst defeat in any appearance and should lick its wounds without
involving any other country in the spectacle.
Beyond all, though, is the
fallout for individual talented players. We have already said that
participation in such high-stakes tournaments holds more promises for individual
players than imagined. Thus, all players were motivated to put up their best so
as to attract the highest bidder. At the end of the tournament, those who
caught the eyes of those bidders should be smiling all the way to the bank.
Here is what has emerged so far:
·
Real
Madrid got their man—the signature of World Cup star and golden boot winner—Colombia’s
James Rodriguez, who will join World Cup winner Toni Kroos who completed a 30
million euro move from German Champions Bayern Munich on a six-year contract.
·
A
four-month ban from all football-related activity for yet another biting
episode didn’t put Barcelona off paying Liverpool 81 million euros for
controversial Uruguay striker Luis Suarez.
·
From
the English capital to the French capital, Brazil centre-back
David Luiz joined Paris Saint Germain from Chelsea for 49.5 million euros. As
Luiz leaves Stamford Bridge, Brazilian-born Spaniard Diego Costa arrives. The
25–year-old striker joined from Atletico Madrid on a five-year deal worth an
estimated 40 million euros.
·
Chile’s
World Cup star Alexis Sanchez has joined Arsenal from Barcelona. He joined the
Gunners on a long-term contract for a reported fee of around 44 million euros.
·
It’s
not just players moving about – last week Juventus appointed former Milan boss
Massimiliano Allegri as coach to replace Antonio Conte who surprised all by stepping
down last week from Italian champions with a year left on his contract.
·
Manchester
United look set to beat Monaco, PSG and Liverpool in the race to sign Real
Madrid’s Angel Di Maria. Argentina’s World Cup star carries a minimum price tag
of 40 million euros.
·
World
Cup-winning midfielder Sami Khedira is at the centre of a tug-of-war between
Chelsea and Arsenal. The Blues however look most likely to bag the Real Madrid
man despite his €250,000-a-week wage demands.
·
He
has become the world’s most wanted goalkeeper—Keylor Navas’s performances
between the sticks for Costa Rica at the World Cup has earned him an expected
move to Real Madrid from Levante.
·
He
cost Chelsea 58,5 million euros but now the Londoners are looking to offload
under-performing Spaniard Fernando Torres for around 16 million to his former
club Atletico Madrid, who feel that price is too high.
·
Another
possible move that would thrill the Chelsea faithful comes in the form of club
hero and free agent Didier Drogba, who could be on his way back to Stamford Bridge
after a one year contract was put on the table.
The high-profile transfers are not just
within Europe. There are some players who, in the twilight of their careers,
have decided to leave the ‘old continent’ seeking new adventures and better
salaries in the United States.
·
Kaka
head’s stateside. The former Brazil international has signed for Major League
Soccer debutants Orlando City for three and a half years, but before March’s
season opener the former ‘world player of the year’ will be loaned out to Sao
Paulo.
·
After
13 years at Chelsea—where he’s the club’s all-time leading goal scorer, former England
captain Frank Lampard joins Kaka across the pond after penning a deal to play
with Middle League Soccer newcomers New York City FC. Lampard
joins Spain’s all-time leading goal-scorer David Villa who signed with the MLS team for three years. Both players will link up in
Australia with Melbourne for a ten-game loan spell in the A-League before
continuing their careers in the ‘Big Apple’.
·
New
York are also set to sign Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Alonsi.
(Source: http://euronews.com/2014/07/21/football-transfers-the-movers-shakers-and-maybes/)
Within this context, one may want
to wonder what has become of the Ghanaian players. Which of them has had a good
fortune or lost one as a result of participation in this World Cup tournament?
I haven’t heard anything to prove that any has profited beyond the appearance
fees that the Ghana Government paid, which itself remains a source of controversy.
Probably scared of their future, they pulled strings for our government to
charter an aircraft to airlift over 3 million Dollars to them before they
played the crucial match against Portugal, which they lost ignominiously.
We see from the aftermath of the
Brazil 2014 how individual players are benefiting from their sterling
performances. They are being recruited for big sums and are likely to shed some
off to support the needy in their home countries. We have also heard of players
donating their World Cup earnings to support good causes. Not so for the Ghanaian
players. Some individual players may be initiating and supporting public
spirited projects; but their impact is minimal. So, what is the benefit to
Ghana if our government continues to pump money/resources into soccer
development?
Meantime, we are still waiting to
know how the government intends going about probing the affairs of the Ministry
of Youth and Sports under Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah and Joseph Yammin as well as the
Ghana Football Association led by Nyantakyi. Not until something concrete
emerges to paint the right picture, tongues will continue to wag. And the
government will suffer the negative backlash. Another own-goal being scored
here too?
I shall return…
·
E-mail:
mjbokor@yahoo.com
·
Join me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor to continue the conversation.
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