International Football: How to Reach Superstar Status

Imagine playing for a football team whose rivals date back to the 19th century. With over eighty thousand fans in attendance (as seen in the picture below) and the media covering every minute move, the pressure is unbearable but highly motivating. This is a brief description of the number one sport in the world, football, which is called soccer in the United States. As the most popular and watched sport, competition is very evident. This has led to verbal and physical encounters not only between players, but within the crowd. The players, coaching staff, and fans treat football not only as a sporting event, but as a part of their life. The country’s reputation is on the line. With this intense pressure, players must perform consistently at such high standards to maintain the support from the franchise, fans, and media. Therefore, players must decide how far they want to push themselves.

In recent news, the New England Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, who is pictured below, has been under deep scrutiny for comments concerning trading prospects. The team from a statistical view is currently in first place in the Premiere League winning the last seven games. From a financial status, the Arsenal has enough money to invest into an all star player. Wenger, however, has commented, “I don't see this player at the moment anywhere." This is such a strong statement because he is blatantly stating that the football players are not playing to their potential and do not deserve large paychecks. However, this remark could be used as a reverse psychology tactic. Players now feel they must practice and play harder to earn the recognition they deserve. In doing so, this attention will lead to more media headlines which will give players the opportunity of possible endorsement contracts and higher salaries. The problem with this tactic is it can lead to trouble. Some athletes feel they must find other methods to improve in a short amount of time. This leads to steroid abuse, and when this news is revealed and made public, the reputation of the player as well as the franchise is tarnished. Therefore, players must decide what is more important, the money or the quality of the game.

All star football player, Ronaldinho de Assís Moreira , (as pictured below) is a specific example of a player under a large amount of pressure. He is, at the moment, the epitome of football players. Ronaldinho earns the respect not only from his fans, but also his rivals as seen when he scored two goals against the real Madrid and “the Real Madrid and the Madrid fans saluted Ronaldinho with a standing ovation despite Real Madrid suffering a 3-0 defeat.” However, his injury is hurting his world renowned reputation. With the Arsenal having a large salary capacity to offer Ronaldinho, Wenger has refused to make any offers. He unashamedly said, "Maybe one year ago he was the best player in the world. Is he today? No. It's as simple as that." This statement is very controversial because Ronaldinho’s reputation is highly valued in the game right now. According to consultancy firm BBDO Germany, “Beckham still has the best-known face, but Ronaldinho's age and recent feats make him a better marketing prospect.” Many sports fans come out specifically to watch him play, and as a result of this high attendance, the franchise earns a large amount of money through endorsement deals, ticket sales, and player paraphernalia. Why would the Arsenal not want to bring Ronaldinho to the team? His statistics clearly show that he has the capabilities of making football history not only for himself but for the Arsenal franchise. It would be a win- win situation.

But Wenger makes an important point. All star player status should be given to players who perform at top notch levels on a consistent basis. If the player cannot do this, then a team should not spend a large portion of the budget on them. It is important for teams to invest in quality players that improve their performance every game. By doing so, this leads to a domino effect (as pictured to the right). As a result of the consistent improvement, players increase their confidence which allows the coaching staff to have the flexibility to create various plays. With so much variety every game, more fans come for the unexpected excitement, and then more sponsors become involved because of the positive marketing opportunities. At the end, the reputation of the sport becomes renowned globally. Players, therefore, need to be willing to take on risks to set themselves apart, although the probability of serious injuries rises. However, stepping out of the usual is what creates the excitement of the game and makes the world’s greatest players.