Soccer is the world's number one sport. Fans flock from all over the world to watch in big cities and in small villages to see their heroes in action. Influential players such as Pele, Maradona, Renaldo, and Messi have thrilled us over the years. True fans live and die with their team's experiences in both victory and defeat. Many fans have become disenchanted with the state of the game. Astronomical costs for tickets and merchandise have skyrocketed over the years. This pricing has left many ordinary fans unable to attend games or even offer support by purchasing a team shirt.

On the field, the introduction of the Video Assisted Referee (VRE) has left many fans and players disgruntled with absurd decisions and onerous changes to the offside law, and constant tinkering with the rules has left many frustrated that the game is being strangled from within. The VAR decisions have slowed the game to a crawl. After a goal is scored, fans wait anxiously for the VAR to confirm the referee's on-field decision before celebrating a goal. FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, has suffered scandals over the last few years with many top executives being caught up in the maelstrom of corruption. The soccer body has now given the USA the bloated World Cup with more teams being invited to the big show which means the quality of games would be diluted. Does anybody want to see Zimbabwe hammered by one of the top European or South American teams?

The European governing body (UEFA) has been even less conspicuous in the big money grab. We now have the bloated Champions League with even more teams vying for a piece of the pie. I remember a time when the European Cup, as it was then called, was only for the champions of their respective leagues. However, today the teams that finished in third or fourth position now qualify for the Champions League once again. After the failed attempt of the European Super League teams such as Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Barcelona are seen as trying to manipulate their way into forming a "closed shop" where only the big boys can play and profit.

Soccer players are also feeling the pressure and the squeeze of fixture congestion. Recently Manchester City midfielder Roderi complained about fixture congestion and fatigue and was widely criticized for being a whiner. The joke was about Roderi because he recently suffered a season-ending knee injury which highlights that his fears were right on target. The soccer powers that be need to treat fans with more respect. Many fans grumble that the game as they know it is gone due to greed. Those at the helm would do well to take heed before they kill the golden goose.

Ola George for YAME

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