View Full Version : Club or country - what is more important?
teamwork
11 Jun 2008, 04:17 AM
I was watching the Ronaldinho programme on sky TV yesterday - " A day in the life" and he was saying that playing for the national side is more important to him, than playing for Barcelona or any club side. He also said that every Brazilian - player or supporter feels the same, that national pride is more important than club pride.
Now i am not saying they do not enjoy club football, obviously they do, but i think he is right, you play for your club and then you get the highest honour - your country. But in England this does not seem to be the case with either the supporters or some of the players.
For example - Terry, Owen, Beckham, J. Cole Hargreaves, Richards & i think Rooney & Ferdinand to a degree are the only one's who seem to want to play for their country at the same level as they do for their clubs - the likes of Gerrard, Carragher, Lampard, A.Cole, and more of them see more loyal to their clubs and i think this is represented by the supporters - on thw whole more lower league teams go than big premier league teams, so does that mean if we want more passion from both fnas and players we need to start looking at the lower divisions. Have we got it right or have the brazilians, because i for one as a Man Utd supporter would much rather see England win Euro or the world cup, than Utd win the league or champions league, - i am sorry but that is what i feel.
Am i right, or am i wrong.
leg_breaker
11 Jun 2008, 07:24 AM
The national team is usually supported more in places with poor club teams, i.e. USA, South America, Eastern Europe.
In the places with developed leagues, i.e. Spain, England, Italy, clubs are more important. Especially amongst full-time football fans, i.e. season tickets holders and those who go week in week out. I'd imagine international football is more popular amongst people who put face-paint on once every four years and say "What's offsides?"
Although I'd love to know why, if Brazilians like Ronaldinho love their country so much more than their clubs, do they so often duck out of tournaments like the Copa America, yet turn up on publicity tours in the USA and the Far East.
RichardL
11 Jun 2008, 09:34 AM
on the whole more lower league teams go than big premier league teams, so does that mean if we want more passion from both fnas and players we need to start looking at the lower divisions. .
I have no idea what any of that means
Teso Dos Bichos
11 Jun 2008, 10:03 PM
He means most of the English support (at least those who travel) are from lower league teams. Therefore perhaps you should look to those leagues for players who will show passion for the shirt.
Or something like that anyway.
AFCA
12 Jun 2008, 04:06 AM
It's different, but club football is the most important one.
It's getting killed quickly by commerce though.
zenden
12 Jun 2008, 10:10 AM
You play for your club and for your fans every week. Your club pays you and your club develops you.
AFCA
12 Jun 2008, 11:48 AM
You play for your club and for your fans every week. Your club pays you and your club develops you.
I hope you're not hinting at players' loyalty to a club. It still exists, but is extremely rare.
ChelseaForTheCup(s)
13 Jun 2008, 03:37 PM
You play for your club and for your fans every week. Your club pays you and your club develops you.
Sure, but when you play for a club team, is your entire country depending on you to win a game?
Club teams are town specific, and especially in the top divisions of leagues, club loyalty is definitely lacking.
leg_breaker
14 Jun 2008, 08:05 PM
So is international loyalty, with many players playing for other countries, and not turning up for their national team, or turning up and putting in a half-arsed performance.
ChelseaForTheCup(s)
14 Jun 2008, 08:07 PM
So is international loyalty, with many players playing for other countries, and not turning up for their national team, or turning up and putting in a half-arsed performance.
All of a hand full of players do that.
If country is so insignificant compared to club, then why does 80% of the world care about the World Cup, or any other International competitions?
Anyone who thinks club is more important is crazy.
Gordon EF
14 Jun 2008, 08:26 PM
I'd imagine it's different for different situations. As a supporter, would I rather see Scotland win the world cup or East Fife win the Scottish Premier League. It's close but I'd probably go with Scotland winning the World Cup.
ChelseaForTheCup(s)
14 Jun 2008, 09:51 PM
Winning the league will never compare to the glory and honor that comes with winning the world cup.
rob88
14 Jun 2008, 10:13 PM
Support your country, does not matter if your team always lose.
Boloni86
16 Jun 2008, 06:07 AM
club before country 99% of the time...
The relationship between fan and club is much closer than fan and country. You live the club's history, you go to countless games, road trips, you build a bond with fellow fans etc ... And the size or quality of the league has nothing to do with it. Usually fans of smaller clubs have an even more intimate relationship with club than fans of big clubs.
But then there's the other 1% of the time which may happen once per generation ... if that. I'm talking about when your country achieves something spectacular and unexpected (Denmark '92, Greece '04 for example). Those moments can stir up the kind of passion that a club could never do.
Reazzurro90
16 Jun 2008, 11:48 AM
Country.
I love my club, but I could never put it over the Nazionale.
ChelseaForTheCup(s)
16 Jun 2008, 04:09 PM
Country.
I love my club, but I could never put it over the Nazionale.
The Nazionale?
tjbirdsfan
16 Jun 2008, 11:48 PM
To me Club Soccer is so much more entertaining than any national side. I am watching the Euros and like everyone else Ill be watching the World Cup in two years. For me I get wrapped up in the club season way more than international competitions. So to me Club is more important.
Sempre
16 Jun 2008, 11:59 PM
Probably for most people domestic club soccer matters more.
But I will say one thing: the international competitions are special.
Just look at how Mutu broke down in tears when Buffon blocked his
penalty in the Italy-Romania match. That reaction would never come
out in a game for Chelsea or Fiorentina. It's an emotional response
that comes from representing a small country and feeling your entire
COUNTRY depending on you. There's nothing like that in domestic
soccer. The emotions are incredible. So for me I think there is still
something unique about competitions like the Euro and World Cup.
Boloni86
17 Jun 2008, 12:15 AM
Yeah, and when Alex Frei walked off injured in the first game. I guarantee you he wasn't crying for his knee ... he was crying for Switzerland.
RichardL
17 Jun 2008, 09:01 AM
All of a hand full of players do that.
If country is so insignificant compared to club, then why does 80% of the world care about the World Cup, or any other International competitions?
Anyone who thinks club is more important is crazy.Nobody in saying international football is insignificant. It's just that when you live in a country with a strong club culture, that culture just overrides international football.
Countries with a weak club culture invariably chose their country, as that's the more engaging of the two for them.