-- You can't change teams. Won't have some egomaniac saying "If the U.S. won't give me my props, I'll go play for South Korea." -- No salary negotiations and -- Africa excluded -- little chance of player strikes. -- National teams often do quite well without egomaniacs. Anelka, Cantona, and Gazza come to mind. -- No owners buying championships, like those of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man United, et. al. -- No more than one or two cup competitions per year, and none of them run concurrently. -- No advertising on jerseys during games.
-You never hear a player say"I'm retiring from club football to concentrate on my National team commitments" -If it weren't for National team fixtures,footie fans would have to suffer through,dare I say,an offseason. -Club commitment is a job.National team selection is an honor/honour. -Except for the USA,National team kits don't change that much. -Germany vs England alone means a Hell of a lot more than Liverpool vs Borussia Dortmund and Man U vs Bayern put together.
Arguably, every single point that you made in the original post could be challenged in International football as well. But I understand the general premise.
The biggest reason I prefer intertional football to club football is because in Philly, with the three-month a year exception of hte Charge, there is no club football! I also prefer international football because when if your nation decides its too expensive to build a stadium for your team, there is no chance your team will cease to exist (as might happen to the Rhinos now).
I prefer Club over Country . the National team is made up of players you normally hate with a passion The Club represents you and the people & you grow up with in your local community .
If only that last bit were still true. One thing club has over country in a big way is exciting competition. Sure, individual internationals are fun and can be very exciting, but even European nations only have competitive internationals once every two months. Its like water torture. Waiting two months for one match--which even when it comes can be against some side like Luxembourg--and every two or four years for a full tournament (which itself only involves three or four matches) really doesn't hold a candle to club competition. I wish they would ditch all competitive internationals during the club season (which would allow it to shorten by a couple weeks), and just have a six week international season over the summer. Play 'em all at once--then international football might be as good as club football.
<i>I wish they would ditch all competitive internationals during the club season (which would allow it to shorten by a couple weeks), and just have a six week international season over the summer. Play 'em all at once--then international football might be as good as club football.</i> Finally one hundred percent common sense... Only problem being common sense isn't in great supply inside fifa... Conmbol used to play all its qualifying matches in a month long "season" if i remember rightly - but now its changed to something stupid like a week every two months (and less popular and less tangible as a result...). An international season completely separate from the club season (not during) makes sense (although i get the idea that money could have something to do with why its yet to materialise...). International football doesn't even hold a candle to club football though (and nothing will ever change that...). Club football is more exciting - less jingoistic - and more traditional. Anyone can start a club and achieve great things - starting a country represents more something a little more challenging...
International football - it's cute enough, I suppose. Gets in the way of the real stuff occasionally, of course, but we mustn't be too hard on it. Bless.
Sounds like sour grapes... You guys scare me. Club football can in no way compete with the World Cup, not in importance, anyhow. Talentwise, the clubs we are told are the best (Real, Barca, Bayern) can play with anyone's national team, including Brasil, but most clubs aren't as talented as Real or Barca.
Club football is what keeps the business going. The sport can live without national team football, but not without clubs. That's where players develop into stars so they can place themselves in the shopping window called National Team football. Long live both.
Re: Sounds like sour grapes... Internation football wouldn't even exist on the level it is now without club competitions.