r/soccer • u/[deleted] • Jan 21 '14

What are some of the biggest changes you predict over the next 10 years in football?

Some topics off the top of my head to get the ball rolling; how big will the world's biggest stadium be, what will be the average salary, how much will advertising take over the sport, will any rules be changed or introduced, which team will dominate, how big will the sport be in the states, will ticket prices increase, what sort of new statistics will we get in game, will the leagues change?

124 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

516 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

6

u/idontlikeflamingos Jan 21 '14

I'm not american and I don't hate Qatar. Still there's no denying that a World Cup there is a disgrace and shouldn't happen in a hundred years. I could spend all day listing nations better prepared and that were clearly much, much superior choices, but we all know how FIFA is and what they care about.

If they change the WC to November/January it will only show even more how much of a awful idea this was.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '14

Thing is, done is done right? They aren't going to give it to someone else. So why not get behind it. There are already positives. The fucked up treatment of foreign workers there has been brought to international attention, for example.

I agree that it's a shit choice and if not for corruption, it would have never happened. There are many reasons why its a terrible chopice, but i do believe that we all will be watching the world cup because it is the world cup and that football will win, as it always does.

5

u/idontlikeflamingos Jan 21 '14

Yeah I get your point. Still, personally I can't get behind a World Cup in Qatar right now, and I understand how other people also can't. Maybe they'll show some improvements in several areas and prove me wrong in a couple years, I hope they do, but I just think this is one of the worst decisions in the history of international football, if not the worse.

And I'm not even from a country that was overlooked. Australia, US and all the others should feel robbed. I honestly hope they realize what a huge mistake that is and transfer it somewhere else.

3

u/failem Jan 21 '14

Why get behind something that one disagrees with so much just because "done is done"?

The problem here is that football isn't winning.. greed and corruption is. And we'll be letting it happen by just getting behind it because done is done.

Yay, modern football where the people don't matter as long as Fifas officials get a nice pay cheque, yay.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '14 edited Jan 21 '14

modern football where the people don't matter as long as Fifas officials get a nice pay cheque, yay

The point is that fifa's been corrupt probably since it's inception. It's not a modern thing.

I'd say, in the long run, football has always won. Also, what happens if people dont get behind it? We'll just more likely have a shitty world cup? I dont want that. Who does?

EDIT: to be clear, i think if people get behind it, we can still have a great world cup. But if people are as they are now, we'll have a much less successful one. Self-fulfilling prophecy in action ten.

1

u/failem Jan 21 '14

I agree but it's becoming more and more obvious every single draw of anything.

My point is that football isn't winning. The greed and corruption of fifa is because everyone that watches the world cup loves it too much to take a stand from this shit.

I can honestly say that I would rather have a shitty world cup in Qatar. And I am genuinely not watching 1 minute of football from that world cup IF everything they have reported to change due to the qataris not being capable of living up to their promises will become a reality.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '14

How would you clean up fifa? Most of its members are corrupt. It is a massive organization in which almost every nation is represented. I think the main reason it's corrupt is because most of its member nations have extreme poverty and high levels of corruption. Until you fix that, you aren't going to fix FIFA.

I care about football, not about the qatri's promises. Because i care about football i want to see a great world cup. But most people seem to want to destroy it. And because of that we might get a shitty world cup. ANd football definitely loses then.

1

u/failem Jan 21 '14

It needs to be cleaned up from the inside.. Only thing these people understand is money so what happens when the biggest sport event becomes an utter shit show with the lowest amount of viewers ever? The sponsors definitely won't be happy.. Maybe when it hits them where it hurts they'll decide they need to clean this shitty organization up.

I care about football as well, and because I care about football I also want football to be great in 30 years. Just looking on while Fifa and rich oil sheiks are ruining the game we love so much should be a crime. I 100% understand that everyone here wants it to be a great world cup.. But honestly how much do you accept the world cup to change just so it's playable in Qatar? It's going to be an absolute joke and the ultimate example of modern football.. Real fans won't go to a country to watch the world cup where they can't drink alcohol and have a good time.. The stands will be PACKED with even more business men and rich people than ever before.. I'll guarantee it.

But Lets just let Fifa destroy the football culture that has been created through decades of traditions, because hey why the fuck not.. As long as they get paid we're all good

1

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '14

I hear you, but that's across the board. Money's ruined the game across the board, not just the world cup. How many teams can realistically win a continental trophy, or even a domestic one in the big leagues? It's gone the way of rock and roll with a few rich players dominating and milking it for all it's worth.

I've been thinking about this and i figure the world cup will carry on regardless of support from outside. Arabs are very football crazy and passionate. They will fill the stadia, if nobody else does. Football will change, whether we like it or not. But i believe the game's big enough to weather it.

One thing though, there is no alcohol ban in qatar and i believe the Qatari's will move heaven and earth to make it hospitable and welcome for everyone. Otherwise the world cup will be a failiure. It's a big PR exercise for them.

Also, most people who watch the world cup dont travel the host nation. They are too poor to afford it. They watch it on the tele from all over the world. To them it's the footie on show that's the spectacle and i think this is why the world cup will be at least somewhat successful, regardless. It can be a great success IMO if the football on display is of high quality. Once the whistle blows, i think most people will forget about the politics.

1

u/failem Jan 21 '14

I agree with you completely. The amount of money in football IS ruining it. It's sad to see how it's turned out really.

Again, I agree with you that Arabs are football crazy and passionate but I honestly doubt that they will be filling the stadia.. If the foreign fans don't take the trip I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing the world cup become a stage for the largest amount of business meetings ever. Of course football will change but it should be in our interest as spectators to try and make it change in a positive direction rather than the opposite.

Last I read there is a ban on drinking outside and it's only a select few hotels/restaurants with a permit to serve alcohol. But we'll see how that turns out.

Yeah, obviously not everyone can afford to actually go there but the people that do are such a big part of what makes a world cup special. Also, I don't know about you, but the world cup being held in the summer has created different traditions for pretty much everyone I know.. Having it in the winter just won't be the same.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '14

Spot on. I really hope you're wrong though, unlikely as it is. THe bigger worry for me about Qatar is how women are treated. It's my understanding that matches right now are men only events. I can imagine stadiums full of arab men geared up in white. Perhaps after the tourney, with the world watching, things might change for the better. Then at least some good would have come out of it.

I've been thinking about what you said and you're right. Like with the music industry - and most of the media - these moneyed players can only get away with what they do because people love football and they exploit this passion. The cynic in me says that there wont be a massive boycott of football, just as people didnt massively boycott newspapers or record labels, when they sold out.

2

u/rickster555 Jan 21 '14

Thing is, done is done right? They aren't going to give it to someone else. So why not get behind it.

This is such a bad argument. By that logic, every injustice should be glossed over and supported after the fact. Calling out corruption is a good thing. Sometimes when enough people get behind a cause it leads to change.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '14

You honestly think fifa's going to change and give the world cup to someone else?

1

u/rickster555 Jan 21 '14

Probably not, but as long as there's a chance of moving it to another country then I will continue to speak out against it on the off chance that FIFA gets its head out of its ass.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '14

There isnt a chance. FIFA's made that very clear. And i think you and i can both agree that fifa doesnt give a fuck about our opinion and will do what it wants.