"Rakurs". What was UEFA afraid of?

"Rakurs". What scared UEFA?

Among the world championships of recent years, the tournament in Qatar stands out. One of the factors that made it so spectacular is the timing of the tournament. Players are in much better shape in December, because clubs try to ensure that they reach their peak during this period. Other tournaments are often remembered for their slower tempo, because due to the increasing workload during the season, players enter the competition tired by June. The last European Championship was also not remembered for its high tempo. This is not a criticism, but a normal situation in today's conditions. If the World Cup is a celebration for small national teams like ours and medium-sized countries, then for the favorites it is a process of determining the champion. The pressure is great, so it is difficult to bear it in a sub-optimal situation - this was felt in England, Portugal, even France, the teams became more and more difficult as the tournament approached its end.

Older fans know well that it was not like this before. The World Cups that took place until the 90s were the brightest football spectacle of that era, a kind of advertisement for football. In an era when there were no social networks like now, and there was much less content around football, it was very difficult to attract everyone's attention with just the game itself, but they managed to do it. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, in previous times, the main football belonged to the national teams. Because back then, the big five leagues did not have as much money as they do now, competitions like the Champions League were much more modest, and players were required to show themselves, go down in history, and win the "Golden Ball" only by showing themselves in the national team.

Secondly, the players were in better shape in the summer. Since the format of the Champions League and the qualifiers was different, the number of games was small. At the same time, the load in these games was also less for the leading clubs - mediocre and outsider clubs could not resist as hard as they do now. In addition, there is an emotional aspect: a player still prepares himself better for a more important and larger competition, trying to give all his best to matches with the national team.

Thirdly, in those days, national teams were stronger than clubs, in my opinion. Now, on the contrary, each of the clubs that are considered favorites in the Champions League has become a kind of world team. They collect the best players, but due to constant training and constant togetherness, they can play at a very high pace. Look at the best national teams in the world, in Spain and France, in addition to the number one stars, someone from more mediocre clubs like Roma and Sociedad also got into the squad, right?

In the old days, the composition of the national teams would be stronger. Because it was not possible to play more than three foreign players per club. Now imagine that in England, clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United each take three foreign players into their ranks, and the best local players are distributed to these top clubs. As you can see, any top club had three strong foreign players, several players from the national team of that country, and at least 3-4 local players who did not even make it to the national team. It is difficult to imagine this now, on the contrary, even the reserve players of the top clubs are members of strong national teams. So, in the old days, the strongest national teams were stronger than the strongest clubs in terms of composition, and naturally, it was more interesting to watch them.

Then, first in organizations such as Serie A, then UEFA, and the Premier League, reforms of various levels were observed, and big money came into football. The change in the format of the competitions, the changes in the limit of legionnaires after the "Bosman affair", the dual citizenship system, which was influenced by the European Union's labor law, created the basis for the rapid growth of club football. Clubs that pay players very high salaries have been able to partially force them to put the club first. The Champions League trophy has become the biggest prize in football, and playing there is the biggest dream of the players.

It is true that the fans' perspective has also gradually changed. The audience, who used to live between the world and European championships and wait for these competitions, is now different - we think about these tournaments only when the start time is approaching. The most important, most spectacular, and highest-level tournament in football has become the Champions League. This is the reality of today's football.

Now, let's look at Gianni Infantino's project from a different perspective. If you remember, when the idea of the Super League was born, the organizations that most opposed it were UEFA and the Premier League. The reason is understandable, the Super League was considered a threat to the ongoing work of the Champions League and the Premier League. Infantino's idea of selling the rights to organize the World Cup, if you think about it carefully, will create a competitive reality for UEFA, and for the Champions League or the top leagues.

Last year, FIFA organized a new tournament called the Club World Cup. At first glance, it seems like an unnecessary, superfluous competition. But the prize money given to the participants was large, and FIFA was able to set its own conditions and ensure that the top European clubs played with their full starting lineups. After all, at a time when UEFA is cornering clubs due to financial limits, the opportunity to make almost 100 million euros in net income in a month-long tournament is naturally of interest to any team. The winner, Chelsea, earned no less than the clubs that have played more than 15 games a year and reached the Champions League final with 3-4 wins. Yes, the Club World Cup is only about money for now, but the history and prestige of the Champions League will always prevail. It is also possible that the CWC will become a kind of consolation and financial gap-filling competition. This is not yet scary for UEFA.

But the project that Infantino is talking about is really scary. Imagine, FIFA, which can only sell a few top clubs and a few teams from other continents to play football in the summer heat for such a huge amount of money, if it entrusts this work to its true masters and those who know how to make money from the spectacle, what kind of product will they make from national team football? Imagine how much more FIFA, which has already earned billions from the Club World Cup, could monetize the national team tournament, the history of the World Cup, and its emotion.

It is difficult to create a new Club World Cup, but the World Cup, which is actually higher and more emotional than the World Cup with its own traditions, will definitely be very attractive in a shiny package - I think that is what UEFA was afraid of. Yes, now the clubs are rich, the main employers, and those who earn millions in salaries in football are European clubs. They order the music. But if FIFA starts selling the World Cups at a higher price, is there a guarantee that the national federations will not also get rich and will not become the main employers of football? After all, in the 80s we could not have imagined that club football would rise to such a high level against the background of national teams, right?

There are aspects that clubs can never provide at the World Cups - patriotism, originality, competition between different nations and styles, a century of history. This is especially noticeable during the World Cup; even though football itself may seem quite strange, no club can provide the atmosphere and vibe that national team matches provide. And now, when you add big money to this... That's what UEFA is afraid of, I think.

That's why UEFA's statements like "we need to save football" and "we won't let it be sold" are more reminiscent of populism. After all, what has UEFA itself been doing so far? Despite the heavy burden on poor players and the increase in injuries, hasn't UEFA added 4 more matches to the Champions League format precisely to increase the money? Hasn't UEFA itself been selling football so far?

This time UEFA won: FIFA abandoned the project and apologized. Infantino's chair moved. The expected outcome.

But the 21st century is the century of commerce. In today's era, when television is giving way to smartphones, and the main consumer is moving away from politics, football is the most valuable "live broadcast". Naturally, there will always be interested parties in this area who want to get a piece of the "pie". If not, others will try to enter this circle with new projects.

There is a famous joke by Hajiboy Tojiboyev: you can work in one place for fifty years, even if no one needs the teacher's place. Football itself could not stand still for so long. We'll see if we survive.