Is Fair Play necessary on the field?
After a boring start, followed by similarly boring first matches in almost all the groups, I began to feel that criticism of the World Cup organization in Qatar was justified.
But not enough to justify boycotting the organization!
I'm talking about the "spirit of fair play" and the almost uninhibited chivalry that the players showed to each other on the pitch.
Stale clichés like "football is a game and no one should be injured or killed for a simple game" came to my mind as I saw the bad play on display.
Yes, I am not against the spirit of fair play on the pitch and the players against each other, but...
Football is a sector that attracts the masses and billions of dollars of money. When it comes to betting on football, it is not misleading to think that the money in the sector may be much more than estimated.
They will not leave the sector where such money is spinning alone.
Knowing that they will not leave it alone is not an excuse for the bad football played on the field, but one of the reasons.
It is the fans who watch the games in stadiums and on live TV screens that grow and sustain the industry. Where and for how long will fans spend money on boring games? I think those who play an active role in the sector should ask this question to each other.
As fair play is emphasized over the players, the games played on the field deteriorate. The struggle weakens. Footballers are subconsciously afraid of being artificially lynched for making a wrong move, so they refrain from even committing fouls.
Should fair play be practiced on the field? It is a proven fact that when it is practiced on the field, it has a negative impact on the game. The referee is the only authority of the game on the field and the most important weapons given to him/her are yellow and red cards. They take part in high level organizations because they know how to use them. There are rules that determine the game on the field and every player who does not have an amateur brain knows the rules and sees them in practice.
There should be fair play but it should not be dictated to the players all the time. Players should make their own decisions on the spur of the moment and implement them. When dictated constantly, boring games after the first matches are inevitable. It is natural for bad play to be criticized and not watched by everyone.
Also, true fair play should be between the administrators and the fans. Instead of watching matches in cages surrounded by wire fences and netted cages, rival fans should be able to sit in the same row of seats. Instead of interfering on the pitch, those in power should expand the spirit of fair play, especially in the stands.
Fortunately, after the second matches in the group stages, the World Cup is now truly underway. The battles on the pitch have started to be played at a high level. With yesterday's and today's qualifying matches, football offers excitement again and the viewership rates are increasing.
The increase in the number of fouls and cards in matches can be interpreted as a sign of what should happen. The team conceding a goal becomes aggressive in taking their last chances. The desire to have the ball is clearly reflected while watching. This gives everyone who loves soccer the pleasure of watching.
Let no player get injured! Let no player's blood flow anywhere but in their veins! Or a worse ending!
...but in many sectors people get injured and lose their lives. We mustn't forget that.
For the players playing on the field, for the referees officiating the match, for those broadcasting it live, for those commentating on it, football is a business. Every business has its risks. Anyone who wants to keep winning has to do their job well, as in all sectors. Football is no exception...
...ambition, the desire to win, a sense of responsibility towards the masses for whom you are responsible, the determination to fulfill your duty properly must override the notion of fair play.
Football is an active and growing sector. The footballers are the soldiers of this sector. Fans are the voluntary economic source of the sector. When the game is not played correctly, the voluntary principle may disappear. Maybe not today, but tomorrow there may be problems due to the dwindling number of supporters in generating resources!
Interpreting all this correctly today will save tomorrow. The World Cup is an elite organization. The teams participating there are the elite national teams of the last years. No fan wants to see a bad game on an elite stage. When you show it, it is not easily accepted. There is always a negative return.
Attributing all the negativity to the fact that the organization was held in Qatar in winter is tantamount to refusing to see the real problem.
