Footballers and role models: not the best combination

Football is a religion and the amount of people following this religion is enormous. With the amount of passion and love flowing into the game, it’s least bit surprising that footballers are envied and looked up to almost equally. Their life is a public record and everything they do is judged universally, so it is safe to say that they should set a good example to escape the stick.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 09: Chelsea FC football player John Terry arrives at Westminster Magistrates court to stand trial for allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, on July 9, 2012 in London, England.

Whether we like it or not, footballers are role models. There are no two ways about it. They are high-profile celebrities who are living a dream life, and their influence on people, especially young people, are beyond question. Just the amount of people copying a David Beckham hairstyle or wearing a Ronaldo jersey is proof enough that they are idol-worshipped.

Having said that, are they really good role models?

One look at their scandalous lifestyle, bar fights, profanity filled rants at the television camera, affairs and racist remarks that footballers have been alleged (or found guilty) over the years would suggest, in no uncertain terms that they are not.

We have always valued and looked up to athletes and other such talented people like musicians or actors, and we have chosen to grant them enormous amount of money and social status for their talents. With the enormous riches, adoring fans and girls throwing themselves at them and a camera following a few feet behind them, it’s quite obvious that nothing good, if anything at all, is going to come out of it. The money is certainly an issue here. Making more money a year than most people make in their entire life, and often from a young age, it seems there is nothing that these players can’t get, and more importantly, don’t want. The false sense of security that they might feel like they are the exception to the rules is understandable but not justifiable.

One look at John Terry, a wonderful player for both club and country, show the best of both worlds. On one hand, Terry as a footballer is undeniably talented and his commitment and hard work is commendable, but at the same time, Terry as a person is not someone to look up to. With racist allegations and highly publicized affairs, he is not someone you want your kids to idolize.

The major problem with the actions of these so called role models is the range of their misdeeds and misguided judgement. From burning houses (Ballotelli) to racist remarks to adultery, the range is quite vast.

It’s not just footballers; athletes as a whole can be considered into this mix. Whether it’s Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong, examples of sportsmen making wrong decisions and messing up their legacy is painfully evident. It’s just the fact that football has a much bigger appeal and people hounding the players are more, which leads to us thinking that they are the most inferior class of them all.

To be fair to the players, media does play a big role in their much publicized depraved behavior The quest for juicy news, which gets the attention of the masses has lead to the media taking matters into their own hands and portraying footballers in bad light at every possible chance. Everybody knows that Mario Ballotelli is a loose cannon, as portrayed by the media, but how many actually knew about his donations to the children in Africa? Or the laudable actions by Swansea’s Angel Rangel and his wife, who supplied food to the needy just last month? Highlighting the flaws and portraying a bad boy image has always garnered more public interest, so why would they stop now?

Pirlo and Xavi: true professionals and role models

Even the us fans have to take a small share of the blame. If we put someone on a white horse and call him a knight, we will have to live with the consequences. Just because somebody is famous or talented doesn’t necessarily make them a role model. It’s obvious that footballers do have attributes that need to be lauded, like determination, hard work, creativity and leadership qualities. And there are a few footballers who have been wonderful ambassadors for the game and professionalism, like Xavi, Casillas and Pirlo.

Everyone has their faults, that much is painfully obvious, but do we still need to insist on considering footballers as role models?