Arms in the air, fists clenched, eyes closed, tears squeezing down the cheek. In that moment, you are all alone. Yet, it is so beautiful, so serene, so full of joy. We wish for tranquillity in life – and in that moment, we live our dream, it might just be for a moment, but a moment is also a form of an eternity.
Few things in life can give a person such a feeling. The smile on your parents’ face when you make them proud, marrying the love of your life, the moment you see the face of your new-born child – these are the few things that are comparable to what it feels like when your team scores a goal, especially if it is scored in a very important moment.
However, there is a difference. Being a football fan provides these moments on a regular basis than the other things listed. No matter how trivial a goal is, it is always a reason to celebrate – and football gives us that.
And, it goes without saying, footballers are a reason for that.
Footballers might earn a lot more than the common person, but the truth is that the number of lives they touch with their influence is something that goes beyond the monetary aspects of life.
Sure, they can sometimes be of negative influence. Cheating in games, losing temper and doing something unsportsmanlike, alcohol, drugs… you name it. The glamour of being a celebrity always sticks to them, every move they make is intruded, dissected, judged… the mistakes are magnified to sell tabloids.
But we really can’t claim them to be bad reference points due to some rotten apples and the sharks in the media that are willing to sacrifice their souls to sell papers.
Professional footballers are hard workers
Football – and sports in general – is one of the few professions in this world where one can only succeed with sheer ability. There is no minority quota here, neither can your powerful relative make you a world class player. Footballers, especially at the top level, are there because of their own talent and hard work, unlike most jobs in the world.
What’s being fed to us is what we see, the finished product – and that is always so pleasing, makes everything look so easy. When you see someone like Cristiano Ronaldo holidaying in the Ibiza with his girlfriend, you wish, ‘ahh! Such an awesome life,’ but the truth is we rarely ever think of the moments of struggle that he had to go through to reach where he is today.
The pain of being away from home, the deprivation from the warmth of family, the nights where they cried till their pillows were drenched in tears, the gruelling training sessions and working out at the gym till their muscles could no longer move… the struggle of reaching the top is something most common human wouldn’t be able to take – that is why footballers are no ordinary beings.
And this is something we don’t see, the back picture – the one that truly matters – eludes our eyes as we only think about the final product of the years of hardships that a footballer goes through.
The general populace of this world is criticised for being lazy, for having everything on a platter served in front of their faces. In a time like this, footballers represent the exact opposite of what the ‘millennials’ are infamous for.
Some first division footballers are labelled as lazy, but the truth is that they had to do a crazy amount of work to reach the level at which they reside today. This is a trait that makes them so inspiring at a time when people are generally – and sometimes wrongly – labelled as lazy.at which they reside today. This is a trait that makes them so inspiring at a time when people are generally – and sometimes wrongly – labelled as lazy.at which they reside today. This is a trait that makes them so inspiring at a time when people are generally – and sometimes wrongly – labelled as lazy.at which they reside today. This is a trait that makes them so inspiring at a time when people are generally – and sometimes wrongly – labelled as lazy.
Sure, they are doing something they enjoy and are making a living out of it, but no matter how much you love something, you need to work had to become good at even that. Look at me, for example, I love writing, it is a passion I am practising for the last 7 years, but I am still a long way from being a decent writer.
Footballers teach us to work hard and pursue our dreams. They face rejection, humiliation even, but still rise above it to become what they are today. Luka Modric, for example, was rejected by Hadjuk Split for being too light-weighted – but look at him now; the best creative midfielder in the world. Hadjuk Split for being too light-weighted – but look at him now; the best creative midfielder in the world. Hadjuk Split for being too light-weighted – but look at him now; the best creative midfielder in the world. Hadjuk Split for being too light-weighted – but look at him now; the best creative midfielder in the world.
Roy Keane, another example, was rejected by Brighton for similar reasons. Antoine Griezmann faced similar adversity from a host of clubs and so did Harry Kane from Arsenal. The list goes on and on, but the bottom-line is: footballers have to go through a lot to be good at their trade.
And they also bless us with moments of such brilliance that we forget all our pain and misery, for some seconds at least, and live in the moment basking in the glory that they share with us.
So, tell me, why should they – in general – not be regarded as role models?
