Football today is a multi-billion dollar empire, brimming with resources with some of the world’s richest personalities invested in it. Contrary to expectation the money hasn’t wiped out loyalty and passion. When Juventus got relegated to the second tier of Italian football all their stars stayed and more recently Marco Reus, one of world football’s most sought after talents chose his struggling side over a world brand for much higher salary. The examples are endless. The resources though are having a profound social impact. Thousands of jobs are being created in every continent, raw talent is being nurtured in the best of facilities and it’s keeping a lot of underprivileged children off the streets.
The influence is not just limited to the fans. Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba ended a five year long civil war in his motherland. He did what the government could not. That is the power of the game.
In spite of all the virtues some issues continue to plague the sport. Racism is still rampant in some continents and fanaticism raises its ugly head more often than we would have liked. And like everything else around us football too has scope for improvement.
This game is closer to life than we give it credit for. These aspects of the game that are not talked about, silently work to make the world a more beautiful place. And as Terry Pratchett rightly said, "The thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.”
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