Beckham, Platini, FIFA and the Premier League get some.
It's the job of any football pundit to encourage debate and get people talking but nobody does this better than Eamon Dunphy. The former Millwall hero was on
2FM’s Game On and he used the opportunity to have a go at the perceived 'money hungry' culture that exists in the Premier League.
While all football fans take Dunphy's views with a massive pinch of salt, he does make some valid points although his rant comparing football to other sports does go a bit bear-shaped. Still though, it makes for interesting reading.
Here are Dunphy's views on...
Why football is sick
“Soccer is a sick sport, full of cheating, full of guys who won't play. In a world where many people are suffering, these guys live in a bubble. A lot of them never leave the bubble. Even when they do and give interviews, they don't appear to know what's going on around him.
There is something badly wrong with soccer. The culture is sick. An awful lot of ordinary people can't afford to go."
The reluctance of the football authorities to change the rules
"Every sport needs to be regulated all the time. If you look at rugby and all the rule changes that have been made; the way that the IRFU have run the game in the professional age. If you look at other sports like golf and NFL, they are changing all the time.
"They are changing to enhance the product, to enhance the pleasure for those who watch the game. I don't think people get pleasure seeing overpaid cheats. The guy who blocked video analysis is Michel Platini. He won't allow reform that will revolutionise the game and stop cheating.
FIFA regulate the world game. These are the people responsible for the state that football is in. They have turned a blind eye to what is happening on the pitch.”
The financial gulf created by the Premier League
"The Premier League brands are massive and are watched all over the world,” he said. "Two hundred and forty countries now televise the league. In the end, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich won't be able to live with the Premier League in terms of actual money and turnover.
A salary cap should be brought in but what you have is an ocean of money and a lot of little men in boats riding the ocean.”
David Beckham and the growing appeal of rugby
“Beckham said in an interview that he prefers rugby to soccer. His son was at Arsenal, but he's given up. He added that he doesn't want to be a pro and he's happy. If David Beckham, who is an icon in the sport, says he prefers rugby and is glad is son has stopped playing soccer, what does that say about our sport?"
Never change Eamo, never change.
Quotes via - RTE
