Why I Hate International Football Breaks

I am a patriotic person yet I cannot muster any excitement for any international football outside of major competitions. 

This patriotism is at its most vehement than in a sporting context, regardless of the sport or our nations chances. Whilst in the UK football attracts the most the English media, like many I try to get behind any English competitor, regardless of the  sport or my understanding of the rules. 

I have lost  enthusiasm for the England Football team in recent years, don’t get me wrong I still follow the results and hope we do well but the fervour is not there as it was in the lapsidasical days of my youth and this is why.  

Lack of Success

England are the Liverpool of international football, they have been around for a long time and were once a dominant force in the game. The Three Lions are always tipped to rise to the fore on the eve of every competition but end up leaving both fans and players in tears when the business end of the tournament arrives.

Too Many Friendlies

These money grabbing dead end affairs are boring in the extreme and Chelsea players are exposed to potential injury in games that achieve little if anything apart from bleeding the wallets dry of the fans once again

Cost

It is no longer to watch all England games on terrestrial TV in the U.K free of charge, this goes against the principles of sharing national sporting competitions with the nation. As I said previously with diminishing interest the likelihood of paying to watch our national team is remote.

Cheap Caps

15 caps for less than a whole games playing time is not what international caps should be about. In the days before endless friendlies and millionaire players, caps were earned with blood, sweat and sometimes even tears. This is no longer the case 10 minute wonders such as Beckham over last couple of years, these mean that records earned in a bygone age of integrity are being stolen and the prestigious nature of these records is diminished.

Reduction in the Importance of International Competition

Yes the World Cup was a huge tournament but the increased spread of coverage for the European leagues worldwide coupled with many large nations failing to qualify. For example India and China have never entered a World Cup meaning that Champions League and other competitions are starting to encroach on the World Cups claim as the biggest footballing competition.

Boring Football

Let’s be honest with the exceptions of the Latin American heavyweights Argentina and Brazil international football is a drab and pale comparison to the Premier League. Negative tactics and a slower tempo, mean that 90 minutes can feel like 120 as the games become chess games.

This may be fascinating for the technical admirers of the game but turns many spectators off the game. I would say that options too many friendlies, the cost to watch games on TV in the UK and sheer boredom are the drivers behind my distaste for internationl football at the moment.

You cannot beat the thrill of the Premier League, give me a Chelsea game over England any day of the week.