Candid Cameras, Credit Cards and Codes of Conduct
Codes of conduct are becoming all the rage in La Liga, where the immense wages paid to players (hence the bit on “credit cards” in the title, get it? ok I just wanted an excuse to extend the alliteration) have been used as an excuse to delve into the private lives of players, some of whose activities are proving rather ignominious for the clubs to whom they are attached.
Recently (Ed: May 2007), “candid camera” style program “aquí hay tomate” caught footage of Sergio Ramos urinating in the street, scoffing down hamburgers and sucking the face of an attractive blonde (all without washing his hands, in case you were wondering), and then there’s the case of one Royston Drenthe ploughing head-first into a police car at 4 am.
All of this is said to have played a role in Real Madrid president Ramon Calderón’s decision to personally present the players with a restrictive “code of conduct” during Friday’s training session. Van Nistelrooy might have been pleased to have an extra book to read, but many other players were rumoured to be less than happy.
Meanwhile, Frank Rijkaard’s job has been put into question not wholly because of results, but because he is said to be in constant conflict with president Joan Laporta over the “code of conduct” he last attempted to implement last season.
It is common knowledge that many of the senior Barça players are found wanting in terms of professionalism (Ronaldinho has been let off training, the whole Brazilian contingent of the squad are notorious partiers, many are womanizers and have dealings with prostitutes, even though Ronaldinho has sought to deny rumours of unprofessionalism in his latest interview with El Mundo Deportivo), and Rijkaard is blamed for not having the collons to get the squad to conform.
What do you think of all of this code of conduct business? I personally reckon it’s primarily a smoke-screen tactic, used by Laporta to cover up other failings and to shift the blame onto Rijkaard. But should a player be able to go days without training (Romario-style) and still be picked for the team?
Alternatively, do the players have a responsibility as role models to the youth of today?
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Discussion - 4 Responses
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Yes soccer players play a big part to youth. Youth tend to follow what their superstars do on and off the field because they are idolize by those youths.
For instance, i used to watch Andre Agassi play when he was younger and he was a hot tempered player throwing his racquet and smashing his racket onto the floor etc…
You guys know what? I did the same thing when i was in a tournament. Smashing my racquet when i hit a bad shot. So yeah it is important how the players portray himself on and off the field.
They are Role Models! Yeah i did a Mohican Hairstyle when beckham did one during world cup! ^^ Get what i mean?
I understand why you think Laporta is using the code of conduct to turn the fans on Rijkaard and I think there is some truth in it. If he is allowing Ronaldinho off training then maybe he would rather have good players with poor behaviour than the manager, Rijkaard.
Surely he doesn’t WANT his players partying all of the time though!?
And yes, sportsmen are definite idols to youths - especially football players - but don’t you think that if they are gifted wit extravagant amounts of money, the Sergio Ramos style behaviour is inevitable?
Of course, a lot of players are truly dedicated to football and their team but there are always going to be some who become absorbed in their riches and forget about it - including their ‘responsibility’ as a role model.
Great story Hugo, I didn’t know about these ‘Candid Camera’ gags in Spain. In Italy there’s a similar program called Scherzi a Parte which has put Serie A players in some embarassing situations… nothing that made the news headlines though (and nothing relating to ‘washing your hands after going to the bathroom’ stuff).
Concerning your last two points, I for one am of the following opinion:
1) Stars today (sports figures especially) are undoubtedly a role model for today’s youth, something that football players tend to forget sometimes. As a result they should try to be an example both on the pitch and off.
2) A modern succesful club cannot expect to function if they are going to adopt preferential treatment to some of their star players. That goes against the spirit of the group. Skipping training sessions is not only an insult to your coach, but also an insult to the rest of your teammates, and I don’t think a team of the level of Barcelona (to quote your example) should put up with it.
Romario may have been a special case because he was the top top star (from another planet so-to-speak, compared to the others) in an average level team at Miami, and he was well beyond ripe years when he came back to Brazil. You can’t expect a 40-year old to be able to withstand all those training sessions and still be in optimal condition for the match on the week-end.
With that said, it’s funny the extent to which men’s voyeuristic instinct will go to find out “spicy” details about a star’s personal life. Relating to the ‘Candid Camera’ bit I think a star’s personal life should be no one’s but their own… all this paparazzi and TV interest on what scandals are affecting a player’s life, or whether he washes his hands after urinating make great headlines, but I personally think it’s trash. And it’s an embarassment to the individual, not the team as a whole. As such, these “Codes of conduct” may be a little excessive.
The problem is of social evolution - we are predisposed towards admiring success and modeling ourselves after it in an attempt to attain that success ourselves. It works in the jungle but in real life you need to define success first and separate the dirty from the good.
Sports stars will always be looked at as role models, although it’s wrong to do so off the pitch.