Comments on: Slavery in Football

By: Subhankar Mondal

Subhankar Mondal — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 05:12:10 +0000

Hugo, you got me wrong on that thinking aspect. I didn’t accuse any Soccerlens writer othewise I wouldn’t have cared about the site. I actually meant those mushrooming blog sites who are littered with recycled EPL stories and who pretend to believe that the EPL is the best in the world. Actually, I get horribly bored when those idiots talk about football only in EPL terms.

But at Soccerlens of course, we have pieces on everything related to football. That’s really encouraging.

By: Graham Fisher

Graham Fisher — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:28:39 +0000

Excellent article Hugo. Really thought provoking, interesting and scary.

As you say, it can be a horrible and corrupt world. It is naive to believe that football could remain immune from all the dirt.

By: Marco Pantanella

Marco Pantanella — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:13:49 +0000

Good article Hugo.

Regarding professor Andreff’s “transfer tax” suggestion, I think the biggest problem with such a solution would come from the level of corruption (usually very high) that developing countries are subject to. WHO would the tax be paid to, and WHO would be put in charge to monitor the money effectively being used for its intended purpose?

Unfortunately for most people in these underdeveloped countries, making it as a football player represents the financial freedom every family is hoping to achieve. So they are perfectly ready to risk the child’s future and jeopardize his education, hoping that he’ll turn into the next Didier Drogba. That includes making deals with unscrupulous unregistered player “agents” who will ship the child off to Europe and then leave him in the streets.

By the way Hugo (in case you haven’t come across it already), have a look at Dan McDougall’s The scandal of Africa’s trafficked players. It is extremely well-written, and a big eye-opener. Also a lot longer than the BBC report.

By: Sohail

Sohail — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 05:13:42 +0000

Brilliant article. This blog needs more writers like yourself.

By: Hugo Steckelmacher

Hugo Steckelmacher — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 18:41:22 +0000

Thanks for the praise, Subhankar, although I must dissent with your ranking of me as the best writer at Soccerlens. I do, however, care. I’d like to think that everyone who writes for our site does. Football can be a beautiful game; we can’t let it be spoilt by a miserable world.

By: Subhankar Mondal

Subhankar Mondal — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:54:12 +0000

Brilliant and well-researched article that is distinctly and refreshingly different from the usual Premiersip crap that litters most of the websites. Great job, Hugo, you are a writer to follow and your writing attests that you think and care deeply about football unlike some of the nutmegs who perfer to fetter themselves (LIKE SLAVES) to the sundry confines of the under-par Premiership. Cheers, mate. The best writer at Soccerlens by a country mile! Ole!