Pressure at Club Level in Football

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In a previous blog, I looked at the pressure and demand players felt once they played for England which could have applied to the other nations who play at the elite level during the international period. This blog will take a look at how the pressures and demand have evolved for players at club level as well as some of the differences felt compared to international matches.

In the embryonic years of football, club football did not have the same pressure and demands on players as they did when playing for their countries. Of course, a constant run of poor results and producing dissatisfactory performances for the fans still have the same consequences as the modern day. However, during those times the weight of expectations was clearly much less than now and on the international stage. 

It was evident to see that fans from all over the world placed more emphasis on glory with their country to enhance their pride and “bragging rights” over rival nations. To have international glory suggested that your country had the best footballing ability. Thus, the players in previous generations carried the weight of a whole nation during those international matches whereas at club level it was just a small pocket in comparison. 

But as football developed and became a big televised and monetary spectacle club football leagues began to grow in popularity. The formation of the premier league showed the shift towards a more commercialised world of football. This boost of income helped leagues and the teams within to have funds to attract the top players across the world. 

This also helped in attracting fans to watch different leagues from different countries via television. The popularity of club football definitely increased while the demands and love for international football stayed the same more or less.

As the number of clubs' fans grew across the world, the weight and pressure also began to increase on all clubs. However, players who played for elite clubs across Europe such as Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and AC Milan - these teams carried a lot more pressure. The rich history of success both domestically and on the European stage allowed these top clubs to increase fan base sizes but also increased the number of demands from fans to maintain the success they have been doing.

And now in the modern day, it is quite clear to see players would sometimes favour club and domestic success because the fans have placed more value on it. 

Every player dreams of winning the World Cup with their nation and, arguably, that was the competition where strong nations had to face the pressure of their fans for World Cup success. But now the prestige and glory of the UEFA Champions League in some respects hold as much value as a World Cup to players. 

Most top players would love to play for a club team involved in the Champions League as they know success on that stage would write their name in history because of the emphasis fans and supporters have put on the competition. Hence you can see top clubs facing immense pressure to qualify for the Champions League each season otherwise the whole season could be seen as a failure.

Prime examples would be Manchester United and Arsenal. Two of the greats and arguably one of the best rivalries to grace the Premier League. Both clubs are stuck in a limbo of transition with trophy success lacking, especially for Man Utd who have been trophyless for 5 years. The history and culture of these two clubs are highly valued by their supporters and if they see players or managers not up to their standard - more often than not the players buckle and fall to that pressure and move away or perform poorly.

This type of pressure is quite different from international level as a club season is constant for around 10 months. International football can be a month or two weeks minimum where major tournaments come every 2 years. Most games played are friendlies or qualifiers where there are certain amounts of pressure but the top opponents usually breeze through these games as their opponents are usually nations that are not on their level of footballing abilities.

And players now also have the pressure to perform well to make the national squad's roster with more competition and talent from clubs all over the world. With 3 to 4 international breaks a season it is essential for players to perform week in and week out club level to make the international squad otherwise now in the modern world talent can be found at every given corner. It shows how at club level these multiple scenarios for players are a contributing factor to the immense pressure and demand they feel in the current modern game as opposed to the early years of club and international football.

There is a clear shift in focus to club football results and performances from the fans over the years due to its rising popularity with more money available for leagues due to the digitalisation of the world. From millions to billions watching, it is clear to see that pressure at club football has levelled or even surpassed what players feel on the international stage.