Inside The Game: Jamie Carragher – 'Players are treated like cattle'
Jamie Carragher is concerned for the future of football.
Jamie Carragher is concerned as to the direction football is heading in, but sees little chance of change coming any time soon.
While clubs across Europe still battle financial uncertainty in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gap between the haves and have-nots only appears to be growing larger.
This summer, the emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a genuine option for players has made matters even harder for those clubs simply battling to be clear of any trouble by the time May rolls around.
Last term, due to the mid-season World Cup in Qatar, lasted from early August to the middle of June — 10 months. Now, pre-season is well underway, and within a few short weeks, the European season will be back.
Player welfare is one of Carragher’s primary concerns, with the Liverpool great telling More Than A Game: “I think there’s too much football. I love football but with all these things like Nations League, the Club World Cup – it probably effects the top players more, but I just think we treat [players] like cattle.
“It’s all about how we can make more money. It’s always been like that, but it could be about TV deals, playing more games, the wages of players.”
Carragher, who works for Sky Sports and CBS Sports as a pundit, recognises that the influx of huge sums of TV revenue has played a major part in the demand for more football.
“It’s difficult for me because if I start talking about there being too much money in the game, people go: ‘You work for Sky and they charge us this, and they put TV games here’. It’s difficult,” he said.
As for the gap between the top clubs and mid-tier clubs widening, Carragher does not see much hope of that changing.
“[Some clubs are just too far ahead] and I don’t want that. I don’t want clubs going 25 years without a trophy,” he added.
“Whether that’s Everton, Aston Villa, even Tottenham have only won one trophy in 25 years. I don’t want football to be like that. But I don’t know how [it changes]. It feels like it’s gone too far and it feels like what’s the real hope?
“Right now, you’ve got to beat a team that’s spent hundreds of millions to win a final. Whether that’s Manchester City, Manchester United or Liverpool. I really feel for the fans of those clubs who aren’t [at the top].”
Watch the full, exclusive interview with Jamie Carragher on More Than A Game’s YouTube channel.
By Patric Ridge