Flamini is an anti-capitalist football hero
Mathieu Flamini is set to leave Arsenal at the end of the season. And like every time in his career, it will be at the end of his contract, as a free man.
The thing with Flamini is that he actually managed to do that during his entire career: He left Marseille in 2004 free like a bird, did it again with Arsenal in 2007, and then again, when he left AC Milan in 2013 and came back to Arsenal… yep, you guessed it, for free.
In our modern football world, filled with money, financial speculation and overpriced players, I think we can salute that. The guy commits to a club, and then, when his time is done, leaves. Sure, you could argue that in most cases, the clubs are at fault (failing to extend his contract) and that by doing that, he can get more money for himself (since his next club don’t have to pay a dime), but by doing so, he also changes the game and escape the speculative and ever increasing logic of the football market. If more players did that, maybe they wouldn’t (as much) being considered as assets, possessed by hedge fund, or bought only to make a profit out of them.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think the players are the victims here (or the clubs), but someone is: you, and me. Ever increasing tickets prices, TV subscriptions, club marchandises. And so on. As supporters and football lovers, we are paying for those.
Anyway, we’ll have to wait until the end of the season to be sure, but if he does go as free man: Farewell old friend, you served Arsenal well, and you are a ray of light in this football world. (Oh yeah, a ray of light!)
Ps: Next time, I’ll tell you how this guy is going to change the world and save the planet as a partner of a biochemical company that could revolutionize the energy industry…
Samuel Gunner is a french freelance soccer writer & designer living in Montreal. Founder of the Medium publication on Arsenal FC, you can follow him on Twitter.
