How Footballers Changes Our Society
A story about Beckenbauer, Beckham and Héctor Bellerín
What do a German, English, and Spanish Footballer have in common? Besides the fact of kicking a ball for a living…
Well, they’re all right-footed? Correct.
National players? Correct.
If you ponder, this isn’t what this article is about. Trust your instincts. There’s more to it.
This is a story ranging from Beckenbauer and Beckham to Héctor Bellerín. The role of footballers, especially off the pitch, has changed over the last decades. In this article, I claim that Footballers are a leading indicator of our society. More bluntly, the most celebrated sport in the world is a mirror to our society.
The 1960s — 1980s
Beckenbauer — where do I start? He was nicknamed ‘Der Kaiser’ because of his elegant style, dominance, and leadership on the field in his playing career. Besides, his first name, “Franz,” is reminiscent of the Austrian emperors.
Back then, footballers were viewed as leaders on and off the pitch. Masculinity, authority, dominance, and leadership were the features we searched for in Footballers. The more of it, the better. However, the leader’s dominance must be balanced with a sort of cleverness and…
