@ 403smiles
2025-01-18 17:10:41
### Does Football Still Feel the Same?
Close your eyes for a moment and think back to when you first fell in love with football. What was it that pulled you in and wouldn’t let go? Was it the roar of the crowd as your team netted a stoppage-time winner? The thrill of an underdog beating the odds? Or maybe it was simpler—the chants, the rivalries, the raw, unfiltered chaos of the game.
Now open your eyes. Does football still feel like that?
You know it doesn’t. The spark is still there but the magic feels muted. Matches feel more like polished products, rivalries are starting to feel manufactured and even the moments of brilliance seem a little…hollow.
You hear the pundits blame it on “greedy owners” or “commercialisation of the game,” but football has always been tied to money. From the grand stadiums to the global superstars, wealth has always flowed to the game we love. So, what’s really wrong?
### What Happened to the Chaos?
Football isn’t just a sport. It’s a reflection of life—messy, unpredictable and gloriously unfair. That’s what made it beautiful. It wasn’t just about the goals; it was about the stories. The miraculous comebacks, the unlikely heroes, the questionable refereeing decisions that sparked debates for years.
But where is that chaos now?
Look at today’s game. Teams are coached to minimise risk and prioritise results. Players are drilled into systems, their individual flair sacrificed for the greater machine. Even rivalries feel like marketing strategies, built more for brand engagement than genuine passion.
Why?
Because predictability isn’t just valued—it’s demanded. Clubs are forced to prioritise short-term financial growth over risk. They cannot afford to experiment or fail because the economic system, which governs us all, punishes them if they do. It’s no coincidence that football’s decline in spontaneity mirrors the rise of fiat money.
### How Fiat Changed Football
Fiat currency, with its endless inflation, has placed football in a relentless race. Every club is chasing financial growth—not because they want to, but because they have to. Inflation eats away at savings, forcing clubs to focus on short-term profits.
The result? Clubs treat fans as customers, not loyal supporters. Teams are built for efficiency, not excitement. Every decision, from tactics to transfers, is filtered through a lens of operational financial return. The beautiful game is being stripped of its beauty, one spreadsheet at a time.
### Do You Really Want Perfection?
Think of your favourite football memories, those that are deemed iconic. Was it all about skill and precision? Or was it about emotion, drama and unpredictability?
The “Hand of God” wasn’t just a goal—it became a chapter in football history. Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal against Germany in 2010 didn’t just spark debates—it became folklore. These moments, as infuriating as they were at the time, gave football its soul.
But today, we chase an unattainable goal: perfection. VAR was introduced to make everything “fair,” but instead, it’s robbed the game of its spontaneity. Those controversial moments that one fueled passion now lead to lifeless delays.
Is this really the game we fell in love with?
### Financial Fair Play (FFP) and the False Promise
Consider FFP. At first glance, it seems like a noble idea—a way to regulate spending, create a level playing field and ensure the long-term stability of clubs. But has it really delivered on its promises?
The reality is, FFP wasn’t designed for fans. It’s a system built for regulators, giving them a framework to justify their role. What they fail to understand—or conveniently ignore—is that football fans aren’t ordinary customers. We don’t switch teams when things go wrong. If your club is relegated or endures years of heartbreak, do you suddenly start cheering for your rivals? Never. Loyalty is the foundation of football and it’s a loyalty so fierce that many fans would sooner stop watching the sport entirely than betray their team.
Instead of nurturing this unique connection, FFP has entrenched inequality. It locks in the dominance of a few elite clubs while stifling ambition for everyone else. Even as a supporter of one of these elite clubs, it’s impossible to ignore how these rules suffocate the very spirit of competition that makes football beautiful.
### Is There A Way Back?
What if football could be free again? Free to embrace chaos, its passion, its unpredictability?
The answer isn’t to ban money from football. Money has always been a part of the game. The problem isn’t money—it’s the kind of money.
Fiat money, with its endless inflation, has poisoned football. We need an inflation-proof currency to form the heart of a new awakening for football. Lucky for us, we don’t need to look far for that currency.
### A New Renaissance: The Bitcoin Era
Bitcoin is a form of money that doesn’t lose value over time. Clubs that adopt it will achieve financial stability without the need to chase endless operational growth. With Bitcoin, clubs can focus on what really matters: the football, the fans and the overall synergy between them.
Managers can take risks without the fear of collapse. Players can be artists, not just cogs in a system. Fans can feel like part of the story again, not just numbers on a balance sheet.
Imagine a world where football is free to be itself again. Where rivalries grow naturally, fueled by passion, not profit. Where clubs aren’t just businesses but extensions of their communities.
This isn’t a dream. It’s already happening. Real Bedford is leading the charge, proving that Bitcoin can change the game.
Football’s future is here—and it’s orange.