Pelé and the Brazilian team at Mexico 70 truly played ‘the beautiful game’, elevating football into the realms of art with a display of skill and brilliance not seen since.
Since then there have been many magnificent teams and players - the Dutch in 1974, the French in 1998-2000, while Arsenal and Barcelona keep the flag flying for skilful football over negative, defensive, ugly playing, and cynical fouls.
Not only that but the increasing commercialisation of football, the ridiculously high transfer fees and wages commanded by the stars, and the grubby business dealings that are taking a toll on many clubs has damaged the reputation of football as ‘the sport of the people’.
With these thoughts in mind, NUI, Galway’s Literary and Debating Society will host a debate in the Kirwan Theatre, in NUIG’s main concourse this evening at 7pm, entitled This House Believes the Beautiful Game has Lost its Soul.
The speakers for the debate will be Jonathan Wilson of The Guardian and author of Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics and Phillipe Auclair of France Football and author of Cantona: The Rebel Who Would be King.
The debate will analyse the direction of the most popular game in the world and whether money, power, and deceit have taken the game away from its roots and its fans.
The public is invited to attend, as well as students. For more information see www.literaryanddebating.com
