Big clubs are buying younger and younger players (basically kids)

I’ve been reading this. Honestly, I can't wrap my head around how far this whole obsession with scouting young players has gone. And when I say "young," I don't mean the typical 18 or 19-year-olds—those kids are practically veterans at this point. I’m talking about 15, 16, or in this specific case, even 10-year-old kids!
How on earth are these children supposed to grow up into well-adjusted people if they're already facing the crushing pressure of needing to make it at a club like Real Madrid? I get the logic from a business standpoint; it’s much more profitable for clubs to buy fifty kids hoping one or two turn out to be stars rather than paying a premium for an established player. But seriously, this trend is becoming truly repulsive.

I feel like I’ve been over it for a long time now... just completely done with everything involving soccer. It’s all just so miserable and hollow.

Terrible 😢

Look, these kids have parents for a reason.

If their folks decide it’s actually better for the kids to go train in Madrid instead of Udine, then what exactly is the issue? I don't see one.

Does it honestly make you guys sick to your stomachs when parents choose to send their children off to train tennis at some high-end academy somewhere else?

quietbadger34 said:Look, these kids have parents for a reason.

If their folks decide it’s actually better for the kids to go train in Madrid instead of Udine, then what exactly is the issue? I don't see one.

Does it honestly make you guys sick to your stomachs when parents choose to send their children off to train tennis at some high-end academy somewhere else?

Of course they have parents who act as the ultimate deciding factor in all of this.

Look, if Real Madrid offers better terms than Udine, what can a ten-year-old do about it? A child that age isn't exactly in a position to sign a binding contract; the decision rests entirely with the parents. In all likelihood, the choice will hinge on what Real Madrid can provide for the family—securing employment for the parents, finding housing, and potentially relocating the entire household to Madrid. (I am not certain if that is the exact protocol for every case, but typically, the whole family moves together.) How much influence can a ten-year-old realistically exert over such matters?
Even if the child were to express dissent, how could they possibly argue against parents being offered a significantly higher standard of living and financial stability than anything they would ever find in Udine?

Then, one must consider the reality of a ten-year-old leaving their home country, abandoning their friends, their school, and their entire support system, all for the sake of soccer. Furthermore, there is absolutely no guarantee of success; instead, it merely adds an immense layer of pressure onto the child's shoulders. Is it not somewhat absurd that a ten-year-old is essentially dictating the life trajectory of their entire family?

People simply want to secure their existence through the easiest path possible.

I think the real issue is seeing these 17 or 18-year-olds—who clearly aren't stupid and know what they're getting into—jump at offers from massive clubs just to end up washing out...

I mean, I find it hard to believe any of them will actually pull it off... just one wrong move, one little injury or something similar... 😢

rapidstag2 said:Of course they have parents who act as the ultimate deciding factor in all of this.

Look, if Real Madrid offers better terms than Udine, what can a ten-year-old do about it? A child that age isn't exactly in a position to sign a binding contract; the decision rests entirely with the parents. In all likelihood, the choice will hinge on what Real Madrid can provide for the family—securing employment for the parents, finding housing, and potentially relocating the entire household to Madrid. (I am not certain if that is the exact protocol for every case, but typically, the whole family moves together.) How much influence can a ten-year-old realistically exert over such matters?
Even if the child were to express dissent, how could they possibly argue against parents being offered a significantly higher standard of living and financial stability than anything they would ever find in Udine?

Then, one must consider the reality of a ten-year-old leaving their home country, abandoning their friends, their school, and their entire support system, all for the sake of soccer. Furthermore, there is absolutely no guarantee of success; instead, it merely adds an immense layer of pressure onto the child's shoulders. Is it not somewhat absurd that a ten-year-old is essentially dictating the life trajectory of their entire family?

I just can't see any reason to go after the clubs in all of this.

Plus, parents might get a better job offer in a different city.

And then they have to sit there and figure out how that move is going to impact the kids.

Honestly, enough already. I’m completely exhausted by this kind of news cycle. Every single day, we’re told about some ten-year-old being the "next Ronaldinho." It’s become a tiresome cliché, especially when you see entire families uprooting their lives just to chase a fantasy that rarely materializes.

quietbadger34 said:I just can't see any reason to go after the clubs in all of this.

Plus, parents might get a better job offer in a different city.

And then they have to sit there and figure out how that move is going to impact the kids.

True, but won't that just shift the entire burden of the decision onto the shoulders of a ten-year-old?

I really hope Michel Platini manages to push through that law to ban teams from buying players before they even hit 18.

rapidstag2 said:True, but won't that just shift the entire burden of the decision onto the shoulders of a ten-year-old?

I mean, seriously, what kind of pressure are we talking about right now?

A kid isn't the one making the call to pack up and move across the country.

quietpanther9 said:I really hope Michel Platini manages to push through that law to ban teams from buying players before they even hit 18.

But hold on a second—what does "buying" even mean in this context?

The way I see it, these kids aren't even under contract with any clubs yet, so there isn't any transfer fee involved, which means there isn't even a "purchase" happening in the first place.

And let's be real, parents should have every right to pack up and move to a different city if they think it’s going to give their kid a better shot at life.

Plus, let's not forget that the source for all this news is completely and utterly unreliable.

quietbadger34 said:I mean, seriously, what kind of pressure are we talking about right now?

A kid isn't the one making the call to pack up and move across the country.

Are you genuinely pretending to be oblivious, or is there some other reason for this inquiry? Perhaps he will choose to leave solely because he insists upon it, or perhaps he will go simply because his parents are attempting to live a life of luxury through him. And yet, it is always HE who is burdened with the obligation of building a career.

In truth, you might actually have a point. If one relocates from Italy to Spain, and should they discover new interests or suffer a debilitating injury after a couple of years, staying in a foreign country is hardly a catastrophe. In fact, it might even prove easier to find a new job, secure a home, and simply continue one's existence in that second country.
Besides, what is the inherent difficulty in a ten-year-old learning Spanish? What if they discard him in a few years because he failed to meet their lofty expectations?

One does not simply move to another country as if it were a trivial matter; you are essentially starting an entirely new life—try to grasp the gravity of that situation. The entire family moves because of you; surely, that doesn't create any pressure at all?

Look, I am fundamentally opposed to the idea of children being commodified; they are still at an age where they play soccer for reasons far more meaningful than profit. That is my position, I have stated my view, and I have no desire to dwell on this subject any further. 🙂

We seriously need to ban signing any contracts until they're at least 16, and stop other clubs from even sniffing around players under 18. If anyone gets caught poaching kids through shady deals, they should face massive penalties... just watch.
Remember what happened with Edward? What would've happened to that kid if he'd blown out his knee at 15 back in Washington, D.C.?
Nobody would be paying for his flight to Brazil after that.

And bringing in a 10-year-old? Seriously, screw parents like that. Just let the kid play and enjoy soccer. Screw the money people make by selling off 9 or 10-year-olds.
🤮

And screw modern soccer...🤮

rapidstag2 said:Are you genuinely pretending to be oblivious, or is there some other reason for this inquiry? Perhaps he will choose to leave solely because he insists upon it, or perhaps he will go simply because his parents are attempting to live a life of luxury through him. And yet, it is always HE who is burdened with the obligation of building a career.

In truth, you might actually have a point. If one relocates from Italy to Spain, and should they discover new interests or suffer a debilitating injury after a couple of years, staying in a foreign country is hardly a catastrophe. In fact, it might even prove easier to find a new job, secure a home, and simply continue one's existence in that second country.
Besides, what is the inherent difficulty in a ten-year-old learning Spanish? What if they discard him in a few years because he failed to meet their lofty expectations?

One does not simply move to another country as if it were a trivial matter; you are essentially starting an entirely new life—try to grasp the gravity of that situation. The entire family moves because of you; surely, that doesn't create any pressure at all?

Look, I am fundamentally opposed to the idea of children being commodified; they are still at an age where they play soccer for reasons far more meaningful than profit. That is my position, I have stated my view, and I have no desire to dwell on this subject any further. 🙂

Look, he doesn't "have" to make a career out of this—it's not like he's going to be training twenty-four-seven. It’s just going to be a major part of his life, kind of like how a kid goes to music school and spends two or three hours a day grinding away at the piano. Let's be real, 99% of these kids aren't going to end up playing for Real Madrid, but they’ll probably have access to the best coaches and facilities imaginable. If the kid has actual talent and doesn't lose interest, there's a massive chance he becomes a solid pro player and secures a very comfortable lifestyle for himself.

rapidstag2 said:Are you genuinely pretending to be oblivious, or is there some other reason for this inquiry? Perhaps he will choose to leave solely because he insists upon it, or perhaps he will go simply because his parents are attempting to live a life of luxury through him. And yet, it is always HE who is burdened with the obligation of building a career.

In truth, you might actually have a point. If one relocates from Italy to Spain, and should they discover new interests or suffer a debilitating injury after a couple of years, staying in a foreign country is hardly a catastrophe. In fact, it might even prove easier to find a new job, secure a home, and simply continue one's existence in that second country.
Besides, what is the inherent difficulty in a ten-year-old learning Spanish? What if they discard him in a few years because he failed to meet their lofty expectations?

One does not simply move to another country as if it were a trivial matter; you are essentially starting an entirely new life—try to grasp the gravity of that situation. The entire family moves because of you; surely, that doesn't create any pressure at all?

Look, I am fundamentally opposed to the idea of children being commodified; they are still at an age where they play soccer for reasons far more meaningful than profit. That is my position, I have stated my view, and I have no desire to dwell on this subject any further. 🙂

There is absolutely no "selling" involved here. Parents have every right to weigh their options and think about where their child's talent can actually flourish, considering all the potential downsides before making a call.

For instance, imagine some kid in a small town in rural Ohio shows insane tennis talent, and by age ten, he's already hit a ceiling there.

In that case, his parents would have to sit down and decide if moving to a big city like Chicago or somewhere else is worth it.

This situation feels a bit different because Udine probably has decent coaching anyway, and if he wants the best, he could always move to one of the bigger clubs in Italy without even leaving the country.

The whole thing strikes me as being mostly made up.

We're talking about a single-sentence news blurb from some totally unreliable site like TribalFootball.

A close friend of mine is playing for the American U-17 national team and just moved to join Benfica. He’s 16 now, and over in Portugal, they cover all his living expenses—housing and everything. He’s got money coming in, and honestly, he isn't lacking for anything except perhaps his formal education. They actually offered him a deal to finish his last two years of schooling alongside an accelerated training program, which would have allowed him to head back home to Lisbon for three months during summer break. However, he turned down the academic track and just signed the contract once his parents gave the green light, and that was that. Everyone dreams of playing professionally abroad where you don't have to worry about school or any other distractions. Even if he doesn't end up making it big, I'd take that opportunity in a heartbeat—to be playing overseas just like him.

quietbadger34 said:Look, these kids have parents for a reason.

If their folks decide it’s actually better for the kids to go train in Madrid instead of Udine, then what exactly is the issue? I don't see one.

Does it honestly make you guys sick to your stomachs when parents choose to send their children off to train tennis at some high-end academy somewhere else?

It grosses me out too. Honestly, we should just ban the whole thing. What are kids supposed to do in this capitalist hellscape? Just serve as tools for their parents to chase some dream—whether that's an easier life or just getting rich...Kids are becoming nothing more than slaves to managers and their own parents... They don't even get a say in whether they want a normal childhood or if they want to live like characters in some action movie, training constantly and being ripped away from real life...
Modern sports looks less like actual athletics and more like gladiator fights in ancient Rome.👎

That’s why sometimes, when I look at Cuba, I really respect them. That’s what real sports are about. It's not just money, money, money...