In a previous thread it was rather conclusive that club football is deemed to be of a higher standard than international football. But is it healthy for the game if club football is now the pinnacle of the sport? It seems sad that for some club football is now a much higher priority than international matches for both fans and players, personally I feel that more should be done to lift the standard and importance of the international game as this should be the greatest stage for players, managers and fans. So do people feel the strength of club over international football is a good thing?
Personally, I think the international game is still the pinnacle. Having a World Cup winners medal surpasses anything in the club game by a million miles. I think it's true that the very top club sides are now a match for the top national sides, but that's simply a financial matter - they have no restriction on who can play for them, as long as they have the cash they can buy anyone. I was speaking to a friend of mine recently who is not a football fan at all, but is from Southampton and is aware of their success at the moment, and she was genuinely shocked that club sides were made up of players from every country under the sun. It did make me think that we're not too far away from the American franchise model, where the team does not even necessarily play in the town or city they supposedly represent.
