Football is back
Football returned to our television screens last weekend. Europe’s biggest and best clubs were back in action as millions across the world – no doubt joined by many thousands in Malta – returned to their sofa stations to go through another season of inevitable ups and downs.
In England, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool all got their seasons underway with wins, while in Italy both Inter and Milan stuttered to draws, with perennial title challengers Juventus only coming into the fray today against newly promoted Como.
Football in Malta also returned. It’s an important season in the local world: this is the first season of a new competition format which has divided opinions among clubs and which has been much maligned by supporters.
The format is a part of the Joseph Muscat-led move to bring more money and investment into the game, and one of a host of changes, such as the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee in the country’s top league.
The jury will be out as to whether the new format will promote or decrease interest in a domestic context which some argue is already on its last legs.
What’s certain is the grip that football has on the masses. For some, football is just a game; for others, to refer to the famous Bill Shankly quote, football is a lot more than that.
There will no doubt be many ups, downs and controversies between now and next May, when the honours are dished out. What’s important is that we do not let these controversies pervade into our daily lives and affect our relationships with people – friends and family especially.
There are multiple studies which show that domestic violence reports increase when football is on – particularly when the home football team loses – especially in relation to international football.
When the home team loses, domestic violence incidents increase by up to 38%. Yet, the situation is hardly better when the team wins or draws, with incidents rising by 26%.
These statistics paint a grim picture of how football outcomes can influence domestic environments, turning moments of national pride or disappointment into triggers for violence.
These studies are largely based on UK statistics, and there aren’t studies which have looked into any such patterns in Malta – but regardless, it’s important to keep in mind that no matter what one’s favoured team has done in a football match, it’s never okay to violently take any frustration out on anyone.
Gambling is another subject which comes to the fore again when football restarts. Gambling addiction is among the most silent yet most debilitating kinds of addiction. People are sucked in, sometimes going as far as betting away their life savings or even property.
It’s an addiction which receives little to no attention in a footballing world which preaches nothing but hypocrisy over it: on one hand, players like Ivan Toney, Nicolo Fagioli and Sandro Tonali have faced bans spanning a number of months for betting – on the other hand, clubs and leagues continue to accept millions in sponsorships from betting companies.
The irony was plain for all to see when Toney, upon his return to football after his 8 month ban for betting, having been diagnosed with a gambling addiction, had to play football in a kit with a betting company slapped across it as the club’s main sponsor.
This extends to Malta: from this season, both the Malta Premier League and the FA Trophy – the two top competitions in the country – will be sponsored by betting companies.
It’s clear the world of football isn’t ready to deal with this sensitive topic just yet.
So yes, football is back – let’s enjoy it for what it is: a beautiful game.