Liverpool FC Forum

[dawson99]

ok, maybe no one wants to read this, as no liverpool players are mentioned, but with our multicultural squad this could proove an interesting read to some of u:

Clubs 'must protect foreign assets' 
by Bill Wilson
BBC News business reporter 



Bolton's line up is a league-of-nations, including Japan's Nakata

Football clubs in England are failing to protect and nurture many of their prime assets - overseas players - properly, despite spending millions of pounds on them, according to research from a top business academic.

New work done at Manchester Business School shows clubs often concentrate on the physical aspects of a player without examining the cultural and sociological side.

That, says Professor Susan Cartwright, Professor of Organisational Psychology at the school, can lead to problems for players in integrating into a new country - which in turn may force clubs to offload foreign stars on at a financial loss.

  Like certain types of flower, they don't necessarily blossom in another climate

Professor Susan Cartwright, Manchester Business School

"Knowledge of factors preventing footballers achieving their potential could prove invaluable in a multi-million pound industry where return of investment is directly linked to players' performance," she says.

"A significant proportion of these newcomers perform poorly, prematurely end their contracts, and move away to another country or return to their home countries."

Overseas invasion

Along with colleague Isobel Donaldson, the professor looked at the ability of a players to adjust to a new culture at work and in social situations.

They looked at professional football clubs across the north-west of England, from the Manchester giants to Macclesfield, but their findings will be of interest to all major UK sides.

The English leagues have one of the highest proportions of foreign players in Europe, and the influx has been a fixture in English football since the Bosman ruling scrapped overseas "quotas" a decade ago.

For clubs, it may appear to be good business if they can get an experienced player, perhaps an internationalist, for a smaller sum in transfer fees and wages than if they bought a home based player.

However, last season Arsenal came in for great criticism for picking an entirely non-English squad for their game against Crystal Palace, with claims the foreign invasion may be stifling homegrown talent.

And, for every Eric Cantona - who settled at United with great success - there has been a David Bellion, who is on his way home to France and Nice after mediocre spells at Old Trafford, Sunderland and West Ham.

'Technically good'

From her work with other careers groups, as well as footballers, Professor Cartwright believes that a certain type of person with aptitude to work abroad can be discovered, and then helped to settle overseas.

"Previous research I did was with engineers, retailers, and managers who had gone overseas - all from large businesses which regularly send people to other countries.

"In any business, including football, people move overseas because they are technically very good. 

"But like certain types of flower, they don't necessarily blossom in another climate."

She has identified a very high rate of failure in people moving to work abroad, with a higher-than-expected turnover of staff.

"It is in the interest of football clubs, and other businesses, to assess in advance how well players will adjust to a new environment.

"People, including players, who are 'culturally intelligent' will do well overseas. By that I mean those that are aware of their own culture and how it might differ from others.

"Players also have to realise that doing things in a different way overseas is not odd or wrong, and they will pick up on things very quickly."

'Positive' motivation

The professor believes there are two types of players who move to England; those who have always wanted to turn out for a club here, and those who come because their agents tell them it would be a good financial deal.

"Not surprisingly, the ones who come because their agents told them to are less settled than the ones who positively want to play here," she says.

"However, when clubs are looking to buy overseas players they often seem to ignore these criteria.

"This is strange - because a player who does not settle, or a high turnover of foreign purchases, could be expensive for the club."

She also said having a wife or girlfriend helped players settle, particularly if the partner also found an occupation in the UK.

For the clubs, the settling-in process can be hugely eased if they prepare a dossier of information for players, such as when banks open and what type of shops there are.

At Bolton, which has at least 16 nationalities on the books, there are two player liaison officers to help new purchases adjust to UK life.

They can advise on anything from food to finding a good garage, to helping with family visits from overseas.

The club also tries to buy players who are experienced professionals, perhaps with prior overseas cultural experience, and also who are looking for a new challenge - who "positively" want to come to England.

Xavier Rivoire is a French journalist based in the UK who has written a book about the influx of French players to England in the wake of Eric Cantona's move in 1992.

He has noticed that a number of high-priced French signings have failed to settle in England, and says clubs have to do more than "just finding a house for them or paying lots of money in wages".

"It is like buying anything of quality - you don't spend a lot of money on something and then neglect it," he warns.

He cites ex-Newcastle United player Laurent Robert, now on his way to Benfica via Portsmouth, as an example of a French player - actually from the island of Reunion - who was continually unsettled at his English clubs.

In contrast, he said, French club Lyon is well-known for its efforts to make Brazilian imports feel at home.

"They have a translator, who also attends to details such as making sure the temperature in the players' houses is similar to what they are used to and that they get the sort of food they want," he says.

"As a result there has only been perhaps one Brazilian player out of about 10 who has not succeeded."

[red37]

well i read it dawson 

[The Ace1983]

It certainly makes a valid and intriguing point. None of us can really comprehend what it must be like for footballers joining clubs from another country, being traded as a product and having to look more towards a career than a life. Kromkamp is a prime example of a player who headed to spain to boost his football, but found dealing with a different culture and language very hard. Today, Rafa has been talking about Sissoko adapting to the english game and the amount of bookings that he has received. Just imagine, if you will, going into work tomorrow and your boss saying "These blokes have turned up from spain and are offering you a job. It's twice as much pay and you will be a vital part of their company, but you will have to move within the week, start immediatly and be under intense pressure in a place where you don't speak the language, identify with the people or understand the culture. You up for that?" Could you do it? Could you leave your family and friends and collegues behind? It's a sacrifice that has to be made in football unless you are lucky enough to start out and be wanted by a big club. Eventually players all learn about their surroundings and you end up with players like Didi and Sami, who are practically scousers and brillient ones too.

We should all spare a thought for foreigners who come to this club, especially the young ones. Adapting to a style of football is easy compared to adapting to a new life.

[Sabre]

Interesting topic.

Well we don't need psychology experts, awarded in many universities, to know that, do we? It's a known fact there have been always players that fail to adapt the leagues they arrive.

Although, that's not news, I think it's an interesting topic because here we have people of many sides of the world and thus many insights.

From my point of view adapting is a matter of culture and language. While you can't put definite labels to a player because of being of one country -- Nihat had utter success in Spain, whereas his countrymate Arif Erdem was depressed two weeks later his arrival to San Sebastian -- I think there are nationalities that adapt better than others.

Language is important in this matter. As you know, English and Spanish are very dominant languages in the world. You can start in Canada, and end up at the bottom of Chile, understanding everybody with this two languages. The expert on those matters call those languages "strong or dominant" languages. Small languages such as Dutch, or scandinavian languages (only spoken in those countries) are called "weak" languages.

It turns out to happen often, that people of Scandinavian countries, or Dutch tend to speak and learn fastly other languages, same applies to Slovenians or Serbian players. The inhabitants of countries with weak languages TEND to learn quickly. The inhabitans of strong languages countries are slow and awkward to learn a new language. Blatant examples, Toshack, 20 years in Spain, and he still speaks in Spanish as a literal translation of english ("like water off to a duck's back" was completely unknown until Tosh arrived, in Spanish it sounds peculiar). The opposite example would be Rijkaard, who in a year spoke a fluent and accentless (at some extent) Spanish.

Anyway those are tendencies. Alonso is a counterexample, but then he's of a new generation of Spaniards, with studies, and that have been in England or Ireland during summers to learn or improve english. But there are "old school" Spaniards like Ricardo, current keeper (good one) of Osasuna and ex keeper of Man U, that said it was hard to be in a dress room and don't understand the jokes. He never adapted, he was one of those "old fashioned" Spaniards.

Of course language is important but not definite. If you are utter class and you work hard, you tryumph. Example for this, Owen in Spain. He played what he was allowed to, and seized every minute he was given to score goals.

I'd love to hear your thoughts

[Lando_Griffin]

All interesting points, but at the end of the day they're talking about a tray of nancy's.


I reckon that if I had the skills, I could quite easily go to, say, Real Madrid for £100k per week and fit in quite nicely, thankyou very much.

I can't speak Spanish, but f*ck it - I'd employ a translator until I learnt. Then once I had learnt the lingo, I'd spend my time making sexy chit-chat with the ladies!!!!!


Don't we all feel sorry for the poor cherubs!?!
Altogether now..."Ahhhhh"

[Effes]

The best example of a player who has integrated very well must be Michael Robinson.

He's got his own footy programme in Spain now.

[Sabre]

The best example of a player who has integrated very well must be Michael Robinson.

He's got his own footy programme in Spain now.

Blimey, yes. That's the most successful media hit in Spain in the last 20 years, when it comes to sport journalism. 

Michael Robinson deserves a post because he's a Red from the feet to the head, and because his impact in Spain has been big.

His Spanish is cack. He has a thick english accent in his Spanish 20 years later (same as toshack), but that's part of his charm. He's always smiling and joking, and he explain the Spaniards thing that they do not understand about english football.

As a journalist he isn't brilliant, it's just that he seems to be a nice funny bloke. Plus, he always defended northern teams a bit more (Osasuna, Real Sociedad) and the weaker teams such as Cadiz so he has the sympathy of many Spaniards that are tired of the Real Madrid - Barcelona media.

If we complain about Andy Gray, the Evertonian. I tell ya this, it must be hard to be a blue nose or a manc, retired in Spain. If he decides to watch football of UK in the Spanish TV, he'll have to hear Michael Robinson   , who doesn't hide his Red condition never. He has even yelled YES!!!!!!!! (in english) when Liverpool scored , and the bloke beside him reminded him to talk in Spanish   

Sabre

(1) Lando, it doesn't take much Spanish to know chicks with that wages, you just park the car, and do this 





(2) He's so popular he even is the image of the local football managing game   

[Effes]

who doesn't hide his Red condition never. He has even yelled YES!!!!!!!! (in english) when Liverpool scored , and the bloke beside him reminded him to talk in Spanish   

Was that the Chelsea semi final?

My brother speaks fluent Spanish and said he was great for that game.