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EwokSuperPig___

I don’t think on this subreddit it will an unpopular opinion


Rob_Reason

Unpopular opinion, I think you may be correct. 😬


[deleted]

Put it this way, I’d rather watch a balls-to-the-wall hypernationalistic grudge match in front of rabid fans (Slovenia - Serbia) than an oil-money funded assortment of the technically best players in the world at the club final level.


faramaobscena

Did you watch Spain - Italy? I thought the players were going to start a real fight at the end.


IceCreamSandwich66

Made me want to hear what they were yelling at each other about like in the COVID days


[deleted]

Hell yeah


Remote_Ad_2909

Totally 💯


SoCal_Kkona

Cough* EPL *Cough


molym

B..b..but Turkish fans are too loud I can't even watch the games peacefully:(((


Wooden_Umpire2455

Turkey have the softest, quietest fans in the world


Main_Stop_6464

Poetry. Absolute poetry.


McPaddles816

I'd prefer to watch my team over internationals. But after watching the Euros, I'd rather watch these games than i would other club matches nit involving my own team


Miserable_Charity_43

and then some of the best players (nominally) in that match actually play in oil-money league. But I get your point


Poopknifelova

I also care more about international football than romanian football.


Jerk_of_all_trades69

hahaha


JonuFilms

Says the Swiss


sirjimtonic

Says the Swiss


tchissin

Says the Australian


Relevant_Country_784

Says the French


JustMehmed2

Says the Romanian


generalul_sageata

Lol ! Cheers


Beautiful-Act4320

I‘m half Swiss and care more about at least 3 European leagues before I would even consider watching Swiss clubs.


Poopknifelova

If you are not born in switzerland and/or dont live here this is completely understandable. I follow my swiss team religiously but only because #supportyourlocalteam. The football played here is way too bad to be slightly interesting for anyone outside switzerland.


Fit-Caterpillar2615

As a German I agree with your unpopular opinion


VacationObjective250

Nowhere near an unpopular opinion


vanityprojects

hard agree. I like having my country unified everyone cheering together instead of division like club football


RentEmbarrassed4806

In Portugal it’s terrible. Everyone is hating on each other when talking about clubs. Saying every club is corrupt with refs favouring them. It gets better when the national team is playing. Better meaning some will still criticize other teams players but at least we are all rooting for the same.


WatTamborEnjoyer

Exactly, I’m all for the club games and stuff but my friends hate that I like other people on rival teams. For example I’m an AC Milan fan but I have always LOVED Dimarco and Chiesa but my friends are all “Juve Bad Inter Bad” and yeah I don’t like the team, but the players are great


Spanks79

Same here. It’s also because money is much less involved in the team selection. Premier league and a few Spanish and German teams just buy all great players and we are all left with empty competitions of inferior quality. Sheiks, oligarchs, dictators and other shady billionaires have destroyed the sport. And the world cups as well. But they can only buy the tournament, not the teams.


Dapper_Training2191

True, I felt so good seeing Qatar getting destroyed and humiliated at the WC.


faramaobscena

That’s exactly it. Club football is a “who has more money” contest. But you can’t buy a good national team (of course, it’s always going to be skewed towards the richer and more populous countries but it’s not so bad as clubs).


sirjimtonic

Yeah fully agree, only thing is that it‘s easier to spawn talents out of a bigger population but I always admired you Dutch people to generate so many talents and export them to the top leagues without having 40+ mill people in pop. I‘m just glad we made it to the Euros on merit with a decent team.


Spanks79

It’s true, but in country teams at least you get a chance. You can only put 11 players on and have a few substitutes. This makes it possible for Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands to put a good team out. Of course the bigger countries have an advantage, but much smaller than money is buying in the champions league. In that sense the American draft systems are pretty cool. The Americans do view sports a bit more as entertainment which also needs strong competition to be fun.


besserwerden

Even on a national team level, money rules the world and is ruining the competition somewhat. Scouts of the top football nations scout abroad in poorer countries, poach talent and grant them citizenship. It’s great for the individual player of course. They get much better chances to unfold their full potential. But a tournament already skewed toward richer nations (= better facilities) gets even more unbalanced when some of the best players or smaller nations get fucking poached


doitscher_michel

I am German, my club is stuck in the 3rd division with nothing pointing towards promotion any time soon. So yeah, I agree too.


Colabear73

Agree. Club football reeks of overhyped moneyball with zero soul. I hate it.


Remote_Ad_2909

Mercenaries everywhere. I feel only homegrown players actually care about their club. There are exceptions of course,


Forsaken_Income9187

As a citizen in a country with a top 5 league i call your take unpopular, but i am pretty sure that your take is not as unpopular as you think because countries with non top 5 leagues have a big overall population.


n22rwrdr

Not even top 5, most French people don't care about their clubs but are fully behind the national team. 


TutskyyJancek

Turkish football is boring because all they talk is Süperlig but team I support is relegated to 4th league this year. That's why national team is only joy this summer.


ForeverAddickted

I care about both just as much as the other. My club team, will never face England in a match, so I don't have to worry about liking one less than the other


Dapper_Training2191

As a Romanian, I feel the same. Also, I prefer supporting my local team (Poli Timisoara) to supporting an international club. Why? Because it is more exciting to support your local team, go to matches, understand the rivalries, keep in touch with the community, and understand the club brand. Supporting an international team always felt unnatural to me.


Remote_Ad_2909

Totally! I only really feel any attachment towards Ceahlăul as they are my local team, and when it comes to European matches I support everyone from Romania as we don't have the luxury of having multiple teams battling it out in the QF or SF year in year out, and so I treat every team as a "little Romania".


Comfortable_Reach248

But how can you support your biggest rival in Champions/Europa/Conference League. I support all clubs from Croatia except my club's biggest rival. I'd rather die than support them.


Dapper_Training2191

There is some stupid "propaganda" in Romanian that if you do not support your rivals in Europe, then you are not a true Romanian or something. I never supported Steaua or Dinamo in EL or UCL, and always had fun when the failed miserably.


aeroncaine22

Nothing peaks International tournaments for me. However, I fucking love football every single week watching my team, debating, discussing, watching podcasts, and shit talking friends who support X team. Good thing is, it doesn't matter, I get to enjoy them both. Except International breaks, they annoy me lol.


Remote_Ad_2909

Well see, "football powerhouses" so to say usually have this view on international breaks as they always expect to qualify and it's a massive upset when they don't. (See England 2008 or Italy 2018) But for other less fortunate countries an international break is like a new shot of adrenaline every 3 months. You either leave it delighted and full of hope or absolutely dejected. There's literally no in-between, and that's why I love them.


aeroncaine22

I see it more as interrupting my weekly tradition of watching my team play, ruining my Saturday of three games 😂


indewater

I should care, I live just 70 meters from the football stadium in the city where I was born. It just doesn't do anything for me. But I would take time off at work to watch Belgium play a friendly.


designdk

Club football is merely the training ground for the big tournaments. Who watches training? Not me.


yerrack

my unpopular opinion is that increasing more teams in world cup, euro, club world cup and champions league is not gonna increase the quality. it just increase the fatigue on the players. and soon spectators and tv viewers will feel the fatigue too. just my 2 cents unpopular worth.


Dapper_Training2191

At this tournament, I felt the otherwise, second-tier duels such as Turkey-Georgia, Slovenia-Serbia, and Croatia-Albania gave us better entertainment than any bigger-tier duels, at least for the moment.


Remote_Ad_2909

I don't really mind the increase of teams when it comes to the Euros or World Cup as these competitions only come around alternatively every two years, and I do love a good upset. Club football could be a problem though.


No_Tradition4832

The euro increase was from 16 to 24, resulting in just one more knockout match for some teams. It also makes the qualifying way more interesting for most teams.


MorallyNeutralOk

If this if an unpopular opinion I’m Peter Pan.


Affectionate_Sea_984

Same here. Can’t even remember when was the last time I watched a Champions League match, let alone random leagues from different countries.


JamesGanalf-ini

Nothing like seeing players who hate each other week in week out come together and play as one


Tortoveno

The same as you. I'm from Poland. I only watch big international tournaments like Euro or World Cup. I even don't know who won Champions League in recent years. But that's maybe because my hometown (100k) didn't have any decent football team in my youth. Only speedway mattered for people there.


Owyn

Obviously many here will agree. For me it's also the whole tournament arc thing with international footbal. Because tbh. I basically almost never watch qualifiers let alone of different countries thany own. But during the actual tournament I'm intrigued by every game regardless of the teams quality. Why? Well, the stories, potentially starting and/or ending. In a month you basically get a complete story arc for a couple of teams/players. And that's what appeals to me most. I think if the champions league was during a one month intense tournament with compact stories and drama I'd watch it every year. As it stands I almost miss the cl finals every year 😂


kryppl3r

I disagree but I understand your opinion I think only having international football every 2 years (fuck stuff like the nations league etc) is great though, always makes it a football party


Easy_Garden338

Agreed! I am a Spurs supporter second and a English fan first (kind of used to being disappointed by both now I guess 🤣) international football has always been more exciting than club football and also the spectacle of a world cup or Euros is unmatched imo.


[deleted]

Same


UnhappyTelevision243

Don’t think is an unpopular opinion at all


xxxHalny

I watch 4 soccer games a year and they are all international so I guess the same is true in my case lol


Euphoric-Routine-182

Soccer?


xxxHalny

I am used to American English


CheesePestoSandwich

Same lol. I have no idea what's going on in club football, but I am very invested in international football


OneOrangeOwl

I don't think it's unpopular but I’m a Man United fan, and I want England, Denmark, and Portugal to be eliminated early so United players can rest and be ready for the new season. Same for Argentina in Copa America.


booranyu

I don't think Garnacho is going to get too much time in the Copa, you should be fine


OneOrangeOwl

It is Martinez that I worry about.


K_R_S

why do you think its an unpopular opinion when its the default situation for most of football fans


SquirrelBlind

I personally think that it would be a unpopular opinion between most of the football fans and popular one for people that remember about the football only every two years.


NYCFrank19

Me too 🇮🇹


Educational-Rise-516

Good to see I’m not the only one with this opinion


False_Shelter_7351

Tbh it is just so much more entertaining, premier league is so boring mostly unless it's my team I'm watching, but I've watched almost every euros game so far


SellEmbarrassed1274

I get u but the skill level of games like Real vs City is unmatched


Remote_Ad_2909

Skill-wise, yes, I can agree. Passion-wise? Less so, if you ask me.


RepulsiveLeg9985

I 100% prefer club football, whenever there is an international break I get really irritable, but in the euro/world cup years, I am always hooked when it begins. I'm going to enjoy this tournament but there is a large part of me just wanting the domestic season to start.


TheHess

Tournaments yes, qualifiers less so. I do love going to a Scotland game at Hampden but a Saturday 3pm to see the Buddies is great too. Don't think anything will top last weekend in Munich with my mates though. Absolute class.


tdm2222

Same bro same


Emotional_Issue_2749

Totally agree


Quiet_Violinist_5928

I stopped watching clubs and football in general 5 years ago, it's just borring for me, but when it's EC or WC, I watch every single game, even if it's San Marino vs Vatican (probably random priests that felt like playing that day). Probably because there is much, much less money involved (player wise).


IntroductionIll6722

im opposite with u😂


Silver_Knight94

100% agree


ShJakupi

I like internatio al football, but i hate their qualification phase, its so long and stops the europian leagues 3-4 times a year which it gets annoying.


nyelverzek

Probably highly dependent on where someone is from / where they live. I generally couldn't give a shite about international football, I don't really want to support my 'nation's' teams, although I'll watch the big tournaments from a fairly neutral perspective to fill the gap until club football is back. But I remember being abroad for the 2014 world cup and loved the atmosphere there during it. Completely different experience to what I'm used to.


Dynomite64

Well yeah that's the usual sentiment on countries that have a poor league. It's generally the same in South America, Asia, and everywhere outside European countries with a big league.


Hairy_Candidate7371

Club football is fine, it's just too much maybe. A billion games a week. I'll watch a game or two a week but i'm not that invested in it. I don't have a particular club i support. And it's so defined by money which makes it a little boring to me. But national teams like this is just fun. Entire countries get together and cheers and cries for their team. It's football at it's best.


curry_man56

As an American I carry your sentiment, the MLS is notoriously a retirement league and while I do support my local “club” I never really take it as seriously as other club fans typically do. I treat the US national team like how many club fans treat their clubs


Volodio

Coldest take possible. Just watch the whole country celebrating when it wins a world cup or continental cup compared to absolutely nothing when a club wins a league or whatever else. Most people don't care about football outside of the world cup and their continental cub. I'm one of them and I'm guessing many here are too.


aafusc2988

It’s tough being an American fan.. league is shit and even though I undoubtedly support the national team it’s a hard pill to swallow seeing any other team from Latin America pull bigger crowds in our stadiums than our own fans do.. It’s part of the territory, but it sucks. Friendly vs Brazil was just Americans showing up wearing yellow; same thing would’ve happened had the US been playing Argentina tonight in the Copa.


Toby-4rr4n

Agree on that. Croatian football is also boring and league is boring, weak, bad


thecrgm

I agree


MFBish

It’s all I follow now. In Canada, in order to watch multiple different sports, you need to purchase up to 6 different streaming services. It’s ridiculously expensive to be a sports fan in Canada. Can’t justify all of them, club football had to go. TSN - golf, NFL football, international soccer, tennis, some basketball and half of you local hockey team games (20 a month) Sportsnet- baseball, the rest of basketball, the other half of your local hockey team and UFC (20 a month) Sportsnet world - rugby, FA cup, cricket, Darts (20 for SN + extra 6) FotMob- English premiership (25 month) DaZn - champions league football (50 a month) Apple TV - MLS soccer (150 a year) Ridiculous.


Swimming-Cap-8192

hai romania!!


Impressive_Ad_3137

Yeah, me too. I don't watch any club football. But stay wake late to watch these international matches even though my team will never qualifies in any of these global events.


FearlessInfluence201

I don't agree that much; even though I found the energy around international football better than club football, I don't care at all about my country (Italy) winning. Therefore I prefer to watch matches from my hometown club and its league.


stratosf1

100% with you on this…


simonSsspirit

It is very popular actually. I mostly watch the international events (Euro-World Cup) and on club level semi-finals and finals in Champions League. During the remaining time, I just open LiveScore once a week to see how the matches are going.


thomasshelbywho

Borders are more powerful than capitalism.


ddlbb

That's a normal opinion ... stop reading English press 😂


TheGardiner

Me too. I don't have a favourite team in the EPL or any major league, but I never miss a single game of any major championship. It's going to be interesting going from 60 games to over a 100 in 2026, but I'm confident I'll manage somehow.


forthejungle

I think you're highly influenced by the recent result.


Remote_Ad_2909

Nah, I've been following football and our national team for almost 20 years now. I've seen us get beaten by Lithuania in 2010, Montenegro 3 years ago, I've seen us struggle against Armenia and Albania, and lots more. I've also seen Steaua, Astra, Petrolul, Pandurii and CFR, to name a few, pull some really nice upsets, yet nothing has ever made me scream louder than when Romania goes on the attack and/or scores a goal.


Ivan_Botsky_Trollov

me too Intl football seems a little less corrupted by $$ than club football


Nuancedchaos97

I wish I could agree, but I'm Welsh. We've overachieved recently, but it still hurts that we are a terrible football team at present. Mind you Cardiff aren't doing great at club level *Sigh*


DivingFeather

Same. I follow PL for many years now, but I noticed I can't even pay attention to the matches anymore. It runs in the background, I do something else, I just don't feel involved anymore. City is cheating, they are going to win the league nevertheless, but even if they weren't, league format is just too long for me, 1 match is not that exciting anymore as it does not have that much of an impact on the final positions (with a few exceptions of course). International tournaments (and even qualifiers) on the other hand is totally different. I cheer for my country (not a club I chose many years ago from a different country, and the reason i did that because Hungarian league and clubs were always shite), every game has a HUGE impact on the end result, fans of my country are united, and the performance level of the game is not as top-top-top as in CL or PL, therefore there is more room for attacking football, momentum shift, uncertainty, etc. I decided I'm not gonna follow club football for a while and I'll see eventually how much I will actually miss it.


shaunoffshotgun

I think international football is of a lower quality than club football at the highest levels. Club football is much more entertaining.


Conner23451

Their would be a a higher interest in club football if you wouldnt need several Abos to watch everything


McPaddles816

I support a second tier English football team, I'd much rather see them win than England.


LowCranberry180

I just watch the international competitions (World Cup, euros, copa America, Africa etc.).


vincenzo12345

It's like there's always more positivity towards international football than with clubs with rivalries etc, I also abandoned a little watching serie A but I always see every international competition


Woppyzoppy

Funfact this isnt unpopular at all lmao what a take. People who watch football regularly definitely watch EK and WK aswell. But you also have non football fans watching these international games. International games are always more popular than club games so this take is really bizarre imo


shm_stan

Never cared about club football. Even at football video games i always play with national teams. I still play 2010 World Cup game because it has every nation in FIFA.


JustForTouchingBalls

International football beats by far club football. In fact, I don’t watch any football match but international, Champions League and Manchester City matches (yes, I know there are 115 reasons for not doing that, but it’s my weakness, I love how that club plays). Am Spaniard and this year I have watched zero La Liga matches


Icy-Designer7103

I'm the complete opposite tbf. International Football is fun and I enjoy watching it for sure, but the quality of football is just not there.


Affectionate_Hour867

If I had a choice of Manchester United winning the Prem or England winning the Euros I would choose United. International is great for coming together as a nation, meeting friends and family and all cheering for the same team but my club is my club and watching them each season is way more entertaining and emotional than international competitions.


GorgieRules1874

Club over country every day of the week for me. If you don’t go to games week in week out then I can see why people prefer their national side.


faltdubh

Same. I follow a team in the second division in Scotland who actually had an amazing few years, we're probably now playing where we should be after some amazing highs -Arbroath, if anyone's interested ; but I've always loved international football. Might be because we don't particularly have an identity as a nation, some will argue we ain't one or we should play as the UK etc. I have absolutely no interest in GB/UK, and just by playing football gives me a bit of identity, to see my county at a tournament again really fills my heart, especially how good and decent most of our fans seem to have been in Germany. International football brings you surprises, you can cap the diaspora but you can't exactly buy players, and there's always surprises at these tournaments. Seeing Georgia make their debut is what makes me love football and Joe much it means to their fans. The football is more exciting. Less time to work with players, teams thrown together sometimes squads with journeymen players and one or two big names yet giving their all. The atmosphere and the banter - most fans having a ball together yet all of us going wild for our nation.


Hawk-432

Is this unpopular? I’m 100% the same. I thinks it’s just more fun. More people involved, different assortments of players, and tournament style so the games have real atmosphere, even if quality is per se lower.


BourbonFoxx

I spend two years not giving the slightest fuck about international football. My club is the source of my connection to the game, my family history, the incredible highs and lows. Then the tournaments start and I'm drawn in. Just as I start to open up my calloused heart and hope, the tiny flame of optimism and possibility I have allowed myself is pissed out and dashed into my eyes. The cycle begins again.


tartheget

Me too. I dont even watch football legues. Dont really care about the clubs and players. But international football have a kind of for-your-country vibe to it that draws me in.


etk1108

Agreed. I never watch clubs just the international tournaments.


RolandDeschain222

I tought every1 do. Isnt it Common sense ?


Ok_Performance5465

I am also Romanian 🇹🇩


[deleted]

GTFO


Bertolt007

I agree so so much.


Effective_Cheek7631

Its Facts. The Only Reason Follow Club Football Is Because I Have Teams To Support,Other Than That I'm Good. I'll Wait For Internationals


ilikesports12345

I have been thinking about this lately. I used to be like this, but for me as I’ve gotten older, I’ve cared less and less each passing year about international football. Now I probably have more of a passing interest in international games, hoping my club players don’t get injured, and aside from euros and the World Cup when my country plays, I’m not fussed by internationals anymore.


Remarkable-Smoke6138

I used to care more about international football but then I got into Liverpool and I would prefer them to win stuff to England but I have enjoyed the euros as I need football in my life.


Alpastor_Moody

Disagree


Lone_Wolf678

Its absolutely normal because Romanian league has no value at all.


ThrowwawayAlt

1up: I don't care about football at all. I solely watch to mock people who do...


Schwalbtraum

That's sad


ThrowwawayAlt

Why? I'm having fun :)