Football’s problems were on full display at the Etihad last night | OneFootball

Manchester City kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign last night with a nil-all draw with Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium. The game was a tactical affair between two of the best teams in Europe. But before the game and as the game progressed, you could get the sense that the problems with modern-day football were on full display at the home of the world champions.

First of all, Manchester City debuted their Oasis-inspired fourth kit at home against the Serie A champions. The kit designed by Noel Gallagher was a tribute piece that marked the 30th anniversary of Oasis’ iconic album Definitely Maybe. As per a report from FourFourTwo magazine sales of the new kit have smashed all sorts of records for Manchester City. Based on the revenue made for the club, the kit is a resounding success. But to see Manchester City play at home against Inter Milan not wearing their traditional sky blue gave the game the feel of a pre-season friendly.

The stakes in last night’s game weren’t as high as in previous Champions League matches.

That pre-season friendly feel also drifted into the game itself. This season the Champions League has debuted a new look league phase that has replaced the traditional group stage format. Each team will play 8 matches against a group of random opponents. But throughout last night’s game, there was never a real sense that the result mattered. There is no doubt that Manchester City and Inter Milan were both trying to win the game. Pep Guardiola and Simone Inzaghi both set up their sides to win. But as the game progressed there was no sense of urgency attached to the result. Both teams knew they could walk away with a point, safe in the knowledge that they had 7 more games to play to book a spot in the top 8 of the league phase. That’s a by-product of the new Champions League format. It will be interesting to see how the league phase plays out going forward.

The atmosphere at the Etihad suffered as prices to attend Champions League matches skyrocket.

Modern-day football has produced another issue. The regular match-going fan is being priced out of the game. Ticket prices for last night’s game have reached a point where fans are now having to choose what games to attend. That’s a blatant cash grab by clubs in the Champions League and not a problem that only affects Manchester City. But with revenue being king in the modern-day game due to financial fair play regulations and such, fans are paying the price. That should never happen. The game should never price out the heart and soul of the game.

When Manchester City have their regular fans at the game, the Etihad is usually rocking on big Champions League nights. For last night’s game it was subdued. But as the cost of living rises and clubs chase more revenue that may happen more and more often. Fans are getting to the point where they have to choose how and where they spend their money. Perhaps Peter Schmeichel should remember that next time he decides to take a cheap shot at City fans. The ex-Manchester United keeper was quick to comment on the atmosphere at the Etihad following last night’s game. But perhaps Schmeichel would be better served by looking into why that was caused rather than resorting to a cheap shot for clicks.

Summary

During last night’s match at the Etihad Stadium the problems with modern-day football were on full display. Fancy kits, an essentially meaningless match and a crowd that couldn’t quite buy into the game was on full display. Perhaps this is what football will look like going forward. As mentioned previously, revenue is king in the modern game. Whether it’s raised through fancy kits, extra matches or absurd ticket prices it drives the governing bodies and clubs. But you did get the impression at the Etihad last night that the drive for revenue has come at a cost.