Awakening to the ear-piercing squeal of my alarm clock is never a pleasant moment in the Michalakos household—as my lovely wife can confirm—as more often than not, it is usually followed with a heavy-eyed barrage of profanity on my part.
The only other thing that rivals my irritation with that damn alarm clock is the scheduled international break on the football calendar. Opinions vary, but I’ve never been shy to admit my annoyance over the countless qualifiers and pointless friendlies that interrupt the club schedule.
Please allow me to stop beating around the bush, should my feelings on the aforementioned topic aren’t clear: I can’t stand international football. There I said it.
The never-ending shady dealings and backroom politics, the countless injuries suffered to key players on international duty and the recent expansion of the Euros from 16 to 24 nations are just a few examples of my growing disdain.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the end product (World Cup, Euro Cup, Copa America), and to be fair that might sound a little hypocritical of me. However, I can’t help but feel cheated by the governing bodies of the sport, and feel as though this is all just one big money grab. The quality just isn’t there anymore as it once was—we get to see the best in the world at club level on a weekly basis nowadays—so the mystique is long gone.
On this morning’s edition of European Football Weekly on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, we spoke to renowned football journalist Gabriele Marcotti about the international game: from the dual citizenship issue, the increase of teams at Euro 2016, the hype surrounding Harry Kane and so much more.
To listen the interview, CLICK HERE