Arrogance can be charming. If someone is truly great at something, it can make them more memorable, and ambitious understudies and onlookers will stand up and take note. They want to be recognised for what they can do, and what they have achieved. It can be inspirational. And we all love to be inspired.
There have been some wonderful sporting figures who have exuded confidence and charisma, to the extent that they can be accused of being arrogant. This self-assuredness can be communicated in two forms: through words, and through actions. The former is a more blatant expression of egotism; if you are in the public eye, your words are read and heard to be analysed and examined.
Different sports breed different levels of arrogance in it’s performers. Generally, this is down to the traditions and popularity of the sport, the intensity in which it is conducted, and of course, money. Compare football with cricket: two very different sports with very different types of athlete. Sportsmanship in cricket is traditionally very important, and arrogance is often frowned upon, whereas footballers can, relatively speaking, get away with murder.
In the fourth test of the Ashes, Australia captain Ricky Ponting was fined 40% of his match fee for arguing with umpire Aleem Dar about a decision to not give England’s Kevin Pietersen out. It is against the rules to “argue or enter into a prolonged discussion with the umpire about his decision”; rules and traditions are there to be followed and respected. But Ponting’s punishment was not so much the financial loss, but rather the shame of going against the traditional good will of the game. Cricketers should never be bad losers.
In contrast, footballers are always seen “discussing” incidents with the match officials, and very often the disagreements turn aggressive. Punishment for improper conduct is often a fine, and occasionally a ban, but this rarely prevents a similar incident happening the following week. Because of their salary, footballers have no need to worry about either the fine, or the potential “shame”. Rightly or wrongly, it is expected that they will react angrily about a decision going against them. Footballers have the freedom to do as they wish, and very often get away with just a slap on the wrist.
It is perhaps this freedom which allows many footballers to be as outspoken as they like; they consider themselves to be bigger than the sport they participate in. Earning big bucks at the age of 17 or 18 can’t be good for the development of a young sportsman, and it is important that the individual is managed very carefully. It is difficult to be critical of a teenage millionaire whose actions are often irresponsible and naive, because I can never be put into their shoes, but when you compare two talented young footballers who have approached success in very different ways, it cannot be argued which of the two is the better role model.
Lionel Messi is currently the world’s greatest footballer, and the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch is highly commendable. He must constantly get reminded that he is the best, yet he still manages to appear modest and deflect any personal attention onto his team-mates. When asked about being nominated for the Ballon d’Or once again, he responded, “I would love to get it, but I believe the World Cup will have a big sway in the final decision. What I wish for most is for the Ballon d’Or to remain in our changing room.” Millions of kids will watch him play and hear him speak, and as a result will want to be like him. He realises his responsibility as a role model, and embraces it.
But a lot of footballers don’t appear to understand their importance in popular culture, or perhaps they do understand it, and choose to abuse their power. Manchester City’s new Italian striker Mario Balotelli recently claimed that the aforementioned Messi is the only player in the world to be superior to him. He also claimed to not know who Jack Wilshere was, after the Arsenal and England midfielder was named second to Balotelli as the best young player in Europe. His comments showed an incredible lack of respect, and they were completely unnecessary.
If his words weren’t enough, his actions have added to his reputation. His reaction to being subbed against West Ham was unbelievable, ignoring his manager and marching furiously down the tunnel. He has also been photographed clashing with team-mates in training, and is happy to criticise others during matches if they aren’t performing to his high standards.
His reputation as a “bad-boy” won’t help him; in fact, we have already seen an example this season of it possibly hindering him. In the match against West Brom, he was sent off somewhat harshly after a tangle with Youssouf Mulumbu, which led to a three match ban. It was a decision that was possibly influenced by the image that the Italian has created for himself.
It is clear that Balotelli is a gifted footballer; he looks capable of being a top player, but he is nowhere near the finished article yet. His actions and words on and off the pitch are unacceptable and disrespectful, regardless of his ability. If you think you are that good, then show us, don’t tell us. I think it is really important that players understand the role that they play off the pitch. Kids look up to these guys; they buy stickers with their faces on them, and try to emulate them in everything they do. That’s worrying if they’re idolising certain individuals.
Perhaps I’m being harsh on Mario Balotelli for singling him out; he’s certainly not the sole offender, but he has absolutely no right to come out and say the things he’s said. As a footballer, he has the luxury of being able to say and do what he likes (to an extent), and a fine is hardly going to curb his attitude. It is down to those around him to guide and advise him to concentrate on his job, because one day, he might just be the best in the world at it.
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