What Should Clubs do About Spoiled Players?

Interesting quote last week from Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Gregory Coupet, on why he left Lyon for Madrid:

“I felt there was too large of a gap between myself and the young players of OL. So much so, that I didn’t see anything of myself in the new generation. That to me is harder and harder to live with. Suddenly, I told myself that I would go abroad, at least I would be sheilded by the language barrier.

To see guys show-up late for training, that made me snap. Me, if I had to tell my mother that I had to pay a 1000 Euro fine because I wasn’t capable of making it to practice at 10a.m., I would be ashamed. I didn’t butt heads with the players, but inside, it got me hot.”

He goes on to talk a bit about Lyon’s super-striker Karim Benzema and how difficult it is for him to remain grounded when he’s being given everything. (Although later Coupet said that he really likes Karim and this was taken out of context. But I think anybody who’s followed Lyon would have a hard time saying that Benzema is the same joy-filled, unpretentious player he was two years ago.)

(Photo: Benzema, ben Arfa and Nasri in more innocent times.)

Most people familiar with the Lyon situation last year believe Coupet was talking more about Hatem ben Arfa, though, formerly of Lyon and currently of Marseille. Ben Arfa, you may remember, is also the player who refused to warm up to sub in a few weeks back because he was annoyed at not starting. (Click on the link and watch the video. Even if you don’t speak French, watch the body language. I found myself thinking, “This kid isn’t bad, really, but he’s acting like he’s twelve.”)

Also coming out of France in the last month or so is news from William Gallas’ autobiography that there was there was a lot of tension in the France team at Euros between the younger and older players. At one point, according to Gallas, a younger player (creatively identified as “S”) took the spot on the bus that was normally taken by France’s all-time leading goalscorer, Thierry Henry. “S” was then reportedly very disrespectful when Gallas brought it up. (Smart money is on Gallas’s Arsenal teammate, Samir Nasri.)

Of course it’s not just French players — they’re just the ones I’m most familiar with. Gallas also complained in the press recently about a “younger player” at Arsenal who was creating dissension in the locker room with his attitude. (I don’t think that player has been identified, but certain things Gallas said have made some people guess Robin van Persie.)

And it’s not just the big things. It’s also little ones, like Cristiano Ronaldo being fined several thousand pounds last year for sending text messages during training, or subbing himself out in the game last weekend rather than waiting for anyone in charge to make it official. And I’m sure there are stories like these in every league where young players have lots of money and talent and not a lot of discipline and guidance.

So if you’re a manager, what do you do? They’re good, they’re talented, they’re highly paid. Fining them 1000 Euros is like fining you or me 5 — it’s not going to change any behavior in the long term. They have managers and trainers and agents and owners dependent on their being happy. If anyone punishes them for bad behavior, there are all kinds of ways they can retaliate, from withholding their best play on the pitch to going to the media to asking for a transfer.

And yet giving into them creates all kinds of problems for the team as a whole (as evidenced by Coupet leaving Lyon, or by France’s less-than-happy Euro 2008 experience, or by the apparent chaos at Arsenal this season.) It creates the impression that one or two players are bigger than the team as a whole and undermines the connectedness of the players on the pitch.

If you were the manager of one of these players, how would you respond? And does anybody know of any examples of clubs or managers who’ve done a good job of applying the rules to change the behavior of young and spoiled superstars?

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Category: World Football