The good, the bad and the ugly

Let's be honest: every single one of us has dreamt of becoming a professional footballer, or at least once in our lives, dreamed of incredible finals, world cup achievements and glory. But if we have to be really honest, we can't deny that the chance of living the lifestyle of a footballer is a big part of that dream.

Anyone can have desires and everyone has needs, but being a professional footballer can considerably help fulfil those hopes and desires! Even an "average" professional footballer earns enough to make his dreams come true and usually 'time' is not a problem either, as  the working hours offer athletes enough free time to go have fun in other lifestyle pursuits.

So, while it's normal to find footballers engaged in other activities, is it normal for those same passions to grow into something more serious, or even dangerous?

For instance, let's say that a footballer likes to party: nothing wrong with that, he's only human after all, but a Lord of Football will need to keep an eye on him, because if his desire to party grows beyond a simple night out once in a while, to a tendency to party all the time.....well, it's highly likely that his desire will develop into a vice, or worse, an addiction.

The same thing can be said for drinking, sex, or even gambling! In the town lies a Casino where an avid gambler can wager on a variety of slots and cards and the pub will sometimes organise poker nights too. Again, it's important to keep the footballers satisfied, letting them pursue their passions and desires as a player can't be focused on the pitch 24/7 without losing effectiveness.

However, gambling can be risky, as it leads to addictions and a player that's addicted to gambling can be a major problem in the locker room, training ground and on the pitch on match day. He will undermine the team's performance and the club's overall confidence: the consequences can be devastating.

So, what can be done to prevent those problems from happening? Well, first of all, a Lord of Football has to know his footballers and be aware of their needs and desires. He has to fulfill their needs in order to keep their morale up. building a strong and confident team of players during training and performing. However at the same time, the Lord of Football must ensure that by fulfiling their needs, the scales don't tip into the red....

Should this happen, it is the Lord of Football's duty to intervene, to help the footballer and consequently, the team. Using all his power and the means provided by the training ground, he must fix problems faced by all his footballers. Remedy's can be found inside the Clinic for some addictions, or a range of specific exercises are available that will put the footballer on the right path again.

Not an easy job, you might say. But that's the path to becoming a Lord of Football: are you up to the task?