Everything I hear about Oscar basically makes him seem like a really great guy regardless of what fans personally think of his career decisions. He’s grafted for his club and earned the respect of his team mates even though he could easily have phoned it in as many others who went to China have. He’s provided a great life for his immediate and extended family which would have been unimaginable when he was a child, and if you believe what he says he’s never lost his ambition to compete at the top level. I hope the rest of his career shapes out however he wants it honestly, if that’s a swan song couple of years at a European giant, a triumphant return to Brazil or quietly going about his business in China, best of luck to him.
@@nikhilsrl Elkesson failed to succeed. Ramires failed to play good in Palmeiras when he returned from China. Hulk is the only outlier, even some players from Europe failed to play well there (Douglas Costa, Willian), Oscar wouldn't play very well in the top flight anymore.
How is it a poor career move? He earned more money there than he would've elsewhere. So, career-wise, it was a superb move. Or are you still somebody who mistakes football for something other than an entertainment industry, a money-spinning machine for Infantino and his cronies or a sportswashing/money-laundering exercise for despots everywhere? Anybody working in that industry who is not sucking money out of it but rather earning their wage should go for the highest possible one, and I doubt that Oscar would have got a higher one than the one he got. Club prestige - who the sod cares?
Ngl this is such a dumb comment. He has secured a life of luxury for everybody he loves. Is that not a strong career move? Putting your family’s needs before your own personal interests.
@@Ned-Ryerson Point was that financially it made perfect sense. Career wise it pretty much screwed him. Something that Oscar has somewhat made peace with.
I think one also has to accept that even though China is surely not for everyone there will still be enough people that gel with the culture and genuinely like it. I mean that happens all the time, yet often people rule it out from the beginning for others.
Honestly, one of the few footballers who managed to stay relatively controversy free, independently of playing for Chelsea or Shangai SIPG. Might not be the best midfielder of the 2000s but the hate he received from part of the footballing world was so misguided.
Same situation! Brazil came to Singapore for a friendly, and I was lucky to be there at the time for my studies. Oscar stayed with the fans and took photos with everybody! What a great guy! I don't blame other players cuz it is defo annoying XD. But small things like this shows his personality, he is a good lad
Oscar is a nice guy. I lived in china and taught his children football (worked for an academy in shanghai ) and he would often come watch the sessions. He is such a down to earth dude.
I’m in total agreement with you, he put his family and there financial security first in a very short career where many players go bankrupt, you can’t get more down to earth than that.
To be honest, as a Brazilian, when a player leaves his childhood club here to go play in Europe, it doesn't really feel that different from him going to Asia, the point of leaving Brazil is always going to be money. For most Brazilians, or South Americans in general, European football is not really that important so it isn't morally condemnable to leave Europe for Asia or the MLS.
Exactamente, todo brasileño, argentino o uruguayo que diga que es fan de algún equipo europeo en realidad está mintiendo. Ir a Europa es por el dinero y el nivel para jugar en la selección.
Surely that’s not true. Top European leagues and the champions league are the very peak of world football and has all of the best players. It’s where legends and heroes are made in club football. The idea that it’s the same as going to a silly league with terrible players is absurd. Signing for Barcelona is not the same as signing for Al Ettifaq.
@@daviebananas1735that helps, sure, but not that much. After all, if no Brazilian player left Brazil, they wouldn't need to leave to have top level competition as our league would be as strong as any in Europe with just the Brazilians alone, not to mention other south americans adding to it. That was how it was until the 90s after all (although without the other south americans). It was only when changes were made to player contracts and later foreign player limits that european club footbal became what it is today. So yeah, the main (but not only) reason we go is mostly for the money. We can see that now with the Brazilian League becoming richer, a lot of players good enough to be in Europe are staying instead. Football is not only money and competition, it is also passion, and almost no Brazilian will feel anything playing for a club thousands of miles away, not even the big ones with passionate fanbases, that is why it is extremely rare for a foreign player to have the connection to a club that players like Xavi, Rooney, Gerrad, Lampard, etc had with their clubs.
@@wisefelipe so do Brazilians regard their own top clubs as being as prestigious to play for as the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United etc. I guess it’s hard for a European to understand as we are so focussed on European football and don’t see much from other continents. I just always assumed every player in the world regarded those clubs as the biggest.
@@daviebananas1735Id risk to say that 98% of Brazilians didnt care abt european football before the 90s bro...as most of our best players stayed here..and our clubs used to always beat european clubs either on Intercontinental cups or friendlies back then,most of the world cups we won were with players that played here... The world used to watch brazilian players for the first time during the world cups... But when Romario, Rivaldo,Ronaldo started to shine in Europe that started to change and other players followed their path. And like Romario went to PSV,Ronaldo as well,Rivaldo to Deportivo La Coruña...they didnt go to big clubs,they went for the money and Romario himself got sick of it right when he was the best player in the world and came back to Brazil at his prime...
My conclusion is that Oscar is just a professional football player, as in his attitude is very professional. Can't blame him for being honest, transparent, and hard-working throughout his career.
He should be commended for his honesty and integrity with how he handled the transfer to China and how he played in Shanghai. The fans loved him for that.
Mate just want to say that your analysis of world football is unlike any other football channel on youtube, and that doesn't go unnoticed. You cover a lot of the more "underground" aspects of football in your own unique style, and I appreciate that a lot. Keep up the good work!
Great video. I love the way you cover the gray areas like family dynamics. You mentioned that players from some regions aren’t just supporting themselves but extended families too. That reminded me of NFL offensive lineman Tyron Smith being forced to get a restraining order against his mother and siblings because they were shaking him down for money. Also bringing up Oscar’s current domestic life is also key. His football career won’t last forever and a stable relationship with his spouse and children is key to transitioning to life after football. I’m a retiree. When I look back on how I viewed my working career, my attitude about it was much different at the beginning than it was at the end. You start out life with potential but most of us never fully meet that potential. Still we navigate our way through life enduring the disappointments and savoring the moments of triumphs and joy. Oscar tasted triumph with Chelsea and has become fabulously wealthy in China. Is he going to reach his full potential as a footballer? That seems unlikely. He is fortunate to have a stable and loving family. When his career is over, he still has half his life to live. Based on the info in this video, it appears he has the tools to make that life a happy one. I hope Oscar’s few remaining years as a footballer are successful and gratifying for him. I hope his life after football is full of joy and happiness.
at least he realize early that hes dogshit at top tier continent n will achieve nothing so he just go to farmville city to mine the gold. it is what it is.
@@abcdef-o2ubro, did you watch the video? He has been wanting to come back from China 18 months after getting there, so he didn’t “learn he was dogshit at top tier continent”. He left for money, he could still play in the EPL today, he is 3 years younger than Willian who is a regular starter for Fulham.
In Brazil even in his youth when he had his legal troubles with São Paulo and Internacional and all that. He always had a reputation as an amazing player; back then it was the time when Kaká was at his prime, and everyone thought of Oscar as the future of Brazilian football, he was more regarded and people expected more of him than they expected of Neymar as a matter of fact, one example of that is that in their early years the one who had the Number 10 in the national squad was Oscar. But he also had a reputation of football was a job, if he could do anything else he would do that and not play, he was doing that because he was that good and it would pay well, in the end he wanted to be rich and not the best ; anyway his heart wasn’t in it because of the love in the game. That was his reputation in Brazil even from his time before going pro. But he was so good. Just take a look at the U20 Finals of the 2011 WC Brazil X Portugal. The game that he played.
Good for him! Shanghai is amazing. I met my wife there in 2014, I am from Mexico and she is Swedish. It is a fantastic city home of cherished memories of mine. I bet he is very happy
As a Brazilian for us doesn’t make much difference, morally speaking, if a Brazilian player leaves to play in Asia or Europe since the motivation will be money. Brazilian league is pretty good, pays well so and is highly disputed unlike European leagues. All players leave for money or the chance to try and win FIFA the best. The one difference is leaving for Middle East countries because in Brazil is seen as morally dubious to play for counties like Saudi Arabia or Qatar. Europe, China or even MLS are seen as fair foreign leagues so we don’t really see much of a big deal.
I mean being a professional athlete is a job. (A privilege to have a job like that but still a job nonetheless) Not every player cares about legacy. Some just want to get paid and chill/play
Amen to that! Who the blazes cares in 25 years? There will only ever be five to ten players that will reach that "hallowed" status of being considered a historic football-figure, and you could just as well grab the money and forget about trying to be one of those greats, something that is definitely not guaranteed.
Sensible comment some people think he's disgraceful for being in China for so long but honestly it's just people taking this entertainment product too seriously
He was already going to earn millions in Europe and have amazing experiences in the Champions League playing at famous stadiums. Would you rather have a great career and less money, or play mediocre football and earn more. Clearly money means more than any achievements to him.
@@kth6736 if I was given the choice, I would take it too. It's a huge relief when you are born in a poor family when you are assured of a high salary that sets your family for life(long-term contract)
The Saudi league is basically built to serve only a few big clubs, similar to CSL. In China, only a few true big clubs include Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua. In Saudi Arabia, they are Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad Jeddah and Al-Nassr. Without any of them, they will fold.
no, all of them are owned by filthy rich billionares, and have good attendance, ironically the lowest of the few is oscar's club, even though it's the biggest city in China. (Their inter-city rivals are the most popular) It's just that poor management and regulations have sucked the remaining life out of chinese football
Isn't this true of a lot of big European clubs too? Remove the top 4 clubs from the EPL, La Liga etc. and the global audiences (the real money driver) will dry up pretty quickly
@@musaddiqmunirliman8267 Not at all. Saudi teams outside the top four scrape attendences in the hundreds. Some matches in the 8th tier of English football get higher attendences. Football culture in England is far richer, there's a lot less glory supporters and a lot more people who love and support their local teams regardless of success.
The rate at which China dropped football interests and the Chinese owners dropped any interest in club ownership is pretty damning. Basically the equivalent of one if your kids being bored of a Christmas toy by the 29th December
The owner did it for political purposes. And the economy went down so they did not have as much money to burn anymore. Chinese people loves watching football. The owners and footballers were short sighted due to the system simply
Totally agree that Oscar would've gone from strength to strength had he stayed with us. He was basically Mount with 10x the technical skill, quality player who'd still do a job in the PL today even if it was in a deeper role. I'd take him back at Chelsea in a heartbeat.
Why is the Saudi Pro League not really being linked to any big name players now, and certainly haven't signed any in this window? Was it just a final push for World Cup hosting rights? So that the players they had signed to tweet about how good it would be, so as to grow support amongst the people, particularly on social media who are the most vocal and easily influenced?
That's true and I did consider it but many of them are for players below the calibre that they want, so it wouldn't have surprised me if they just either forced their players to leave, either through selling them or buying out their contracts.@@kwnana6057
The comment appeared not to have sent, so I just assumed that because many of their international slots are currently taken up by players below their desired calibre of player, that they would at least sell or terminate the contracts of those players this window to sign new ones.@@kwnana6057
10:10 I’m Brazilian. When a Brazilian footballer talks about “supporting their family”, it’s not the “nuclear family”. It’s their entire extended families and friends and probably more people. So yeah, these players are seen as the cash cows of probably a few dozen people for their entire childhood and professional careers. (Edit: I see you covered this very well in the video. I’d say it’s not just a stereotype, it’s the reality of most if not all Brazilian players of at least moderate financial success)
I can respect Oscar for saying the move is about the money. He dressed it up with nice words but that's what he meant. At least he admitted it unlike a lot of other athletes.
A video about Iranian football's upcoming collapse please. We have one of the best teams in Asia, our golden generation, and is ranked 21st in the world with huge passion from the population. Yet the Islamic republic mismanaged everything, resulted in our failure to outperform in the World Cup, our inability to win an Asian Cup since 1976 and widespread corruption.
Everybody wants the Shah of Iran to return. Same like the Afganistan King. Look at Saudi, they slowly becoming more Western without losing their identity as Islam.
Keep in mind, in poorer countries family doesn't just refer to the nuclear family but the extended family as pooling resources is a necessity to survive so Oscar might be referring to far more ppl than you think when he said he wants to provide for his family
The way he basically says financial security is concerning. If they are able to work a good job, they are out of poverty. The best way rich people do is to set up a education fund for his families, close friends or children. He was paid 150, 000 per week. After taxes, it is around 75, 000 pound. You can basically financially a 3 year university bachelor degree tuition fee per week. He can pay for a sao Paulo's flat in 3 weeks. Let's say they want the best boarding schools in Brazil in order for them to get there. It is also not that expensive. So after 2 years, he should have been able to support their housing and their children's tuition fee if he just follows very strict saving scheme. The education trustfund should be rolling well and good while maintaining itself. This is the best way to get your friend out of poverty statistically. If he chooses his friend well and send those crazy one to hospital, he should be set for life in 3 years even if he has a gigantic circle of people to support. Of course there are living costs, but the point is that he should not have been chasing for financial security with this sort of money. It is possible that he is paying for his friend's bill continuously while they are not doing anything. They will just stay poor and he will constantly need to "support them".
Quick disclaimer: most brazilian with japanese heritages don't have a great connection with their family in Japan because the immigration happened mostly in the early 1900s, and a young women like his wife is probably third or fourth generation. Oscar was already great in Brazil despite playing in a different role (used to play as a winger) and helped Internacional (the club I support) in winning our second libertadores. Cheers
I think people struggle to put footballers' lives and careers in perspective somewhat. Imagine how fucking cool it'd be for anyone to be able to work in a foreign country and immerse yourself in the culture courtesy of a job that is relatively easy given your talents and is paying you enough that you've been able to lift not just yourself but your family and friends our of generational poverty. You'd snap their fucking hand off and no one would question you for it. "Oh he could have worked at PWC and been one of the best accountants of his generation if only he hadn't wasted himself out there on that higher-paying, easier job while discovering a new country."
He was already going to earn millions in Europe and have amazing experiences in the Champions League playing at famous stadiums. Would you rather have a great career and less money, or play mediocre football and earn more. Clearly money means more than any achievements to him.
Ironically... the sad situation is also going on in Mexico, where the people are so enraged after Mexico's failure in 2022 World Cup and massive corruption there, plus Mexican clubs are accused of favouring foreigners. There are calls for the Mexican federation to disband and to be reformed so they can let players go abroad. They are literally putting little trust on the current Mexican football state.
Heck even the majority of the coaches are South American in Liga MX right now. Then along with removing relegation, the federation is clearly prioritizing profits. Also, saddens me the MX national team plays a majority of their games in a foreign soil.
@@MarcosGarcia-pj3pq exactly. Or, actually, while they can restrict the number of foreigner players, federations can't legally restrict the number of naturalized players. So, there is a loophole the CLUBS everywhere are eager to exploit.
@@andregroo yeah but there is a massive issue that encouraged naturalisation. Unlike many other nations, most naturalised players in Mexico are from other Spanish-speaking countries. That means linguistic barrier does not exist, hence easier to naturalise. It is difficult to distinguish a Mexican from an Argentine.
I respect his decision when he moved from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG and spoke honestly about the reason of the moving. Also he proved to be productive there helping his club to be champion of the league twice although his limitation of play during 2019 - 2022 because corona pandemic and unsuccessful loan move to Sao Paolo. I hope he can bring Shanghai Port FC to the AFC Champions League Final this year.
In all of his interviews, oscar sounds so level headed and down to earth, i can do nothing but respect it, especially taking his background and football transfer shenanigans into account
Hey Alfie, Can you make a video about Scarborough Athletic, they went extinct 15 years ago and now they are third in the National league north and are close to reaching the football league once again, they are one of the fastest rising clubs in non league and were once a prominent league 2 club
Any good looking young white Portuguese descent male is automatically the young Kaka. I swear I've heard it so many times Felix Oscar Piazon Calm down. Kaka is a prince. No one like him.
Hate this money argument. What other job would you be bashed for moving to another company, with a easier workload for a lot more money. Fair play to any player that does it, I would do the same.
A video about Italian football crisis and their North Korea-like mentality of conservatism please? Italy today has no real football star, their last World Cup was in Brazil, their coaching system is abysmal (with only Carlo Ancelotti the most decent and revered one) and the Serie A has become increasingly filled with outdated tactics. While Spain, Portugal and France have moved forward, Italy is moving backward and I can feel confident that Luciano Spalletti will be sacked as coach of Italy sooner or later and that Italy will have to accept that they need a foreign manager rather than staying North Korean.
It's a massive exageration saying they're at North Korean levels seeing as how they won the last Euro cup, had a team in the champions league, Europa AND conference league last year and this year had 3 out of four teams pass the champions league group stage (Milan got 3rd in a group of death) and had all their teams pass in the Europa league and Conference. They've been doing comically bad in world cup qualifiers, that's true. But the idea that France, who has absolutely no relevant teams and PSG is an expensive joke, or Portugal, a four club league with everyone else barely able to afford player wages, "moved forward" compared to Italy, is just wrong.
Thing that gets me about these conversations is that they always revolve around the working class sport of football when the crazy money in golf and tennis etc is not even in the talk. If you look at the richest sports people, the golfers and tennis players are always up there. But where is the same outrage in the press?
Could you please make a video about South Korean football? South Korean football clubs have won the most AFC Champions League titles in total despite not having obscene amount of capital like Saudi or Chinese teams, yet the K League is rarely discussed when talking about Asian football, probably because they cannot afford to make globally recognized marquee signings like J League's Iniesta and Podolski or countless Saudi Arabia-bound stars. When it comes to the national team, Korean FA has been run mostly by incompetent business conglomerate owners ("chaebols") and flawed ex-players in between (leading to the controversial hiring of Jurgen Klinsmann, who is currently making a laughing stock out of the team in the Asian Cup). I'm sure there are a lot to talk about.
Heard it was all Flick providing the tactical backbone back then do as to cover his bottoms. But even then one good job doesn’t make you a good manager.
Ultimately, why is Oscar still there? Because his a fundementally nice bloke, isn't going to kick up a stink to try and force his way out, is being paid as well as he would anywhere else in the world and enjoys his life there. Alot of people get far to romantic about football at times. His good so he has to love the game and go for the biggest trophies and tralala. Its a job. Especially for those from poor backgrounds, they start playing football because its a way out of poverty, a way to make money. They aren't playing football because they thought, well I could be a lawyer but i really love this football thing and I want to make a crack at it. Its because its the only way they will ever make something of themselves because the education isn't there to be anything else, and even if it was, you don't have the connections to get into those places. The man is clearly happy. His family are happy. That all that really matters.
Will Alfie ever make a video about Kazakhstan's role in the rise of sportswashing? Its role as the 21st century's first sportswashing state has since been copied by Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Qatar and even Saudi Arabia, yet as they thought their Euro 2024 qualifying was the peak of their upcoming success, Kazakhstani football is now in a downhill, with Premier League is shamble as Kazakh clubs have become feeders to FC Astana that is run by the authoritarian regime using oil from Caspian Sea, youth football is falling, no major Kazakhstani players made impact in UEFA, but its inability to accept its sportswashing failure has cost Kazakhstan's reputation, whereas at the same time, Europe didn't want anything with them since the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced Europe to reconsider business with sportswashing entities, hence why Kazakhstan is pivoting football back to Asia and has broadcasted the Asian Cup 2023, the first time ever Asian Cup was broadcasted in Kazakhstan. It could have some decent successes had Kazakhstan stayed in AFC (which cares nothing about human rights).
Kazakhstan is a Central Asian nation that geographically has little to do with Europe 🌏, it's strange why they chose to go to UEFA, especially when thier neighbours (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan) chose to join the AFC.
Because Oscar saw in China things that were better for his family and life style : - Generally more safe , you see how even in UK many players houses are being rob with guns and on daylight or when they are playing a game - Not just there , in many parts of Europe as well and of course South America. - Also it has a very good academic education system that is been taught in English and also translators everywhere for him - In addition to that , his family and him had been there for pretty much almost 10 years , it’s pretty much his home. - On the “sporting wise” he does not feel the huge stress on competing every single week for instant results , he just plays , gets his money and goes back home. Does not need to deal with angry fans - Plus , people are saying that “Saudi leagues pays more and this and that” , a lot of players are leaving there cuz the way how they live there clashes a lot from us. China you can still live the way you want and it open doors for a lot of more “international things inside” - Oh and in China he does not need to worry on someone recognizing him , pretty much everyone in China lives in their own world , its pretty much like USA and Canada
A football news page is saying Carragher was vocal about Oscar China move but quite about Saudi Arabia moves. Carragher was nice about Henderson moving to SAUDI Arabia
He seems like a pretty good guy tbh! His team respects him for his work ethic which is cool to hear. And since his family are settled in Shanghai now, it's probably why he's stayed there so long
Can you make a video about Iraqi football? Iraq's shock 2-1 win over Japan in the Asian Cup 2023 surprised everybody and in particular, we Swedes (I am Chechen-Swede) came to realise just how reliant Iraq is on our talents despite our smaller population (10 to 35 mil.). Yet Iraqi football is one of the most corrupt and mismanaged in Asia, despite its population's huge passion, which is absurd when compared to Sweden, what has plagued Iraqi football, and can they ever recover.
I forgot that I owned an Iraqi jersey for months until that match happened. It kind of reminded me of when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in the world cup.
Bro I’ve heard more about Oscar still in China than about him in the last 8 years. It’s sad to see him basically become a nobody that is only heard through his downfall, considering how much talent he had.😢😢😢
A common trend I see w/ players who’ve been playing from a very young age in academies or that were really good growing up is that they fall out of love w/ the sport. Somewhere down the line after dealing w/ toxic fanbases & being part of that humiliating 1-7 vs GER in a semifinal in his own country could’ve been it & just go for the money
I think this story shows how football fans and some old timers can be fickle, jealous and shortsighted. If he wanted to go China to make more money and secure his family's life he did what he had to do and I applaud him. The name of the job is professional footballer so if they paid more and had a project that suited him I'm happy for him. He's still one of the most well paid footballers in the world and I'm sure if he decides to come back to Europe he will find something. Good luck Oscar!
Him being at Shanghai also probably did huge benefits for his body too. Recent professions in the highest European clubs now seem to have to literally torture their own bodies to play at the highest level now, and as entertaining it is to watch it's a depression thought. But him having a good time playing football, being paid well, and not really lying about his move I kinda respect him in hindsight.
this is like the smallest possible nitpick, but it's very unlikely his wife has any family in Japan. Most Japanese Brazilian's ancestors moved in the early 20th century
Alfie, FYI there is no "shanghai" in the chinese super league. There is Shanghai Dongya(East Asia)/SIPG/Port and there is Shanghai Shenhua(lit. Shanghainese Flower). Oscar plays for the former, who were set up by a former head coach of the latter as an academy team. They produced half of the chinese national team in that generation and got bought out. Shanghai Shenhua are far better supported and were established as the city team before china opened up. They have generally been horribly mismanaged.
If a country does not have a developed football culture or at least a long history, with atmosphere among masses of people that love football, there is no amount of money that can buy that.
The problem, however, is China can't abandon their football project. Any sign of giving up will be severely treated as a failure, and Xi Jinping's ambitions meant he can't abandon it. So in the future, he will want it to be kickstarted again, but with a more stable structure. I can't see China giving it up whatsoever, plus FIFA also realises this and is not in the mood to allow China to fail.
I'm an English teacher living and working in Vietnam. However, I've been fortunate enough to teach in a number of different countries. It's not a cool opinion, but quality of life in China - provided you have a bit of money - is pretty great. The man's paid ridiculous money and is probably treated like a God there.
Going to China will never boost a players career at his peak money aside it simply doesn't pull in the same interest of the traditional big leagues of Europe once you go there your career is bound to fade into relative obscurity
In what other career would anyone say that making more money than almost anyone else is a failure? (And that's before you allow for the fact that his on field success was not guaranteed)
Oscar had won 48caps a semi WC hardest leauge n 2 biggest club comps by 25. Went for generational wealth he's been honest. N atleast he's been there best player shld obv been in brasil squad longer tho.
Being the only superstar left makes him very special, very precious. That loyalty must come with rewards beyond the money. Besides, being in a dictatorship means he is unlikely to worry about whether his family are safe. Having won many cups, he probably has reconciled himself to a comfortable if unchallenging Shanghai environment.
Having just watched players rebound back from the Saudi Arabian league, I was curious if there was anyone left in China. Thank you for putting in the research to answer that question for me. He seems happy there, I think he made the best decision for him and his family.
It's funny to see europeans incensed by the choice of going overseas only for the money. Most Brazilians (and i think Argentinians) went to europe also only for the money. If you watch what Bebeto, Romario and other superstars said about their time in Europe you can easily get this. Actually most Brazilian footballers despised European football right until the 2000's. Only after an incredible marketing campaign we started to watch European football.
Lets hope so but I fear that that will not be the case. Saudi-Arabia will try to position their league as a top destination until at least the 2034 WC and they have almost unlimited funds to do so.
@@a.e.a. They might have unlimited money but if they don't attract players than it's a failure.Newcastle now might be the richest club in the world but they might need to sell Almiron to be allowed to compete in the premier league.That's why FFP exists even if it has been a failure
The difference between a free society like the UK and Saudi Arabia and China is that people are free to leave if they see better opportunities elsewhere, whether other people like it or not. Good luck to Oscar and the various players who have gone to Saudi - who cares whether HITC Sevens or anyone else approves? It is interesting that this guy seems for some reason to get much more worked up about gay rights in Saudi Arabia than, for example, concentration camps for Muslims in China!
Honestly I would much rather live in China than Saudi Arabia … they actually have nice cities and an actual fans of the sport … plus the nba goes there sometimes
Honest, decent man moves across the world for work, thinking money will be the only thing he gets from it - ends up loving every minute and finding his natural home.
Man watching Oscar play for both Chelsea and Brazil in his youngest years I was around 10-13 years old watching him, I’m now 20, a legend of the game he could’ve been, definitely a Chelsea legend for his accomplishments, all the best to him and hopefully can return to Europe or even Brazil for one last dance. 🙏🏽 I feel a move to the MLS would suit him fairly well
We all hate that he left for the money but only cause we knew how great he was. But from a human perspective, he did what he had to for generational wealth. Although, maybe even in terms of football it might’ve been the right decision. He too would’ve suffered from the extinction of the “number 10” position. He had immense talent tho, no hate towards him, just disappointment. His goal vs Juve is still crazy till this day !
actually have so much respect for oscar. hes honest. man won the prem and said fuck it, ima make so much money generations after me will never want again
I loved Oscar when he was playing for Chelsea. Conte never used to like Oscar because before Conte came to Chelsea Oscar was a regular starter as an attacking force with Lampard and Essien and all of a sudden Conte decided to bench him. So as a Chelsea supporter from 1967 until now I supported Oscar when he decided to leave Chelsea but honestly I would have liked him to stay at Chelsea. I'm thankful that his achievements has come through for him that he can look forward to seeing that his family are well taken care of. I salute you my brother
I think people were harsher on Oscar because he was seen as a really high potential player in the future ,i am not saying Ruben Neves isnt a good player ,but i dont think people talked about him at Wolves with the same expectations as they did when Oscar was playing in the Premier League .
Loved this video!! But still requesting another video focusing on the match fixing scandal in China that landed former national team manager and FA president in prison, and why the Chinese national team is so terrible, failing to score even a single goal in the Asian Cup and getting eliminated in the group stage behind Tajikistan
I love any footballer or manager kicking off at another footballer or manager for going after the money. Well half your wage then if it's for the passion, so passionate fans can actually afford to go to a match or even afford to watch it on TV. 🤷♂️🤣 To kit out my 7 year old son it's over £100, he will grown out of it in 6 months ffs 😂
That's just not true, is it? Yes, they earn more money in Europe, but there are also the best leagues, biggest teams and biggest trophies to win on club level in Europe. So sporting ambitions will inevitably lead you to European football right now, regardless of the money
@@benniefeitz Don't you read? Because your ambition to play with the best players for the biggest teams to fight for the biggest trophies ... you have to go to Europe.
@@philippmeier3363 I think you didn't read... biggest teams is relative to money. If LaLiga and PL had Liga MX Money, it wouldn't be prime destination!
Football clubs is quite difficult to be financial independent, most Chinese leading football clubs owners are real estates companies, while the owner company got severe deficit due to economics downturn, the club is often sacificared.
Fair play to the guy for putting his family first over himself, it’s a short career and so many players go bankrupt after they retire. In 8 years he has set himself up for life
What people don't understand is being in Europe gives you more than just salary, the add money and everything and if you win some big things in your career then a lifelong money and a chance to stay in the game even after your career ended.
I would love a video about Ricardo Gareca, our new head coach (for my Chilean side). He was so loved in Peru but because he has no experience with Chilean football (which is more competitive), we have no idea how could he reinvigorate our team back on track.
It seems like he has enjoyed his time there. He is easily his teams best player and his family is well settelled with a huge weekly wage, good for him
I get it but as a footballer his a nobody now.
Shanghai is a pretty cool city to live in if you are rich. Definitely better than anything in Saudi Arabia.
@@schnappueberIf you can get over all the constant surveillance stuff sure. I guess at least you can drink and not the same woman’s rights issues etc.
@@loufrost824do you think he cares?
@@insertgenericusernamehere2402 Yes, I think he cares a lot. He did try to bounce 2yrs ago, of course he cares.
Everything I hear about Oscar basically makes him seem like a really great guy regardless of what fans personally think of his career decisions. He’s grafted for his club and earned the respect of his team mates even though he could easily have phoned it in as many others who went to China have. He’s provided a great life for his immediate and extended family which would have been unimaginable when he was a child, and if you believe what he says he’s never lost his ambition to compete at the top level. I hope the rest of his career shapes out however he wants it honestly, if that’s a swan song couple of years at a European giant, a triumphant return to Brazil or quietly going about his business in China, best of luck to him.
He would never succeed on Brazil knowing the track record of players who returned from China
@@queenzoroarkPaulinha played for Barcelona while still contracted for a Chinese club and did well. I am sure he would have done well in Brazil.
@@nikhilsrl The same Paulinho who is failing to shine with Corinthians, only Hulk succeeded in the Brazillian League.
@@queenzoroark Yeah the same Paulinho who has 6 goals from 25 odd appearances playing from midfield. What's your point?
@@nikhilsrl Elkesson failed to succeed. Ramires failed to play good in Palmeiras when he returned from China. Hulk is the only outlier, even some players from Europe failed to play well there (Douglas Costa, Willian), Oscar wouldn't play very well in the top flight anymore.
As much as I as I think Oscar to China was a poor career move honestly gotta respect him sticking it out there for as long as he has
How is it a poor career move? He earned more money there than he would've elsewhere. So, career-wise, it was a superb move.
Or are you still somebody who mistakes football for something other than an entertainment industry, a money-spinning machine for Infantino and his cronies or a sportswashing/money-laundering exercise for despots everywhere?
Anybody working in that industry who is not sucking money out of it but rather earning their wage should go for the highest possible one, and I doubt that Oscar would have got a higher one than the one he got. Club prestige - who the sod cares?
Ngl this is such a dumb comment. He has secured a life of luxury for everybody he loves. Is that not a strong career move?
Putting your family’s needs before your own personal interests.
@@Ned-Ryersondid you just write a whole paragraph dissecting every word this dude wrote just to end it with "who cares?!" Bruh
@@Ned-Ryerson
Point was that financially it made perfect sense. Career wise it pretty much screwed him.
Something that Oscar has somewhat made peace with.
I think one also has to accept that even though China is surely not for everyone there will still be enough people that gel with the culture and genuinely like it. I mean that happens all the time, yet often people rule it out from the beginning for others.
Chelsea came to St. Louis Missouri for a pre season game. Oscar stayed behind for at least an hour to sign autographs
Honestly, one of the few footballers who managed to stay relatively controversy free, independently of playing for Chelsea or Shangai SIPG. Might not be the best midfielder of the 2000s but the hate he received from part of the footballing world was so misguided.
@@Lucaz99and he was honest why he going there. And seems he enjoyed his time. Gotta respect that
Same situation! Brazil came to Singapore for a friendly, and I was lucky to be there at the time for my studies. Oscar stayed with the fans and took photos with everybody! What a great guy! I don't blame other players cuz it is defo annoying XD. But small things like this shows his personality, he is a good lad
I can attest to this. Lived in Shanghai & attended many SIPG home games.. he's always been good to the fans
Oscar is a nice guy. I lived in china and taught his children football (worked for an academy in shanghai ) and he would often come watch the sessions. He is such a down to earth dude.
I’m in total agreement with you, he put his family and there financial security first in a very short career where many players go bankrupt, you can’t get more down to earth than that.
Source: trust me bro
@@kingcain6472 lmao
True story. I made the hadcrafted wood table his kids used to eat at the academy's cafeteria and I can confirm this.
@@de.n30 💀💀💀
To be honest, as a Brazilian, when a player leaves his childhood club here to go play in Europe, it doesn't really feel that different from him going to Asia, the point of leaving Brazil is always going to be money. For most Brazilians, or South Americans in general, European football is not really that important so it isn't morally condemnable to leave Europe for Asia or the MLS.
Exactamente, todo brasileño, argentino o uruguayo que diga que es fan de algún equipo europeo en realidad está mintiendo. Ir a Europa es por el dinero y el nivel para jugar en la selección.
Surely that’s not true. Top European leagues and the champions league are the very peak of world football and has all of the best players. It’s where legends and heroes are made in club football. The idea that it’s the same as going to a silly league with terrible players is absurd. Signing for Barcelona is not the same as signing for Al Ettifaq.
@@daviebananas1735that helps, sure, but not that much. After all, if no Brazilian player left Brazil, they wouldn't need to leave to have top level competition as our league would be as strong as any in Europe with just the Brazilians alone, not to mention other south americans adding to it.
That was how it was until the 90s after all (although without the other south americans). It was only when changes were made to player contracts and later foreign player limits that european club footbal became what it is today.
So yeah, the main (but not only) reason we go is mostly for the money. We can see that now with the Brazilian League becoming richer, a lot of players good enough to be in Europe are staying instead.
Football is not only money and competition, it is also passion, and almost no Brazilian will feel anything playing for a club thousands of miles away, not even the big ones with passionate fanbases, that is why it is extremely rare for a foreign player to have the connection to a club that players like Xavi, Rooney, Gerrad, Lampard, etc had with their clubs.
@@wisefelipe so do Brazilians regard their own top clubs as being as prestigious to play for as the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United etc. I guess it’s hard for a European to understand as we are so focussed on European football and don’t see much from other continents. I just always assumed every player in the world regarded those clubs as the biggest.
@@daviebananas1735Id risk to say that 98% of Brazilians didnt care abt european football before the 90s bro...as most of our best players stayed here..and our clubs used to always beat european clubs either on Intercontinental cups or friendlies back then,most of the world cups we won were with players that played here...
The world used to watch brazilian players for the first time during the world cups...
But when Romario, Rivaldo,Ronaldo started to shine in Europe that started to change and other players followed their path.
And like Romario went to PSV,Ronaldo as well,Rivaldo to Deportivo La Coruña...they didnt go to big clubs,they went for the money and Romario himself got sick of it right when he was the best player in the world and came back to Brazil at his prime...
My conclusion is that Oscar is just a professional football player, as in his attitude is very professional. Can't blame him for being honest, transparent, and hard-working throughout his career.
He should be commended for his honesty and integrity with how he handled the transfer to China and how he played in Shanghai. The fans loved him for that.
7-1
Mate just want to say that your analysis of world football is unlike any other football channel on youtube, and that doesn't go unnoticed. You cover a lot of the more "underground" aspects of football in your own unique style, and I appreciate that a lot. Keep up the good work!
NPC comment
@@fjfucjdi093jfeI wish AI could write such a good comment, AI comments all look the same still.
Yours however, any bot can write.
@@Lucaz99 wipe your mouth and get off your knees when your done
Great video. I love the way you cover the gray areas like family dynamics.
You mentioned that players from some regions aren’t just supporting themselves but extended families too. That reminded me of NFL offensive lineman Tyron Smith being forced to get a restraining order against his mother and siblings because they were shaking him down for money.
Also bringing up Oscar’s current domestic life is also key. His football career won’t last forever and a stable relationship with his spouse and children is key to transitioning to life after football.
I’m a retiree. When I look back on how I viewed my working career, my attitude about it was much different at the beginning than it was at the end. You start out life with potential but most of us never fully meet that potential. Still we navigate our way through life enduring the disappointments and savoring the moments of triumphs and joy.
Oscar tasted triumph with Chelsea and has become fabulously wealthy in China. Is he going to reach his full potential as a footballer? That seems unlikely. He is fortunate to have a stable and loving family. When his career is over, he still has half his life to live. Based on the info in this video, it appears he has the tools to make that life a happy one.
I hope Oscar’s few remaining years as a footballer are successful and gratifying for him. I hope his life after football is full of joy and happiness.
Beautiful words
Incredible comment 👏🏻
You mean threatening premeditated injury?
Such a wholesome, wise, beautiful comment. This is hard to come by on TH-cam. Thank you
you just made me depressed, the thought of not reaching my potential is eating me ups now.
I do think it's a shame that he left the Prem but at the end of the day it's a job. I can't imagine going from extreme poverty to incredible riches.
at least he realize early that hes dogshit at top tier continent n will achieve nothing so he just go to farmville city to mine the gold. it is what it is.
@@abcdef-o2ubro, did you watch the video? He has been wanting to come back from China 18 months after getting there, so he didn’t “learn he was dogshit at top tier continent”. He left for money, he could still play in the EPL today, he is 3 years younger than Willian who is a regular starter for Fulham.
In Brazil even in his youth when he had his legal troubles with São Paulo and Internacional and all that. He always had a reputation as an amazing player; back then it was the time when Kaká was at his prime, and everyone thought of Oscar as the future of Brazilian football, he was more regarded and people expected more of him than they expected of Neymar as a matter of fact, one example of that is that in their early years the one who had the Number 10 in the national squad was Oscar. But he also had a reputation of football was a job, if he could do anything else he would do that and not play, he was doing that because he was that good and it would pay well, in the end he wanted to be rich and not the best ; anyway his heart wasn’t in it because of the love in the game. That was his reputation in Brazil even from his time before going pro. But he was so good. Just take a look at the U20 Finals of the 2011 WC Brazil X Portugal. The game that he played.
But he was a winner at Chealsea
@@abcdef-o2uOscar was always tuff you’re trippin
I never disrespected Oscar but this video has made me truly respect him. He is open and honest.
Good for him! Shanghai is amazing. I met my wife there in 2014, I am from Mexico and she is Swedish. It is a fantastic city home of cherished memories of mine. I bet he is very happy
U dont hear that everyday.
Do you miss the pissing and shitting on the streets and the spitting and throwing things on the floor in the restaurants?
As a Brazilian for us doesn’t make much difference, morally speaking, if a Brazilian player leaves to play in Asia or Europe since the motivation will be money. Brazilian league is pretty good, pays well so and is highly disputed unlike European leagues. All players leave for money or the chance to try and win FIFA the best. The one difference is leaving for Middle East countries because in Brazil is seen as morally dubious to play for counties like Saudi Arabia or Qatar. Europe, China or even MLS are seen as fair foreign leagues so we don’t really see much of a big deal.
I mean being a professional athlete is a job. (A privilege to have a job like that but still a job nonetheless)
Not every player cares about legacy. Some just want to get paid and chill/play
Amen to that! Who the blazes cares in 25 years? There will only ever be five to ten players that will reach that "hallowed" status of being considered a historic football-figure, and you could just as well grab the money and forget about trying to be one of those greats, something that is definitely not guaranteed.
Sensible comment some people think he's disgraceful for being in China for so long but honestly it's just people taking this entertainment product too seriously
He was already going to earn millions in Europe and have amazing experiences in the Champions League playing at famous stadiums. Would you rather have a great career and less money, or play mediocre football and earn more. Clearly money means more than any achievements to him.
Oscar put his family first then himself...a move i would do myself...thats called unselfish act
His family could live like nobility on his Chelsea wages.
Women kill dreams😂
@@kth6736 if I was given the choice, I would take it too. It's a huge relief when you are born in a poor family when you are assured of a high salary that sets your family for life(long-term contract)
@@kth6736well now multiple future generations will be able to do the same
@@alexisarteev-salazar9247
Exactly
The Saudi league is basically built to serve only a few big clubs, similar to CSL. In China, only a few true big clubs include Beijing Guoan, Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua. In Saudi Arabia, they are Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad Jeddah and Al-Nassr. Without any of them, they will fold.
It's like saying without the top 6 no one would watch or go to the epl
no, all of them are owned by filthy rich billionares, and have good attendance, ironically the lowest of the few is oscar's club, even though it's the biggest city in China. (Their inter-city rivals are the most popular) It's just that poor management and regulations have sucked the remaining life out of chinese football
@@musaddiqmunirliman8267 yep
Isn't this true of a lot of big European clubs too? Remove the top 4 clubs from the EPL, La Liga etc. and the global audiences (the real money driver) will dry up pretty quickly
@@musaddiqmunirliman8267 Not at all. Saudi teams outside the top four scrape attendences in the hundreds. Some matches in the 8th tier of English football get higher attendences. Football culture in England is far richer, there's a lot less glory supporters and a lot more people who love and support their local teams regardless of success.
The rate at which China dropped football interests and the Chinese owners dropped any interest in club ownership is pretty damning. Basically the equivalent of one if your kids being bored of a Christmas toy by the 29th December
they basically fucked the serie a by doing that
The owner did it for political purposes. And the economy went down so they did not have as much money to burn anymore. Chinese people loves watching football. The owners and footballers were short sighted due to the system simply
Totally agree that Oscar would've gone from strength to strength had he stayed with us. He was basically Mount with 10x the technical skill, quality player who'd still do a job in the PL today even if it was in a deeper role. I'd take him back at Chelsea in a heartbeat.
Mount is a bum compared to him
I still remember that great goal he scored against Juventus.
Honestly I had forgotten that Oscar even existed as a footballer I can remember that he had a spell at Chelsea but that's about it
Lmao a spell he played for like 6 years but tbh he was very inconsistent the last 3 years
How can you forget the guy who scored the only Brazil goal in 7-1 defeat?
@@TanakaSigaukeit was 4 and a half years ..
@@goursaol6463 I bet Oscar would appreciate if we all forget he was there.
@goursaol6463 I remember more his expression when Germany scored one after another
Why is the Saudi Pro League not really being linked to any big name players now, and certainly haven't signed any in this window? Was it just a final push for World Cup hosting rights? So that the players they had signed to tweet about how good it would be, so as to grow support amongst the people, particularly on social media who are the most vocal and easily influenced?
Most of the big teams have used up all of their foreign player spots, apparently it’s supposed to increase next season.
That's true and I did consider it but many of them are for players below the calibre that they want, so it wouldn't have surprised me if they just either forced their players to leave, either through selling them or buying out their contracts.@@kwnana6057
The comment appeared not to have sent, so I just assumed that because many of their international slots are currently taken up by players below their desired calibre of player, that they would at least sell or terminate the contracts of those players this window to sign new ones.@@kwnana6057
As a chelsea fan I remember when people expected the next kaka then randomly left chelsea in his and chelseas club prime
It was random considering Conte changed to 343 & dropped him
10:10 I’m Brazilian. When a Brazilian footballer talks about “supporting their family”, it’s not the “nuclear family”. It’s their entire extended families and friends and probably more people. So yeah, these players are seen as the cash cows of probably a few dozen people for their entire childhood and professional careers. (Edit: I see you covered this very well in the video. I’d say it’s not just a stereotype, it’s the reality of most if not all Brazilian players of at least moderate financial success)
I can respect Oscar for saying the move is about the money. He dressed it up with nice words but that's what he meant. At least he admitted it unlike a lot of other athletes.
Shut up
A video about Iranian football's upcoming collapse please. We have one of the best teams in Asia, our golden generation, and is ranked 21st in the world with huge passion from the population. Yet the Islamic republic mismanaged everything, resulted in our failure to outperform in the World Cup, our inability to win an Asian Cup since 1976 and widespread corruption.
I would like to see more about that
I’d definitely watch that. Iran make the World Cup almost every year but other than that we hear very little about them in the west.
You guys just beat Japan and have made the Asian Cup Semi Finals where you will play Qatar
@@TOTN17 And we lost. Failure again.
Everybody wants the Shah of Iran to return. Same like the Afganistan King. Look at Saudi, they slowly becoming more Western without losing their identity as Islam.
Keep in mind, in poorer countries family doesn't just refer to the nuclear family but the extended family as pooling resources is a necessity to survive so Oscar might be referring to far more ppl than you think when he said he wants to provide for his family
The way he basically says financial security is concerning. If they are able to work a good job, they are out of poverty. The best way rich people do is to set up a education fund for his families, close friends or children. He was paid 150, 000 per week. After taxes, it is around 75, 000 pound. You can basically financially a 3 year university bachelor degree tuition fee per week. He can pay for a sao Paulo's flat in 3 weeks. Let's say they want the best boarding schools in Brazil in order for them to get there. It is also not that expensive. So after 2 years, he should have been able to support their housing and their children's tuition fee if he just follows very strict saving scheme. The education trustfund should be rolling well and good while maintaining itself. This is the best way to get your friend out of poverty statistically.
If he chooses his friend well and send those crazy one to hospital, he should be set for life in 3 years even if he has a gigantic circle of people to support.
Of course there are living costs, but the point is that he should not have been chasing for financial security with this sort of money. It is possible that he is paying for his friend's bill continuously while they are not doing anything. They will just stay poor and he will constantly need to "support them".
Quick disclaimer: most brazilian with japanese heritages don't have a great connection with their family in Japan because the immigration happened mostly in the early 1900s, and a young women like his wife is probably third or fourth generation.
Oscar was already great in Brazil despite playing in a different role (used to play as a winger) and helped Internacional (the club I support) in winning our second libertadores. Cheers
I think people struggle to put footballers' lives and careers in perspective somewhat. Imagine how fucking cool it'd be for anyone to be able to work in a foreign country and immerse yourself in the culture courtesy of a job that is relatively easy given your talents and is paying you enough that you've been able to lift not just yourself but your family and friends our of generational poverty.
You'd snap their fucking hand off and no one would question you for it. "Oh he could have worked at PWC and been one of the best accountants of his generation if only he hadn't wasted himself out there on that higher-paying, easier job while discovering a new country."
He was already going to earn millions in Europe and have amazing experiences in the Champions League playing at famous stadiums. Would you rather have a great career and less money, or play mediocre football and earn more. Clearly money means more than any achievements to him.
Ironically... the sad situation is also going on in Mexico, where the people are so enraged after Mexico's failure in 2022 World Cup and massive corruption there, plus Mexican clubs are accused of favouring foreigners. There are calls for the Mexican federation to disband and to be reformed so they can let players go abroad. They are literally putting little trust on the current Mexican football state.
not to mention how the federation are taking foreigners and naturalizing them to play in the team.
@@XeonIsWeird every federation does that
Heck even the majority of the coaches are South American in Liga MX right now. Then along with removing relegation, the federation is clearly prioritizing profits. Also, saddens me the MX national team plays a majority of their games in a foreign soil.
@@MarcosGarcia-pj3pq exactly.
Or, actually, while they can restrict the number of foreigner players, federations can't legally restrict the number of naturalized players. So, there is a loophole the CLUBS everywhere are eager to exploit.
@@andregroo yeah but there is a massive issue that encouraged naturalisation. Unlike many other nations, most naturalised players in Mexico are from other Spanish-speaking countries. That means linguistic barrier does not exist, hence easier to naturalise. It is difficult to distinguish a Mexican from an Argentine.
You have forgotten veiga that moved at the age of 21
Facts lmao Kroos was pd off
And no one who goes at Oscar today said a word about that, which is why these people are full of crap. 😂
I respect his decision when he moved from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG and spoke honestly about the reason of the moving. Also he proved to be productive there helping his club to be champion of the league twice although his limitation of play during 2019 - 2022 because corona pandemic and unsuccessful loan move to Sao Paolo. I hope he can bring Shanghai Port FC to the AFC Champions League Final this year.
In all of his interviews, oscar sounds so level headed and down to earth, i can do nothing but respect it, especially taking his background and football transfer shenanigans into account
Hey Alfie, Can you make a video about Scarborough Athletic, they went extinct 15 years ago and now they are third in the National league north and are close to reaching the football league once again, they are one of the fastest rising clubs in non league and were once a prominent league 2 club
As a Chelsea fan, I can't help but be proud of Oscar
He made some good choices in life
God bless him
Oscar was the only player, I wished to come back to Europe..
you can do that in fifa
His resemblance to Kaka is uncanny he looks like that he could be a younger brother of his
Have you seen Joao Felix?
@@asahmoses6596yeah the Portuguese young kaka lmao
Any good looking young white Portuguese descent male is automatically the young Kaka. I swear I've heard it so many times
Felix
Oscar
Piazon
Calm down. Kaka is a prince. No one like him.
i know a lot of portuguese guys rarely do they look handsome but when they do they look exactly like Oscar or Kaka@@robertlangdon494
@@robertlangdon494Except Kaka himself,which is considered a discount version of Rai (not as footballer, as "prince").
Hate this money argument. What other job would you be bashed for moving to another company, with a easier workload for a lot more money.
Fair play to any player that does it, I would do the same.
Alfie, I'd love to hear you talk about the history of international B teams. Cheers
that would be pretty boring imo. but to each their own
The streets won't forget Hertha B in the DFB Pokal
Meh
As a foreigner living in asia for 12 years, the part about his life in Shanghai felt almost personal and made me a bit proud of his life choices.
A video about Italian football crisis and their North Korea-like mentality of conservatism please? Italy today has no real football star, their last World Cup was in Brazil, their coaching system is abysmal (with only Carlo Ancelotti the most decent and revered one) and the Serie A has become increasingly filled with outdated tactics. While Spain, Portugal and France have moved forward, Italy is moving backward and I can feel confident that Luciano Spalletti will be sacked as coach of Italy sooner or later and that Italy will have to accept that they need a foreign manager rather than staying North Korean.
It's a massive exageration saying they're at North Korean levels seeing as how they won the last Euro cup, had a team in the champions league, Europa AND conference league last year and this year had 3 out of four teams pass the champions league group stage (Milan got 3rd in a group of death) and had all their teams pass in the Europa league and Conference.
They've been doing comically bad in world cup qualifiers, that's true.
But the idea that France, who has absolutely no relevant teams and PSG is an expensive joke, or Portugal, a four club league with everyone else barely able to afford player wages, "moved forward" compared to Italy, is just wrong.
Thing that gets me about these conversations is that they always revolve around the working class sport of football when the crazy money in golf and tennis etc is not even in the talk. If you look at the richest sports people, the golfers and tennis players are always up there. But where is the same outrage in the press?
No outrage because a lot of people who watch or play those sports are rich or upper middle class
Maybe he also did it moved there to stay out of the spotlight
All of this makes him sound like a well-adjusted professional footballer
I hope that is the case .
Henderson left Liverpool (best team in England) joined the 7th best Saudi side out of passion
Day (lost count +57): The despicable despotic president of Bangladesh Football Federation
Could you please make a video about South Korean football? South Korean football clubs have won the most AFC Champions League titles in total despite not having obscene amount of capital like Saudi or Chinese teams, yet the K League is rarely discussed when talking about Asian football, probably because they cannot afford to make globally recognized marquee signings like J League's Iniesta and Podolski or countless Saudi Arabia-bound stars. When it comes to the national team, Korean FA has been run mostly by incompetent business conglomerate owners ("chaebols") and flawed ex-players in between (leading to the controversial hiring of Jurgen Klinsmann, who is currently making a laughing stock out of the team in the Asian Cup). I'm sure there are a lot to talk about.
If I remember right, he did a decent job with Germany in World Cup 2006.
Heard it was all Flick providing the tactical backbone back then do as to cover his bottoms. But even then one good job doesn’t make you a good manager.
Ultimately, why is Oscar still there?
Because his a fundementally nice bloke, isn't going to kick up a stink to try and force his way out, is being paid as well as he would anywhere else in the world and enjoys his life there.
Alot of people get far to romantic about football at times. His good so he has to love the game and go for the biggest trophies and tralala. Its a job. Especially for those from poor backgrounds, they start playing football because its a way out of poverty, a way to make money. They aren't playing football because they thought, well I could be a lawyer but i really love this football thing and I want to make a crack at it. Its because its the only way they will ever make something of themselves because the education isn't there to be anything else, and even if it was, you don't have the connections to get into those places.
The man is clearly happy. His family are happy. That all that really matters.
Will Alfie ever make a video about Kazakhstan's role in the rise of sportswashing? Its role as the 21st century's first sportswashing state has since been copied by Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Qatar and even Saudi Arabia, yet as they thought their Euro 2024 qualifying was the peak of their upcoming success, Kazakhstani football is now in a downhill, with Premier League is shamble as Kazakh clubs have become feeders to FC Astana that is run by the authoritarian regime using oil from Caspian Sea, youth football is falling, no major Kazakhstani players made impact in UEFA, but its inability to accept its sportswashing failure has cost Kazakhstan's reputation, whereas at the same time, Europe didn't want anything with them since the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced Europe to reconsider business with sportswashing entities, hence why Kazakhstan is pivoting football back to Asia and has broadcasted the Asian Cup 2023, the first time ever Asian Cup was broadcasted in Kazakhstan. It could have some decent successes had Kazakhstan stayed in AFC (which cares nothing about human rights).
Kazakhstan is a Central Asian nation that geographically has little to do with Europe 🌏, it's strange why they chose to go to UEFA, especially when thier neighbours (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan) chose to join the AFC.
@@insertnamehere5809probably because a third of the population is still ethnic russians
Did Kazakhstan ever engage in sportswashing? If they did, they didn't do a very good job, I can't recall a single instance of them doing so.
@@euphoriaggaminghd But, that's true of a few of the old USSR Central Asian republics & they decided to go down the easier AFC route for thier teams b
@@euphoriaggaminghd
And the fact it's a vassal state of Russia and a small part of the country is Geographically part of Europe.
Gabri Veiga was publicly criticised in a similar manner, including Toni Kroos publicly calling him embarrassing
Because Oscar saw in China things that were better for his family and life style :
- Generally more safe , you see how even in UK many players houses are being rob with guns and on daylight or when they are playing a game
- Not just there , in many parts of Europe as well and of course South America.
- Also it has a very good academic education system that is been taught in English and also translators everywhere for him
- In addition to that , his family and him had been there for pretty much almost 10 years , it’s pretty much his home.
- On the “sporting wise” he does not feel the huge stress on competing every single week for instant results , he just plays , gets his money and goes back home. Does not need to deal with angry fans
- Plus , people are saying that “Saudi leagues pays more and this and that” , a lot of players are leaving there cuz the way how they live there clashes a lot from us. China you can still live the way you want and it open doors for a lot of more “international things inside”
- Oh and in China he does not need to worry on someone recognizing him , pretty much everyone in China lives in their own world , its pretty much like USA and Canada
A football news page is saying Carragher was vocal about Oscar China move but quite about Saudi Arabia moves. Carragher was nice about Henderson moving to SAUDI Arabia
He seems like a pretty good guy tbh! His team respects him for his work ethic which is cool to hear. And since his family are settled in Shanghai now, it's probably why he's stayed there so long
This video made me gain so much more respect for Oscar as a man. His professionalism and having his priorities in order are very admirable
Give Oscar credit, he left Chelsea at 25, he's still there, making good money, never complained (take note Henderson) and has stayed.
Can you make a video about Iraqi football? Iraq's shock 2-1 win over Japan in the Asian Cup 2023 surprised everybody and in particular, we Swedes (I am Chechen-Swede) came to realise just how reliant Iraq is on our talents despite our smaller population (10 to 35 mil.). Yet Iraqi football is one of the most corrupt and mismanaged in Asia, despite its population's huge passion, which is absurd when compared to Sweden, what has plagued Iraqi football, and can they ever recover.
1000% ive always wondered this
I forgot that I owned an Iraqi jersey for months until that match happened. It kind of reminded me of when Saudi Arabia beat Argentina in the world cup.
@@fooziartan7869 Now they are eliminated by Jordan. This seems legit.
Bro I’ve heard more about Oscar still in China than about him in the last 8 years. It’s sad to see him basically become a nobody that is only heard through his downfall, considering how much talent he had.😢😢😢
It was some down fall for the mega money he made in China
@@MrThomyorkeytevez made in 2 years more than 100 mio Euro in china and had a great career. So It's both possible. Oscar just a fail
A common trend I see w/ players who’ve been playing from a very young age in academies or that were really good growing up is that they fall out of love w/ the sport.
Somewhere down the line after dealing w/ toxic fanbases & being part of that humiliating 1-7 vs GER in a semifinal in his own country could’ve been it & just go for the money
I doubt he cares.
Hope I can have such a downfall, 450k a week to turn up to work.
I think this story shows how football fans and some old timers can be fickle, jealous and shortsighted. If he wanted to go China to make more money and secure his family's life he did what he had to do and I applaud him. The name of the job is professional footballer so if they paid more and had a project that suited him I'm happy for him. He's still one of the most well paid footballers in the world and I'm sure if he decides to come back to Europe he will find something. Good luck Oscar!
Oscar was KDB before KDB u frgt how Amazing he was
He was good but lets not be silly. KDB is on a total different level to Oscar.
Him being at Shanghai also probably did huge benefits for his body too. Recent professions in the highest European clubs now seem to have to literally torture their own bodies to play at the highest level now, and as entertaining it is to watch it's a depression thought. But him having a good time playing football, being paid well, and not really lying about his move I kinda respect him in hindsight.
this is like the smallest possible nitpick, but it's very unlikely his wife has any family in Japan. Most Japanese Brazilian's ancestors moved in the early 20th century
Alfie, FYI there is no "shanghai" in the chinese super league. There is Shanghai Dongya(East Asia)/SIPG/Port and there is Shanghai Shenhua(lit. Shanghainese Flower). Oscar plays for the former, who were set up by a former head coach of the latter as an academy team. They produced half of the chinese national team in that generation and got bought out. Shanghai Shenhua are far better supported and were established as the city team before china opened up. They have generally been horribly mismanaged.
It was sad to see Shenhua collapse into a heap. They used to be extremely good and now ... just an ordinary club
If a country does not have a developed football culture or at least a long history, with atmosphere among masses of people that love football, there is no amount of money that can buy that.
The problem, however, is China can't abandon their football project. Any sign of giving up will be severely treated as a failure, and Xi Jinping's ambitions meant he can't abandon it. So in the future, he will want it to be kickstarted again, but with a more stable structure. I can't see China giving it up whatsoever, plus FIFA also realises this and is not in the mood to allow China to fail.
I'm an English teacher living and working in Vietnam. However, I've been fortunate enough to teach in a number of different countries. It's not a cool opinion, but quality of life in China - provided you have a bit of money - is pretty great.
The man's paid ridiculous money and is probably treated like a God there.
Going to China will never boost a players career at his peak money aside it simply doesn't pull in the same interest of the traditional big leagues of Europe once you go there your career is bound to fade into relative obscurity
In what other career would anyone say that making more money than almost anyone else is a failure?
(And that's before you allow for the fact that his on field success was not guaranteed)
Oscar had won 48caps a semi WC hardest leauge n 2 biggest club comps by 25. Went for generational wealth he's been honest. N atleast he's been there best player shld obv been in brasil squad longer tho.
Very deep and interesting research.
Being the only superstar left makes him very special, very precious. That loyalty must come with rewards beyond the money. Besides, being in a dictatorship means he is unlikely to worry about whether his family are safe. Having won many cups, he probably has reconciled himself to a comfortable if unchallenging Shanghai environment.
"At least Tevez had a good time in Disneyland" what a way to end the video 😄
Having just watched players rebound back from the Saudi Arabian league, I was curious if there was anyone left in China. Thank you for putting in the research to answer that question for me. He seems happy there, I think he made the best decision for him and his family.
It's funny to see europeans incensed by the choice of going overseas only for the money. Most Brazilians (and i think Argentinians) went to europe also only for the money. If you watch what Bebeto, Romario and other superstars said about their time in Europe you can easily get this.
Actually most Brazilian footballers despised European football right until the 2000's. Only after an incredible marketing campaign we started to watch European football.
Id love to see a video on the meteoric and surprising rise of ipswich town
The Saudi League will follow the Chinese Super League within the next 5 years.
Lets hope so but I fear that that will not be the case. Saudi-Arabia will try to position their league as a top destination until at least the 2034 WC and they have almost unlimited funds to do so.
@@a.e.a. They might have unlimited money but if they don't attract players than it's a failure.Newcastle now might be the richest club in the world but they might need to sell Almiron to be allowed to compete in the premier league.That's why FFP exists even if it has been a failure
The difference between a free society like the UK and Saudi Arabia and China is that people are free to leave if they see better opportunities elsewhere, whether other people like it or not. Good luck to Oscar and the various players who have gone to Saudi - who cares whether HITC Sevens or anyone else approves? It is interesting that this guy seems for some reason to get much more worked up about gay rights in Saudi Arabia than, for example, concentration camps for Muslims in China!
When it comes to religious prosecution and geopolitical conflict Alfie will totally throw ethics out of the window. Fucking hypocrite!
Is Oscar a superstar? He did win the PL though...
He wore Brazil's iconic No.10 shirt BEFORE Neymar so yes, a SUPERSTAR ⭐
at a time brazil were dogshit @@MaZaCar_Xiaoyu
@@MaZaCar_Xiaoyu nah just fraud
@@heisenberg6235 hush.
You said Teixeira almost perfectly 👌
...and butchered pretty much any other name. Have you heard how he said "Luiz Felipe Scolari"?😬
Honestly I would much rather live in China than Saudi Arabia … they actually have nice cities and an actual fans of the sport … plus the nba goes there sometimes
And booze
😂😂😂😂good joke
Ok, you have to admit the part about him and his family living in China and all of them but him speaking Chinese is kinda adorable.
Honest, decent man moves across the world for work, thinking money will be the only thing he gets from it - ends up loving every minute and finding his natural home.
Man watching Oscar play for both Chelsea and Brazil in his youngest years I was around 10-13 years old watching him, I’m now 20, a legend of the game he could’ve been, definitely a Chelsea legend for his accomplishments, all the best to him and hopefully can return to Europe or even Brazil for one last dance. 🙏🏽 I feel a move to the MLS would suit him fairly well
We all hate that he left for the money but only cause we knew how great he was. But from a human perspective, he did what he had to for generational wealth.
Although, maybe even in terms of football it might’ve been the right decision. He too would’ve suffered from the extinction of the “number 10” position. He had immense talent tho, no hate towards him, just disappointment. His goal vs Juve is still crazy till this day !
Oscar is a man who knows what he wants
Just seems like a nice guy thats focused on his family.
actually have so much respect for oscar. hes honest. man won the prem and said fuck it, ima make so much money generations after me will never want again
I loved Oscar when he was playing for Chelsea. Conte never used to like Oscar because before Conte came to Chelsea Oscar was a regular starter as an attacking force with Lampard and Essien and all of a sudden Conte decided to bench him. So as a Chelsea supporter from 1967 until now I supported Oscar when he decided to leave Chelsea but honestly I would have liked him to stay at Chelsea. I'm thankful that his achievements has come through for him that he can look forward to seeing that his family are well taken care of. I salute you my brother
Great video, and I’m happy for Oscar. Hopefully he’ll get his chance back in the Brazil squad.
Very very unlikely he stuck in communist country
I think people were harsher on Oscar because he was seen as a really high potential player in the future ,i am not saying Ruben Neves isnt a good player ,but i dont think people talked about him at Wolves with the same expectations as they did when Oscar was playing in the Premier League .
Great video as always but just wanna point out the dude photo bombing at 27:53 😂
Loved this video!! But still requesting another video focusing on the match fixing scandal in China that landed former national team manager and FA president in prison, and why the Chinese national team is so terrible, failing to score even a single goal in the Asian Cup and getting eliminated in the group stage behind Tajikistan
From your previous video about people swinging between overrated and underrated. Can you do 7 players that swing between both the most
I love any footballer or manager kicking off at another footballer or manager for going after the money.
Well half your wage then if it's for the passion, so passionate fans can actually afford to go to a match or even afford to watch it on TV. 🤷♂️🤣
To kit out my 7 year old son it's over £100, he will grown out of it in 6 months ffs 😂
The last superstar? The disrespect on my man Leo Souza. 😏
As a Shanghaiese football fan I really like this video，especially that you have mentioned Carlos Tevez who was hated by almost everyone in this city
I don't think anyone really likes Tevez
Shanghai is also much nicer that Riad
I find it rich, that people will talk about a player like Oscar going to China for money, when Brazilians ONLY come to Europe because of money!
That's just not true, is it? Yes, they earn more money in Europe, but there are also the best leagues, biggest teams and biggest trophies to win on club level in Europe. So sporting ambitions will inevitably lead you to European football right now, regardless of the money
why do south americans keep spouting out this stupid shit as if most of the world’s biggest clubs weren’t/aren’t already in europe😂
@@philippmeier3363 They say it all the time... if they had the money at home, why would they leave?
@@benniefeitz Don't you read? Because your ambition to play with the best players for the biggest teams to fight for the biggest trophies ... you have to go to Europe.
@@philippmeier3363 I think you didn't read... biggest teams is relative to money. If LaLiga and PL had Liga MX Money, it wouldn't be prime destination!
Football clubs is quite difficult to be financial independent, most Chinese leading football clubs owners are real estates companies, while the owner company got severe deficit due to economics downturn, the club is often sacificared.
it's the yeat 2050, China hasn't won sheit, Zanetti still looks the same.
Fair play to the guy for putting his family first over himself, it’s a short career and so many players go bankrupt after they retire. In 8 years he has set himself up for life
What people don't understand is being in Europe gives you more than just salary, the add money and everything and if you win some big things in your career then a lifelong money and a chance to stay in the game even after your career ended.
I started following Chelsea and Brazil for Oscar. People loved Brazil for Neymar. I loved them for Oscar. He played so beautifully it was a art.
I would love a video about Ricardo Gareca, our new head coach (for my Chilean side). He was so loved in Peru but because he has no experience with Chilean football (which is more competitive), we have no idea how could he reinvigorate our team back on track.
Watching this while he has 10 goals and 15 assists in 18 appearances in the CSL. Just goes to prove how good he is still at 32!