Given the seriousness and magnitude of Brexit, it’s no surprise that several English Premier League players and managers have weighed in on the development since it shockingly transpired in late June of 2016. Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger said Great Britain’s surprise vote to leave the European Union will hurt the Premier League.
Gunners goalkeeper Petr Cech gave a very strong take on the issues that have arisen from this socioeconomically Earth-shattering event.
Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp later admitted that when he first heard about the Brexit vote, he was so surprised that he initially believed “England is now out” meant the national football team got eliminated from the European Championships.
Finally, the agent of Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen exploited Brexit to try and create transfer fears. Brexit came up as a discussion topic again as Wenger gave a very serious and emotional speech to Arsenal shareholders at the club’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday.
The “Wenger Out” pitchforks were in full force at the AGM, leading Wenger to draw comparisons between those who want his sacking and those who voted “leave” on the Brexit referendum.
“In the modern game, we lose a little bit the perspective of what is important and what is less important,” said Wenger.
“It’s always here and now. And the now is permanent, the judgement is permanent and forever, but society as well. You have the same example with Brexit.
“It’s just here and now, but where do we go from there?”
“Nobody really knows. Maybe it’s good, maybe it’s bad. I don’t know. But nobody has explained what will happen in the future if we do that. … The weight of the present has become predominant to the weight of the past and the future. And no matter if it’s a football club [or society], you need to get that balance right.”
The Frenchman was then asked if the #WengerOut” crowd could come to one day regret their stance much like some “leave” voters have buyer’s remorse over the Brexit vote, Wenger responded:
“I don’t know. You may have to make a poll for that.”
The Brexit vote ended up going 52%-48% in favor of the leaving the EU, so thus it was very tightly contested. Similarly, not everyone in the Gunners fan base wants Wenger gone, but many Gooners do, and they are certainly the most passionate and loudest subset of the base right now.
Wenger will be gone eventually, and it won’t be that far down the line, whether it’s on his own terms or he’s forced out. To compare life at the club after him to the regret pro Brexit people have now though just seems a bit melodramatic and over-exaggerated right now.
It’s tone deaf to say the least.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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