In Part 1 of this chapter, I talked about why fans bully players. In Part 2 I talked about the result of such bullying and depression. Today, I will talk about how those actions are wrong from the root.

Football players suffer the same problems we all have outside of money. Bad relationships, death, lack of adjustment, emotional pain, and many more problems that money can't fix. It seems that everyone is willing to overlook all of that just to insult players on the pitch, T.V, and on social media.

The funny part is that much of this is the result of a mix of unjustified expectations and crowds' hypocrisy, but that part will be covered in the next and final part of this chapter. In this part, I will talk about the justifications people use for that behavior.

"Do You Expect A Perfect World?"

Never mind the fact that there's nothing wrong with asking people to behave optimally, I am not naive to expect everyone to do that. But can't we just admit that it is wrong to bully players on the pitch as they try to do their job or even on social media as they write anything relating to their life?

"Welcome To The Real World"

This sentence can be both an invitation to be realistic, but it can also be used as a justification to make the real world even worse. Is the fact that something is a part of "The real world" a justification not to change it? Why is it that we have to just accept that?

Now, there are no limits for fans. They could mock the appearances, color, sexual orientation, and other non-football-related aspects. It has become a sign of loving your club to mock and demean players of opposite teams or even their own team player.

I am aware that there are degrees and a spectrum between joking about a player and attempting to smash their car as they leave the stadium. But the extreme cases are happening more and more lately. At first, it started with faceless people on Twitter and social media. Then those people started targeting the players' social media. And now, it's on T.V with ex-players mocking players every day.

Bad things happen everywhere indeed, but to take that as an excuse to do similar things is simply evil. Should we just keep doing horrible things until they become a normal part of "The real world"?

"It's Part Of The Job"

Who said that? Who put that rule? The crowds? The media? Is that a law? Does having an opinion include allowing me to mentally abuse anyone into a depression like the 22% of PFA players? Is insulting, demeaning, and mocking players and often their family members even considered an opinion?

Can't players just do the same and hand their accounts to people who could pick the abusers and make an example out of them on social media? Or even reporting them to the police?

Should players just endure this abuse and torment because football is "The people's game" therefore they should just shut the hell up?

"Oh it's the people's game, therefore, it's okay to insult you all over social media, television, or even when you're going out with your family"

These Groups Of People Are Simply Bad

It comes down to two things upon which these abusers depend.

• They feel they are plenty, therefore, they have fake bravery that wouldn't exist in those people individually.

• They do that because the players won't look at them, notice, or even hear about them.

In Conclusion

The immunity of these abuses exists only on one side; the abusers. When Xhaka was abused by Arsenal supporters for months, he had his captain armband removed, and was forced into anger management when he reacted. Apparently, it's okay to have thousands insulting you while doing your job, but if you react, you have anger issues.

So, these players should just shut up, play, and never react as they get abused by thousands on the pitch and hundreds of thousands online because they're making money, right?

After all, that's "reality", "the world isn't perfect", and that's what's "normal" for people who committed the unspeakable sin of pursuing their dream of playing football.

The End

In the next and final part, I will be talking about the hypocrisy of football fans. Stay tuned.