Auckland City play football, not bake

Auckland City deserve respect at the FIFA Club World Cup.

At the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, a competition that should have been an occasion for the football world to come together and celebrate diversity, it became an excuse for a section of the media and public to express their biased views. In particular, Auckland City - the champions of Oceania - became the subject of unnecessary sarcasm: they part-time work as office workers, bakers, or are not good enough to compete with the "big guys" of Europe.

But let's put our prejudices aside and see them for what they are. These are professional players, second to none in terms of training spirit, dedication and tactical knowledge.

Wonder why no one is curious about the Borussia Dortmund defender's off-field work or the Benfica goalkeeper's hobbies, but pry into the Auckland player's side hustle? Just because they don't have a hot tub, hyperbaric oxygen chamber or Michelin-starred chef?

The difference in facilities does not indicate the level of will or professionalism. No one can win four consecutive seasons in the OFC Champions League if they are just “amateurs playing football for fun”.

The truth is that in a less financially and prestigious environment, Auckland players can be more professional than many European stars. An Auckland midfielder works 8 hours in the office but still meticulously calculates the amount of protein and carbs in each meal, monitors the quality of sleep through a biological clock, reads tactical news, and analyzes opponents before the match. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of famous European players who spend their evenings playing Fortnite until 4am and "burning" food delivery apps.

Auckland City have lost two consecutive matches at the FIFA Club World Cup.

We often use reputation as the sole measure of quality, but reputation does not always equate to work ethic. Non-UEFA teams are often underrated – not because they are bad, but because they are not viewed in the same light. Auckland are not a team that can compete with Man City or Real Madrid, but they do not need to be to be taken seriously.

People forget that dominating even a small regional league requires organisation, tenacity and desire. Playing in harsher environments - not just in terms of weather or pitches - but also in terms of disrespect from the spectators.

But that's also what's most admirable about Auckland. They're not here to whine. This team is here to play, to fight, and to prove that football isn't just about expensive stadiums and million-dollar contracts.

Just imagine: do you have a friend who used to play in the local Third or Fourth Division? A youngster who has just been promoted to the Auckland first team would be able to “dance” ahead of him, and would score five goals a game if he played in a local league. These so-called “amateurs” are in fact on a completely different level to any amateur footballer you know.

In football, not everyone is destined to be a superstar. But professionalism, drive and passion are not measured by transfer value. Auckland doesn’t need supercars or million-dollar dressing rooms to take football seriously. And they don’t need bakers to win the Oceania Cup four years in a row.

So it’s time to stop looking down and being prejudiced. Don’t judge a player by where he comes from or what he doesn’t have. Look at how he plays, trains and performs. Auckland City are not bakers. They are footballers. And they deserve respect.

Source: https://znews.vn/auckland-city-da-bong-khong-lam-banh-post1562765.html