Bayern's 10-0 win is a slap in the face to the romance of football

FIFA once called the Club World Cup “the pinnacle of football” with the participation of 32 of the world’s best teams. But Bayern Munich’s 10-0 thrashing of Auckland City showed an alarming gap – not only in class, but also in the philosophy of the tournament.

Bayern Munich had a resounding victory in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Perhaps never before has a FIFA slogan been more ironic than it was that afternoon in Cincinnati. “The Best vs The Best” – the grandiose promise of a tournament where the best teams on the planet would face off – was crushed under the boot of Bayern Munich. They were not facing the “best team” in Oceania, but simply crushing a group of semi-professionals, ordinary people who had to take time off – sometimes without pay – to pursue their football dreams.

The naked reality behind the glossy slogans

FIFA had hoped that the expanded Club World Cup - 32 teams, organized like a real World Cup - would be a boost to bring football to every corner of the world . But the Bayern - Auckland match proved the opposite: the gap between the "giants" and the "dreamers" is too far to be filled with belief or slogans.

The game was more of a joke than a battle. Bayern Munich – with a squad worth more than $1 billion , including Harry Kane, Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich – played Auckland City in a friendly behind closed doors. The New Zealand team, led by factory workers, engineers, teachers and barbers, defended desperately. Goalkeeper Conor Tracey – a warehouse supervisor by day – took 31 shots and conceded 10 goals.

Jamal Musiala, who came on in the 61st minute, scored a hat-trick after just 23 minutes. Thomas Müller scored his 250th goal for Bayern. The commentators could only sigh and hope… the score would stay in the single digits. But even that wish did not come true.

Auckland City are no unknowns. They are the dominant force in Oceania, having won the regional Champions League 13 times. But that is a rugby-dominated region, where professional clubs like Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC play in the Australian Championship – and are therefore excluded from the continental cup. Auckland City, as the strongest remaining representative, are virtually guaranteed a place.

In New Zealand, they are the big boys. They control the game, they dominate the pitch and they win consistently. But in the world, the name “Navy Blues” becomes as fragile as a soap bubble. They represent a very “human” side of football – where passion is still raw, where players have to buy their own plane tickets, and carry their dreams on the playground of millionaires and superstars.

Haris Zeb, the team's delivery player, once told FIFA: "Today I woke up early to deliver goods, the dogs were barking. Next month I play Bayern Munich. I live two lives at the same time." Such a beautiful, inspiring quote. But on the pitch, it was not enough to stand up to a machine trained to every detail like Bayern Munich.

Auckland City cannot compare with Bayern Munich in every aspect.

The problem is not Auckland City. They have done nothing wrong. They are only in the Club World Cup because they are the only qualified representative from Oceania – and FIFA needs to ensure that it is geographically “global”. But that in itself exposes the unrealistic expectations of FIFA: football nations with decades of development differences cannot be lumped together with just a few places and a tournament format similar to the World Cup.

The current system allows for some romantic moments – but also matches that turn into nightmares. 10-0 is not a victory, but the end of the belief that “all continents are equal on the pitch”.

Warning to FIFA and organizers

When Michael Olise was asked if he felt “sorry” for Auckland, he simply smiled and said “No.” No malice, no contempt – just the simple truth: top professionals cannot afford to play lightly in a competitive tournament.

FIFA certainly understands that. But they also understand that if they continue to host matches like this, they could destroy the very brand they are trying to build: a top-notch, attractive and worth-watching playground.

From a television perspective, the Bayern-Auckland match was a nightmare: one side unstoppable, the other unable to defend, and neutral spectators left to wait for the final whistle.

Bayern Munich promises more matches with big scores.

FIFA once said that the Club World Cup would be a way for football to reach further, to cross borders, to reach every corner of the world. But global football is not just about bringing a team from Oceania to the United States and letting them get beaten up in front of millions of viewers around the world. Globalization should not be a showcase of inequality. It should be a process of nurturing, supporting and elevating.

Auckland City are a beautiful symbol of the spirit of football – passion, sacrifice and dream. But what happened in Cincinnati is also a stark warning that if FIFA does not adjust the expectations and format of the Club World Cup, it could turn a festival of football into a series of disproportionate comedy skits.

And so, “The Best vs The Best” - instead of affirming class - will become an empty slogan in an unfair tournament.

Source: https://znews.vn/bayern-thang-october-0-la-cai-tat-vao-su-lang-man-cua-bong-da-post1561173.html