Thinkwell Books, UK: Rich Sentences, Radiant Works

English former superstar Wayne Rooney, who spent a few years in the U.S. both as a player and a coach, warned the increasing Americanization of soccer 😳 He also rang alarm bells about ridiculous ticket prices. "The price they pay in the United States, I had a box at Old Trafford when I was a player and a box at Audi Field which was DC United’s stadium, and it cost me more for the one at DC United than for the box there,” Rooney said via The Overlap Fan Debate. "I was thinking ‘What is going on here?’ The prices of tickets over there, whether that is for NFL or basketball, is a lot higher so culturally that’s what it is like there.” “Whereas in England, I was playing during Covid, and if anything showed why football clubs need the fans, it was then.” “There was panic as they didn’t know what to do, and then they started to put the fake fan noise [in the stadiums], which was stupid.” "Being a fan growing up and football being my life as a child and remembering me being a passionate fan going to the games, compared to where it is now, it's crazy.” "I do think football is getting Americanized. I've heard they will stretch out the half times at the World Cup to have shows on, which is crazy!” “With football, you have to remember, this was a game normal working class people could do anywhere. You could go and watch it, you could go and play it. Now it's getting further and further away [from that] and fans are getting fed up - they will stop going." Does Rooney have a point?