When Yaya Toure's
agent announced his client was unhappy because the English Premier
League champion's bosses had failed
to give the player a birthday cake,
social media went into meltdown.
The 31-year-old, who
earns a reported $370,000 a week, has been ridiculed after his agent
revealed Toure was upset that nobody at the club made a big deal of his
birthday.
And according to one PR
expert, it's a case of a Premier League player wanting to have his cake
and eat it; a case of professional footballers losing all touch with
reality.
"I think it's a classic way of player trying to take control of club," Phil Hall, whose clients have included City, told CNN.
"He wants to be king of dressing room and fawned over.
"This is where it often goes wrong. It's the same as what happened with Beckham at Manchester United.
"In a few months, he was gone. The same happened with Eric Cantona.
"Jose Mourinho has dealt
similarly with other players. When a player sees himself as bigger than
the club, then it's time to part company."
It's unlikely Toure's behavior would have been tolerated at Manchester United under former manager Alex Ferguson.
The Scot ruled Old Trafford with an iron fist and anyone who dared to challenge his authority was promptly shown the door.
In his autobiography,
Ferguson describes how Beckham, a global brand, had to leave after a
heated exchange following a defeat by Arsenal in 2003.
Beckham suffered a cut
to his head after Ferguson kicked a boot at him following a
dressing-room argument -- a moment which signaled the end of their
relationship.
"The minute a Manchester United player thought he was bigger than the manager he had to go," Ferguson wrote in his book.
"David thought he was
bigger than Alex Ferguson. It doesn't matter whether it's Alex Ferguson
or Pete the Plumber. The authority is what counts."
While Beckham's brand
was scarcely tarnished, Toure -- who signed a new four-year contract
with City just 11 months ago -- could find himself in a far more
problematic situation.
His agent Dimitri Seluk
said the midfielder could leave City if he is not showed enough
"respect" -- and the Ivory Coast star tweeted that he would make an
announcement after the upcoming World Cup in Brazil.
"Man City is not respecting the player -- how can he be motivated to play for that team?" Seluk told Sky Sports News.
"If they don't want Toure then he can leave at any moment. Many clubs would be interested in him."
According to Hall, the player's latest outburst is a sign that "the tail is trying to wag the dog."
"It's going to be very difficult for Yaya at Manchester City now," added Hall.
"When you do something like this then people start using it against you in different circumstances.
"Next time, when he
fails to play because he's got a minor injury, people will start to
doubt his commitment again and say, 'Oh, that's Yaya.'
"If he did have a problem then he should have dealt with it quietly. He now looks a bit sad."
Toure is not the first player to find himself embarrassed by his alleged excessive demands.
Hall cites an example of one player who, having lost money on his property empire, demanded his club pay up the shortfall.
Another, who had accrued
large gambling debts, urged his club to pay off his creditors because
it was having a negative impact on his performances.
It's that type of high maintenance which has helped give footballers a bad name, according to Hall.
"Players need to understand that they are major brands," he added.
"I can't believe they
don't employ specialist employers and just rely on their agent or
friend. They need to understand they're working in the corporate world
and not in Sunday League.
"Effectively, Toure has
devalued himself already. Potential suitors will think they can acquire
him on the cheap and it may do damage to his signing-on fee."
No cake -- but plenty of food for thought.
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