Harry Kewell has signed a three-year deal with Turkish club Galatasaray.
Kewell was a free agent after refusing to accept a new contract at lower terms from Liverpool. Benitez was apparently worried about Kewell’s continuing injury problems.
Real Leeds fans know the history between Galatasaray and the murders of two Leeds United fans and the rest of the football “community” in England couldn’t care less as evidenced by the “Istanbul songs” sung at away grounds.
Harry Kewell’s move will be seen differently by both groups - with disbelief and anger by one and with “he’s a professional footballer and entitled to go to Galatasaray who are in the Champions League” by the other.
In the end who has the right to judge the actions of a professional footballer in choosing his next contract?
Do fans have the right of expectations of loyalty to past affiliations from professional players? (Kenny Miller has gone successfully gone from Rangers to Celtic and back to Rangers this summer in a rivalry far more deeply felt than that of Leeds and Galatasaray)
Are we blaming Kewell for the fact that Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight and their families have been denied proper justice by Turkish law?
Are the reactions of Leeds fans exacerbated by the means and manner of his departure to Liverpool five years ago and the feeling that the lost ten million pounds on his transfer accelerated the decline of a club in financial crisis? Would we react differently if it was Jonathan Woodgate, Dom Matteo or James Milner who was going to Galatasaray?
Is it our own fault for putting so much love and faith in mere flawed human beings just because they wear a shirt of a particular colour, even though we know they are being paid to do so?
When they leave us for a bigger pay packet (or because they supported the other team as a kid) are we right to be indignant, upset even violent in our reactions? Did we not see it coming? We read daily of the parties, the bling, the Bentleys, the drugs, the internal use of mobile phones, the tappings up, the “roasting” of girls - and then we get outraged when these very same people do not conform to what the rest of us see as the moral or “decent way” to act and show loyalty to a club and its fans.
They didn’t ask for the adoration of its fans - it often just comes with the territory - so is it their fault if they don’t match up to that love from the fans and their ideals?
This summer thousands of fans are being disappointed when players make seemingly incomprehensible decisions to walk away from clubs - this year even Manchester Utd fans are sweating over Ronaldo’s future! Twenty million fans worldwide, playing in front of 75,000 every other week, £120,000 per week pay packet, Premier League Champion, Champions League winner, 42 goals scored, a home to die for, beautiful cars and women - and yet it seems Ronaldo still sees something that Real Madrid can offer him that will make him turn his back on all that and the Man Utd fans that love him dearly!
So is Ronaldo’s behaviour to be judged as in the wrong, or are the Man Utd fans expectations in he wrong or is neither at fault?
Ultimately, Harry Kewell used his own moral compass to tell him this move was not only right for his career but acceptable to his conscience, and it is his right to do so.
The fans observing this move will instinctively use their own values to decide its rights and wrongs but whether we have the moral authority to judge a player is another question entirely.
