VAR’s killing football.Big wages are killing football.Ticket prices are killing football.Over-exposure is killing football.Saudi princes are killing football. It may well be that if and when soccer’s death certificate comes to be signed, all of these things will be included in the cause of death section as contributory factors. But true fans of what used to be known as ‘the Beautiful Game’ know that football is being kept alive on a ventilator because the soul went out of it a long time ago. And football didn’t lose its life’s breath in a single traumatic event, it died a death by a thousand cuts, some of them deeper than others, but all of them drawing blood.Here's the non-exhaustive list of the things that killed the game. If you’ve got others to add, then go ahead and knock yourself out… 1. The Long GoodbyeIt used to be that when players were substituted they slapped hands with the guy taking their place, sat down and had a drink. If we were lucky, they’d have kicked an innocent water bottle or mouthed an obscenity at the coach. But now they high-five not only their replacement and their coach, they high-five every single player and every member of the backroom staff in the dug-out. At times they’ll leave the dug-out when they’ve finished and start high-fiving the gallery of injured and underage players in the row of seats behind the dug-out. Just sit down, ffs. You’re doing a lap of honour because you’ve just been subbed. Think about it.
