The main thrust of Aloé's argument is that the professionalization of fútbol, which placed emphasis on finances and winning, stripped the sport of what made it special: communal associations, love for the sport, amateurism.
The writers have bemoaned the lack of quality among amateur players of the third divisions, and the players strike has shown that low skills have led to an ugly series of games where players are prone to foul. Likewise, fans are unruly at soccer…
An image from a club match between Alumni and Racing that took place on June 25, 1911, and won by Racing by a score of 3-1. [Image in the public domain]
Images of Alumni Athletic Club in 1902 (heyday) and 1910 (towards the end of their dominance). [View image 1 and image 2 accessible at Wikimedia Commons]
Alumni Athletic Club (white shorts) and Porteño (dark shorts) compete for the during the league championship in 1911 at Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Buenos Aires. Alumni won 2-1 and secured the league title once again (10 titles in 12 years). [Image in…
The author qualifies the growing professionalism in fútbol as a mistake. He believes that clubs who are willing to pay "gajes" (stipends or payments for hired labor) are ruining the amateur spirit of the sport.