If professional athletes can represent more than one country, let alone multiple clubs, why shouldn’t fans change teams?
Have you ever switched allegiance as a football fan? You are not alone
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/01/switch-allegiance-football-fan
4 Comments
AMoralNihilist@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 26d
Plastic shite.
orionsbelt@midwest.social · 1 pts · 26d
support whoever tf you want & don’t let ANYONE tell you different.
after the sad ass WC recently, rules don’t really matter anymore.
CombatWombat@feddit.online · 0 pts · 26d
This week's letters page was overwhelmingly responses to this column, so I went back and read it. It's mostly fine, though I get why lots of people had strong feelings they wanted to write in about. I follow quite a few teams, and my thoughts are it's fine to change loyalties as long as:
you have some geographical connection to the city the team represents
you don't switch between teams that compete in the same pyramid
With the allowance that you can file a switch anytime before the beginning of a new season following a major life event. For instance, I could become a Summit fan instead of a Reign fan after relocating to the Denver area, or given that the Spokane Velocity ceased operations without warning at the beginning of the season, fans will have until opening day next season to choose a new Super League team.
So I can follow the Sounders, Reign, Salmon Bay and Ballard because there's no way for them to compete against each other in league play. With USL going to pro/rel, I'll have to stop supporting Sacramento Republic, though, because now my Forward Madison will be vying for promotion to USLC, where they would play Sacramento.
dogslayeggs@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 26d
There's a difference between "following" and "allegiance." I watch occasional games and check scores for Spurs and Hoffenheim and hope both win their games and do well in their leagues. That is what I would call following. You cheer for a team and wish them the best, but there won't be tears involved, win or lose.
Allegiance implies a deeper connection. Only one team has that for me, and I don't know how I could have that same feeling for another team at the same time, even from different sports altogether. However, I can see switching allegiances if the team does something I just can't support, like being owned by an oil country or drug smuggling mafia guy. I can't be part of that. Also, when I move to a different country I'll choose whatever the local team is, but I think it might take a long time to develop the kind of passion I have for my team. If I move to a different state here in the US, I will go to games at the local club but I won't be a fan.