Mbappé’s smile and Diallo’s joy and Atalanta’s pain and Sterling’s despair have all been real, and it has all been real because, deep down, the players and the coaches we adore are not doing it for us. They are doing it for themselves. They are doing it for pride and for status and for ambition and, sometimes — though not as often as people say — for money. It has been striking to see how many players have celebrated goals in empty stadiums as if the stands were full to bursting. Soccer means something to the players whether fans are there or not.

Source: New York Times August 21, 2020 16:07 UTC