The Age Limit Policy OF Some European Football Clubs; Viable To A Certain Effect?

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Most football league club in Europe have a policy of not giving player who are above 30 years a footballing contract however this policy is often truncated when a particular said player is somehow invaluable to the said team, sometimes it could be a case of sentiments based on the fact that a particular player who is above 30 years may have served the club selflessly and attained a particular status of let's say captaincy or influence in the dressing room. However this gesture is not often extended to players who do not have influence on the team or who has not been extra ordinary and a certain particular club who holds this policy is Chelsea Football Club. A vivid look at Chelsea since Roman Abramovich took over saw them extend contracts to players like Frank Lampard and John Terry who played till they were 34 and 35 respectively but surely the good gesture stopped at this particular age which means that the club is very keen on this particular policy depite the fact that they were one the club's greatest, however a certain question arises should there be a policy of age limit even to the greatest of players in a football club?

Truth is the age limit policy has an advantage and one of the advantage to this is that it gives a certain football manager the chance to utilise younger player who can still blend into any sort of rigorous process of managing but needless to say a certain player might be performing at a maximum level but having it in mind that once they're 30 there will be this dark cloud over them to pack up and start leaving, it might reflect in the character of the board expecially in cases like renewal of contract or increase in pay. This often brings up a case of compromise in a player and in the quest of looking for a football club through their agents they may not even share the football club's goal anymore especially if they know that their influence on the team might not even affect the overall performance.

Willian Borges 31, Pedro Rodriguez 30 are examples of players who has exceeded the age 30 limit in Chelsea football club, and when you critically analyse the situation of Willian in Chelsea you will see that he is still on the team not based on merit but based on the fact that he was once a committed player who gave his all to the club, but taking a look at his mentality and reaction everytime he's on the pitch you will see that he might not even be in to play for the club anymore, he now feels unloved by the fans of the club and currently not in the futuristic plan of the current manager, so having known that the current policy will catch up to him soon, he might feel there is no need to even give his best anymore and who knows this might have even been the case with David Luiz Who unceremoniously left Chelsea FC without even an altruistic reason.

So generally the age limit policy might be good for a football club in the long run but wouldn't even favour their goals in the short run, however I basically feel a football club is first a business venture before any other thing and hence the reason for this policy because it might help a club limit their aggregate spending and thus attain a certain kind of marginal utility for every wage they pay out to a player so what do I think? In my opinion, I think the policy of age limit shouldn't be scrapped but should be a little bit improvised in favouritism of players who can give their hundred percent till they're 35. Take a look at players like Francesco Totti of Roma who was still playing great football till he was 38. For exceptional players like this they might even be allowed to play till when they feel it is time for them to hang their boot, for example Messi might play at Barcelona till he's 37 or 38 (mind you Barcelona doesn't have this policy) at the end of the day, the players needs to feel that their efficiency determines the time the play up to and because football is a business these days before a game, football clubs must be willing to give all and when a club notices this, then the policy might be scrapped for such a player.