Caste-like tendencies seem to be developing with regard to wide positions, particularly wingers. There appears to be bit a of dearth of white players in wide positions across several nationalities.
In England, although this country produced the superstar Gareth Bale, winger positions appear to be dominated by black players today: Wilfried Zaha in Crystal Palace, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood in Man United, Raheem Sterling in Man City, Jadon Sancho, Demarai Gray in Leicester, Nathan Redmond in Southampton as well as younger players on the fringes like Callum Hudson-Odoi in Chelsea. The only English players I see deployed as wingers today are Todd Cantwell in Norwich, Daniel James in Manchester United, and Harvey Barnes, all of whom are only 22 years old. Jack Grealish has been deployed often as a winger, though he's more of a hybrid #10/winger. Other young English attacking talents deployed in more in central positions rather than as wingers are Mason Mount, James Ward-Prowse, Phil Foden and James Maddison. I think that perhaps the only black player from England deployed in a more central attacking role is Dele Alli in Tottenham. Overall, there is a clear preference for black players in wide attacking roles and white players in central attacking positions.
In France, which produced the superstar Franck Ribery, the only noteworthy French player who plays out wide today is Florian Thauvin with Marseille, and he has made several appearances for the French national team. Antoine Griezmann started his career as a winger, but after moving to Atletico Madrid, he was deployed in a more central role. Black players appear to have a monopoly in this position in France: Kingsley Coman in Bayern, Ousmane Dembele in Barcelona, Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar in Atletico Madrid. And also small-time players such as Saint-Maximin in Newcastle, Ikone in Lille, and Moussa Diaby in Leverkusen. There are some Ligue 1 players who play out wide that are French, such as Martin Terrier in Rennes and Remi Oudin in Bordeaux, but at this point they're not on the radar of bigger clubs.
In Holland, with Arjen Robben going down as one of the best Dutch players in history, the winger position appears to be dominated by blacks: Steven Bergwjin in Tottenham, Memphis Depay, journeymen Quincy Promes and Ryan Babel, Calvin Stengs in PSV. The only noteworthy Dutch player playing out wide today is Steven Berghuis, who has made 16 appearances for his country to date.
These tendencies are even developing in Germany, too: the blacks Serge Gnabry is becoming the face of German soccer and so is Leroy Sane. The brightest ethnically German attacking prospects are deployed in central attacking roles: Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and Julian Brandt.
Even Spain to some extent has hopped on this trend. Spain's latest national team selection includes two outright black Africans named Ansu Fati and Adama Traore, both of whom are wingers. Spain still has some native Spanish wingers such as Ferran Torres, Oyarzabal, Asensio, Suso, Sarabia and Deuolofeu, though they have yet to reach superstar status. In particular, Asensio plays on a Real Madrid squad in which he competes with two Brazilian black teen wingers Rodrygo and Vinicius for playing time.
In England, although this country produced the superstar Gareth Bale, winger positions appear to be dominated by black players today: Wilfried Zaha in Crystal Palace, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood in Man United, Raheem Sterling in Man City, Jadon Sancho, Demarai Gray in Leicester, Nathan Redmond in Southampton as well as younger players on the fringes like Callum Hudson-Odoi in Chelsea. The only English players I see deployed as wingers today are Todd Cantwell in Norwich, Daniel James in Manchester United, and Harvey Barnes, all of whom are only 22 years old. Jack Grealish has been deployed often as a winger, though he's more of a hybrid #10/winger. Other young English attacking talents deployed in more in central positions rather than as wingers are Mason Mount, James Ward-Prowse, Phil Foden and James Maddison. I think that perhaps the only black player from England deployed in a more central attacking role is Dele Alli in Tottenham. Overall, there is a clear preference for black players in wide attacking roles and white players in central attacking positions.
In France, which produced the superstar Franck Ribery, the only noteworthy French player who plays out wide today is Florian Thauvin with Marseille, and he has made several appearances for the French national team. Antoine Griezmann started his career as a winger, but after moving to Atletico Madrid, he was deployed in a more central role. Black players appear to have a monopoly in this position in France: Kingsley Coman in Bayern, Ousmane Dembele in Barcelona, Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar in Atletico Madrid. And also small-time players such as Saint-Maximin in Newcastle, Ikone in Lille, and Moussa Diaby in Leverkusen. There are some Ligue 1 players who play out wide that are French, such as Martin Terrier in Rennes and Remi Oudin in Bordeaux, but at this point they're not on the radar of bigger clubs.
In Holland, with Arjen Robben going down as one of the best Dutch players in history, the winger position appears to be dominated by blacks: Steven Bergwjin in Tottenham, Memphis Depay, journeymen Quincy Promes and Ryan Babel, Calvin Stengs in PSV. The only noteworthy Dutch player playing out wide today is Steven Berghuis, who has made 16 appearances for his country to date.
These tendencies are even developing in Germany, too: the blacks Serge Gnabry is becoming the face of German soccer and so is Leroy Sane. The brightest ethnically German attacking prospects are deployed in central attacking roles: Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, and Julian Brandt.
Even Spain to some extent has hopped on this trend. Spain's latest national team selection includes two outright black Africans named Ansu Fati and Adama Traore, both of whom are wingers. Spain still has some native Spanish wingers such as Ferran Torres, Oyarzabal, Asensio, Suso, Sarabia and Deuolofeu, though they have yet to reach superstar status. In particular, Asensio plays on a Real Madrid squad in which he competes with two Brazilian black teen wingers Rodrygo and Vinicius for playing time.
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