Baller League Final Four: Conversations From the Arena
The Baller League final was a chance to talk to players about the first season while the competition was still fresh in their minds. I asked what they had enjoyed, what their teams learned and which opponents had been hardest to face. For some, six-a-side was familiar. For others, it was a new way to compete after years in eleven-a-side football.
The conversations move between football and the wider experience. Players discuss selection, team chemistry and what they would do differently next season. I ask several of them to pick a six-a-side team and make some difficult start, bench and sell choices. I also speak with a German player about travelling to London for the final and the different feel of the UK event.
My own reaction at the end is honest: the arena and online audience showed how large this format could become, while the football side still had room to grow. This video is a record of what the players were thinking at the end of season one.
Watch the interviews and reaction on YouTube.