Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s former chief—held under the spotlight until 2015—has unleashed his disapproval of recent proposals that threaten to alienate the “people’s game.” In a world where soccer should unite fans, this shift reeks of corporate greed and elitism, pushing the sport further away from the grassroots that built it. If you think mainstream media—especially outlets like CNN and NBC—will call this what it is, you’re sadly mistaken. They’re too busy polishing their corporate narratives and pushing agendas that only a few at the top benefit from.

Blatter’s stance should serve as a wake-up call. Rather than championing fan engagement, corporate giants are busy drafting plans to commercialize soccer to the hilt. The narrative churned out by ESPN and other establishment platforms is one of growth and progress, but whose growth are we talking about? Certainly not the average fan shelling out for overpriced tickets and jersey prices that have skyrocketed thanks to this commercialization.

The media, with their faux outrage over “fan disenfranchisement,” love to dish it out but never follow up with real solutions. They focus on the drama without dissecting the business strategies that trivialize true fan experiences. Rather than questioning the billion-dollar contracts that sell out the spirit of the game, they distract us with the latest controversies, keeping the public engaged but uninformed.

If we don’t push back, that “people’s game” will soon resemble nothing more than a corporate circus, and the media will have played their part beautifully. We need to reclaim soccer from the clutches of those who only see dollar signs instead of loyal fans.