Rio Ferdinand's Tipping Point

Racist harassment on the pitch by so-called fans, games abandoned because of homophobic insults from players on the other side of the pitch and many years of depression because the dream of a professional career has come to an end: the scenes you see in ‘Rio Ferdinand's Tipping Point’ are by no means pleasant. But unfortunately, they are the bitter and ugly reality of professional football.

In the new three-part documentary, which aired on Amazon Prime on November 11, Ferdinand deals with three social challenges that are a recurring topic in professional football: racism, sexuality, and mental health. Some of these are topics Ferdinand has first-hand experience of and others are completely new to him.  

A ‘tipping point’ is ‘the time at which a change or an effect cannot be stopped.’ In professional sport, such tipping points are frequent, on and off the pitch. And it is scenes like these that are the focus of the documentary and show that there is still a lot to be worked on in professional sport.

It is scenes like these that Rio Ferdinand can also recount. He, too, has been the target of racist hostility and talks about it in his documentary with victims like Adebayo Akinfenwa. Akinfenwa details how he has received an astounding amount of hate and racial abuse on social media and complains about the lack of power in the face of racist messages and comments. Often the insults remain without consequences, and the offenders are not prosecuted and punished. A major responsibility also lies with the platforms, who many argue, undertake far too little action against hate speech and put profit before people.

Those responsible at the English FA and UEFA, with whom Rio also speaks to in the documentary-series, feel powerless: ‘Sadly, we don't have the power for everything.’ By contrast, if you look to America, black athletes are defended by their sporting associations, Rio laments. Associations, such as the NBA, set the example by, for instance, cancelling the play-offs two years ago.

Showing weakness or fear is frowned upon in football. Rio has long believed this to be the case, and says he thought it was a weakness to confide in a therapist. Throughout the course of the documentary, he is proven wrong and learns about the challenges faced by aspiring, active and former football players. After all, 80% of footballers suffer from anxiety after being dismissed from the football academy. Many cannot withstand the pressure of the public, family, and each other – even 25 years after leaving the academy.

Rio finds that mental health problems are not addressed openly enough in football: ‘The culture is not to talk. The culture in the dressing room is that we are all a team, all hard. Every emotional weakness, get out.’

Affected players are therefore calling for an obligation for football clubs to take a broader approach at mental health and to take precautions.

‘Rio Ferdinand's Tipping Point’ is a journey to the dark side of football. Not enough is happening to stamp out racism, to accept the open expression of one's sexuality and to be able to turn to someone with mental health problems. But the documentary also gives courage and shows that things are already moving in the right direction. For Rio Ferdinand, it was an educational and exciting journey. He is aware that a lot still needs to happen.