What is the point of an england team?

[little_o]

What is the point of an England team? (or any other national team) How many of you are bothered if any of our players play for England or an equivalent national team…does international football have any real meaning in the modern commercial run game? As far as I see, it just means some of our players could be resting instead of being involved in some meaningless friendly or worse could pick up a long-term injury which dents our chances! ( what about all the fuss when some of ours and other teams players are asked to compete in a competition like the African nations?…double standards?)

[Mark2011]

Umm... national pride, the oppurtunity for players to represent their country?  International football should have a place in modern football but it needs to be reassessed.  The money which brought the Premiership into existent, and built the Champions League up to what it is now seems to be the main problem.  The financial reward for clubs winning, or the losses by failing is too much.