The is the old rendition about how traditional values in football have dissipated in recent years. But this notion stems from frothy misplaced nostalgia and fragmented memories.
Ever since football was shaped into a recognisable sport, footballers have played in exchange for money, not unwavering loyalty for the club they play for.
There are exceptions, such as John Terry undertaking a role at a Championship side as to not play against his beloved Chelsea, but this kind of loyalty is highly rare.
Football is professional work for players and those paying the highest are usually where players will want to play.
Of course, we can't blame them for the transfer moves. They have earned their place in the sport and can choose for who they want to play for and have every right to play with the club offering the best pay-packet.
But there's still something unsavoury about players jumping ship when relegation is around the corner - something that's a regularity.
It's this whatmakes Jonas Hector decision to extend his contract at pretty-much-relegated FC Koln even more remarkable. Hector is not only a vital cog in the Koln wheel, he is Germany's first choice left-back, valued at £16.20 million by TranferMarkt.
The 27-year-old was subject to heavy transfer speculation, but his club put all that bed when they posted on social media that Hector has extended his contract for five years.
"FC Köln allowed me to take the path from the regional league (fourth division) to the German national team. I am very connected and thankful to this club and feel very comfortable living in Cologne," Hector said.
"It would have been no problem for me to switch to another club after this season, but it would not have felt right. We had many talks in the past few weeks and I had enough time to think about it. The decision for me is clear: I belong to FC and I want to go into the new season with this team and with these fans."
It's safe to say that Hector will be a fan favourite among FC Koln fans for a while now.Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Bundesliga
