On Wednesday night, a new age of El Clasico begins in a cloud of controversy. Real Madrid and Barcelona have met 247 times in competitive matches but their 248th will be the first ever to be played outside of Spain. Riyadh’s King Fahd International Stadium is an appropriate stage for a glorified friendly rolled in glitter and jewels.
Luis Rubiales, the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (Rfef), has proven himself willing and capable of ignoring the criticism. Last year – the first edition of the midseason Saudi Spanish Super Cup – Rubiales claimed that hosting the tournament could help change the culture of Saudi Arabia. Full marks for one-eyed optimism, if nothing else.
This year, Rubiales allowed the mask to slip – this is all about money. A fortnight ago, NEOM were announced as the principal sponsors of the competition. NEOM are wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, that plans to build a city (called NEOM, naturally) at a cost of $500 billion that becomes a Saudi tourist destination. NEOM’s branding will be displayed across the world on Wednesday evening. In the UK, BT Sport bought the rights for the tournament.
As for the fans, who cares about them anyway? With flights costing £500 and accommodation also expensive, only a precious, wealthy few will make the trip. What better way to celebrate than by alienating your fanbase in pursuit of new horizons on the other side of the world? Ticket sales to Spanish supporters have been laughably – and predictably – low.
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Rubiales claimed this week that the three-match competition was “probably the biggest short tournament in the world” (the fourth word of that descriptor is doing a lot of heavy lifting) that has now become “an international event” – technically true by definition. The Rfef has agreed a contract that will run until 2029 and generate €30million a year.
But at what cost? This tournament has plunged Spanish football into a messy civil war. Javier Tebas, the head of La Liga, has repeatedly publicly castigated the decision to allow a Spanish competition to be used as a tool of such naked sportswashing. But he has no say. The Super Cup is affiliated to the national federation, not La Liga.
Tebas’ protestations may include a strand of self-interest. Saudi Arabia stood accused of willingly hosting the now defunct beoutQ, a pirate streaming service that broadcasted La Liga matches, amongst others. Tebas was one of the most outspoken critics of Saudi Arabia’s lack of action against beoutQ, understandably believing it harmed La Liga’s value. To him, Rubiales’ deal is an act of mutiny.
Amnesty International have understandably cried foul about such a one-eyed pursuit of money, given Saudi Arabia’s questionable record on human rights and the treatment of minorities. They have urged the four clubs to take a stand on human rights concerns, including wearing purple armbands (sent to them by Amnesty) as a show of solidarity.
But during Tuesday’s press conference, this tournament appeared to exist in an inglorious echo chamber. There were no questions about anything other than football from any journalist present. Part of the benefit of taking a tournament thousands of miles from its home is that it limits the ability of potential naysayers to make the trip.
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But within Amnesty’s (perfectly reasonable) request lies the secret to sportswashing’s success. It is far easier to say nothing than something. None of the four clubs, and certainly not their players or coaches, chose this scenario. It was foisted upon them at organisational level and thus they may reason that they will simply perform their duties and then return home. They figure that they have responsibilities as footballers, and nothing else. And so a culture of acquiescence is established.
There is a retort to that stance, the Desmond Tutu argument that “if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”. But then that is why organisations such as the Rfef have a duty of care not to put players and coaches in scenarios where that sentiment is tested. It may not be too much to ask footballers to take a stand, but they have been let down by those above them.
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And for all the (merited) outcry over the takeover of Newcastle United, this is next-level sportswashing because it increases the reach of acquiescence. It is one thing to buy a club but another entirely to climb into bed with the football federation of one of the highest-profile nations in the world. If you can truly separate the greed from the game and enjoy El Clasico on Wednesday evening, good luck to you. Millions of others will not find it so easy.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/335FIjr
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