A group of 106 professional footballers from 24 countries has sent a letter to the president of the FIFAGianni Infantino, in which they demand that he break the sponsorship agreement with Aramco, the state oil company of Saudi Arabiabecause this is a country that “tramples the rights of women” and the homosexual community.
In the letter, the signatories consider that a company like Aramcoowned by a regime like the Saudi one that “criminalizes LGBTQ+ people and systematically oppresses” women, “has no right to sponsor the beautiful sport.”
The letter, which begins with the epigraph The sponsorship agreement with Aramco is a comb for women’s footballis supported by footballers who play in leagues such as those in the United States, England, Italy, Germany, Australia or the Netherlands.
Among them, the captains of the Italian national teams, Elena Linari, stand out; Canada, Jessie Fleming, and Croatia, Doris Bacic.
There is also the American Becky Sauerbrunnformer captain of her national team and international on 217 occasions, and the Afghan Khalida Popal, who also once wore the armband of her country’s team, one of those that most persecute women since the Taliban ruled.
On the list, there is only one Spaniard, the midfielder Maitane Lopezwho plays for NY Gotham in the United States, while in the F League the only representative is the Finnish forward of Real Sociedad Sanni Franssi.
Agreement with FIFA
Aramco, the largest oil company in the world, signed an agreement with FIFA on April 25 by which it became the “main exclusive global partner in the energy category” of the body that regulates soccer competitions in the world.
The agreement empowers the energy company to be a sponsor of the 2026 soccer world cupwhich will be played in the US, Mexico and Canada, and the women’s event in 2027 in Brazil.
For the players who signed the letter, in which no men appear, Aramco being a sponsor of the next World Cup “would be a blow in the gut for women’s football, undermining decades of work by fans and players around the world.”
“This sponsorship is much worse than an own goal for football: FIFA could very well pour oil on the field and set it on fire (…). Our work as professional players has been a dream for us and it is a dream for the girls who will be the players of the future. We deserve much better from our governing body than their alliance with this. sponsor nightmare“adds the text.
The soccer players ask FIFA to reconsider the sponsorship with the oil company and to look for alternative partners “whose values align with the gender equalityhuman rights and the safe future of the planet”, while also denouncing the damage that companies like Aramco do to the fight against climate change.
They sue Gianni Infantino the creation of a review committee, on which footballers are represented, which is responsible for evaluating the ethical implications of future sponsorship agreements and ensuring that they respect the human rights.
The letter cites some cases of women who have suffered repression and imprisonment in Saudi Arabia for demanding rights for this group.
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