One game after another, one team after another, the players are trying to save civil rights and, at least in part, the World Cup 2022. The same cannot be said for Fifawho has chosen which side to take, that of the Qatari authorities. The gesture of the German national team, lined up in formation before Germany-Japan with their hands covering their mouths are a new, sensational indictment. Against those who violate rights, the Arab state, and also against those who prevent open dissent, the governing body of international football led by Gianni Infantino.
The silence of Iran’s footballers during the national anthem it was a strong, courageous and risky signal to the regime that is repressing protests at home. The choice of the England national team to kneel as a sign of respect had the weight of an act of testimony and solidarity. The step taken today by captain Neuer and his companions is a qualitative leap. Not just a generic stance but a public protest, worldwide, of the circle-bottom management of Fifa.
It is the strongest possible response, given the circumstances, to the never digested no to the pro lgbt captain’s armband, the rainbow and the words ‘One love’. The hand on the mouth serves to tell everyone that he has been prevented from speaking, from spreading his thoughts. And that it was done in the worst way, by contrasting the sporting regulation, with the threat of a warning, a disciplinary sanction, to a harmless symbolic gesture.
The final result, for Fifa, is bankruptcy. The protest in support of respect for civil rights is gaining much more prominence. The images of these days, and in particular the photo of the German national team which will remain historic, are going around the world. These could become the civil rights world cup, despite Infantino’s short-sighted management. And footballers are proving to be far better than who is supposed to lead them. (from Fabio Insenga)
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