Al-something beat Al-something else 4-3 in the big "Al Clasico" derby. I'm sure the locals loved it. We know that Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud wants to turn the whole Middle East into "The New Europe" with his Saudi Sovereign Investment Fund. This means buying Western sport and culture to whitewash his country's appalling human rights record. The reality is that it will look fuck all like Europe. In Europe, for example, it is perfectly fine to be gay. In Saudi Arabia, it can mean beheading or 500 lashes and along spell behind bars, depending on who you are, who you know, how rich you are and the whims of the Sharia judges.
Into this wonderful culture are walking dozens of European footballers, Jordan Henderson included. The so-called LGBT rights campaigner signed a big deal with one of the AL-somethings to the utter dismay of his erstwhile LGBT buddies. On his new club's social media announcement, the picture of Henderson that they used had been doctored so that his rainbow captain's armband was changed to black and white! On Saturday night before the England game. Jill Scott, ex-England footballer, pundit and notable lesbian said, "I'm a Jordan Henderson fan . . . but I would not be welcome to watch him". That says it all. He has faced a mountain of criticism for what looks very like rank hypocrisy.
Henderson himself said that it may actually be a good thing to have a LGBT campaigner in Saudi Arabia, though he added that he wouldn't do anything that disrespected the religion or culture in his new home country. So, what good will his presence actually do then? He added, "What I’m saying is people know what my values are and the people who know me know what my values are". Presumably if the Saudis don't like his values, he has others.
Henderson himself said that it may actually be a good thing to have a LGBT campaigner in Saudi Arabia, though he added that he wouldn't do anything that disrespected the religion or culture in his new home country. So, what good will his presence actually do then? He added, "What I’m saying is people know what my values are and the people who know me know what my values are". Presumably if the Saudis don't like his values, he has others.
This in a week when ex-Real Madrid star Sergio Ramos signed for boyhood club Sevilla. He was offered €14M a season to play in the Saudi Pro League, but went to Sevilla for €1M a season. Surely, if you have earned tens of millions in your career, it is much better to finish it at a club you love and to give something back. Easy for me to say, I know. Every man has his price, and all that, but I just can't imagine why anybody would want to live in that country or participate in the activities of its sovereign wealth fund.
Ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney, who recently signed for Forest Green Rovers, told journalists last week that he was holidaying in Dubai over the summer and bumped into some ex-Premier League players who were hanging around trying to get a contract from Middle Eastern agents. He said:
Ex-Watford striker Troy Deeney, who recently signed for Forest Green Rovers, told journalists last week that he was holidaying in Dubai over the summer and bumped into some ex-Premier League players who were hanging around trying to get a contract from Middle Eastern agents. He said:
People think we (footballers) are entitled. We are not entitled. I think we have just got so comfortable with the luxuries that are the Prem and now the Championship that it’s like ‘Oh, I am not going to League Two’. Well. Think about when you started. It was your dream. You would have done anything to say football was your job.
I suspect that the Saudi Pro League will go the way of its Chinese equivalent a few years ago, and Western footballers are faced with the reality of living in such fundamentally different countries. Until then, let's hope for more Troy Deeneys and fewer Jordan Hendersons.
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| Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports |
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Well said, Peter. Quite apart from the ethical issues relating to sportswashing, the Saudi Pro League is proving to be parasitical on the wider global game.
ReplyDelete100%.
ReplyDeleteThis piece raises a lot of serious questions. Well said Peter. No point in bobbing and weaving on it. Jordan Henderson would have served himself better had he not come up with excuses and his own sports washing of his damaged reputation. He went for the money. Everybody needs money - as Camus wrote it is a form of spiritual snobbery to think we can be happy without it - but he needed it much less than most others given the amount he had already banked.
ReplyDeleteHenderson has damaged his reputation, but more importantly has he undermined the credibility of other high-profile people who appear to take an ethical position?
ReplyDeleteI've a few thoughts on this.
ReplyDelete1, The sheer unimaginable wealth that Saudi has will most definitely tempt a lot of players. This isn't China where the wealth was pegged on the back on an economic boom which stagflated , SA is infinitely rich in oil so the money will not stop flowing any time soon.
2, I expect them to offer obscene amounts to promising South American talent who in the large part come from abject poverty. This will also lead to a move away from Europe for a lot of Brazilians who would normally come through the ranks of PSV et al like Ronaldo9.
3, There appears to be little investment in their indigenous youth set ups which will be a major issue in a few years.
4, No young player has ever dreamed of playing in Saudi Arabia. All the money in the world can't buy the prestige of the Big 5 European leagues or the Champions League. This will piss off the House of Saud eventually.
5, I'd expect the Saudi's to throw cash at UEFA/FIFA to allow Saudi teams to play in the European Champions League. (Kazakhstan has a border with China yet play in the Euro's ffs) Money talks.
6, every sod who goes there goes for the money. Nothing wrong with getting paid but don't tell us shite about growing the game in a country that has an appalling human rights record including murdering reporters, capital punishment and funding Salafist terrorist groups from Bin Laden down.
7, How long before Saudi gets the World Cup? $$$$
8, Have a google at what the Saudi's say about women's football. Never mind the LGBTQI community, they detest half the population playing the world game. How the fuck can Henderson say what he says with a straight face?
Roughly translated, what Henderson really means when he says he; "wouldn't do anything that desrespected the culture or religion of his new home country" is he wouldn't do anything to damage the huge new bank balance they have handed him!!!!
ReplyDeleteCaoimhin O'Muraile