Just wanted to stay current by posting that the comments I discussed yesterday have been publicly withdrawn. The CFO for Schalke 04 claims he was mistaken in his comments, and that "'racist incidents were definitely not the reason for Kevin's move to Schalke.'"
This adds context to yesterday's post, and yet another veil of uncertainty to the situation. I would love to believe that racism is all but gone, and that this event was just an outlier, a crazed anti-racist advocate calling wolf. Unfortunately, that's nowhere near the world we live in, and you have to consider every side of this subsequent event.
It's very feasible that the club told Peter's to retract his statements so as to avoid being the whistle-blower. Like when a celebrity does a tell-all interview about their new spouse's ex. It also doesn't do Schalke any good to perpetuate the subject of racism around Boateng, especially if the true reason he left was to avoid it.
As I said, it adds context but more uncertainty. I'm not convinced that KPB wouldn't still be a Rossoneri if things were different.
You can read the official statement from the club retracting Peter's comments here.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Taking a Lesson from the Prince
Today, I received some confirmation of suspicions I had regarding a recent top flight soccer transfer.
You can read here on ESPN's soccer website, comments on how Kevin-Prince Boateng, a highly skilled German-Ghanaian footballer made a surprisingly sporadic and low profile switch from his team of the past three years, AC Milan to Schalke 04 in Germany. Both clubs are potentially title contenders, and Boateng would be a talent among many others in either the Italian or German side.
On paper, this seems a very understandable bit of business then. However Boateng, as the article states, through several incidents has become the most prominent victim of racial abuse on the field as of late. What's more though, is that Boateng just days before scored a goal himself to secure his former team's place in the continent's most illustrious competition, the UEFA Champions League.
Granted, Schalke 04 has also been awarded a spot in said tournament, but it did not seem as if Boateng's playing time was to be in any particular jeopardy. There was the return of former star, Brazilian midfielder Kaka, but Boateng had an established record with his club, and was clearly in form. Additionally, the Kaka transfer was not secured until after Boateng's departure.
It comes as no surprise to me then, that now the Chief Financial Officer of Boateng's new club, Schalke 04 has come out to state that the move was in part racially motivated.I remember the events that the ESPN article mentions very well, and it was a very slow, unclear time. The acute chants against Boateng came during a friendly, goodwill match against a team who had little chance of beating one of Italy's best club's in AC Milan. The racial abuse came at a particular degree of depravity and desperateness. Boateng, fed up, kicked the ball toward the chanters, and departed from the pitch. His teammates showed solidarity and followed suit. The decision was commended throughout the soccer world, except in the offices of those said to be in charge.
BBC Sport tells here of how the controversial President of FIFA, soccer's global governing body condemns Boateng's actions, and insists on harsher administrative sanctions. The thing is the very same or similar sanctions he discusses have been in place and have been utilized prior to this event. Perhaps there is not much longevity in Boateng's response, but the gravity of it should have been a stronger catalyst. It was only a friendly match, but what if those same circumstances were found in a semi-final with millions of dollars on the line? Would players be even further admonished for standing up for themselves when there are simply more stakeholders?
These comments on the transfer do not come from Boateng himself, so it will be worth following this story to see if there is any dispute from him in the days to come. I would be surprised though, if such a high ranking official in the only authority on this subject would go to the press and be drastically misinformed. Provided this is not the case, this transfer represents a remarkable failure for world soccer.
To imagine that any player would be forced to leave a high profile team for reasons not at all related to soccer, even after heightened media focus on his plight, is deplorable.
Some will say that Boateng has always been an eccentric, and liable to the spotlight, and there are events supporting that. Boateng was also raised and got his professional start in Germany. Still, it is not hard to suggest that the post-holocaust Germany is more racially progressive than Italy, motivating Boateng's move now. Even with these variables, this is an extremely slippery slope for soccer.
Especially considering how much of a surprise the transfer was, and how it fell under many of the other deadline day story lines. One can only hope that these comments from Schalke 04, published today, will bring the event back into focus. The contrast between the lack of interest in this transfer and the media uproar following the pitch walk-off is stark. In the days following the friendly match, pundits from all side called for the need of increased penalties, which never materialized. Now, eight months later, the main figurehead for the cause has been forced to quietly relent from the catalyzing situation.
There is some hope, as Boateng actually went to the United Nations this past March to present a speech with another soccer legend, former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira. He even had the "honor" of presenting his thoughts to Sepp Blatter a month prior to that. But following those events Boateng's role, despite his personal plight facing no resolution, faded out and apparently towards the Rhine River.
Boateng is a talented, fun to watch player. I still remember his goal in the 2010 World Cup which eliminated the United States, along with this absolute screamer below from a Champions League match against Barcelona, for his former club. I don't doubt AC Milan will miss his services.
If someone can do this, that's all that should matter for them to be able to show up and play soccer for a living. Here's to Kevin-Prince Boateng's continued success in Germany, and to his legacy somehow improving the increasingly turbulent racial situation in Italian, and global soccer.
You can read here on ESPN's soccer website, comments on how Kevin-Prince Boateng, a highly skilled German-Ghanaian footballer made a surprisingly sporadic and low profile switch from his team of the past three years, AC Milan to Schalke 04 in Germany. Both clubs are potentially title contenders, and Boateng would be a talent among many others in either the Italian or German side.
On paper, this seems a very understandable bit of business then. However Boateng, as the article states, through several incidents has become the most prominent victim of racial abuse on the field as of late. What's more though, is that Boateng just days before scored a goal himself to secure his former team's place in the continent's most illustrious competition, the UEFA Champions League.
Granted, Schalke 04 has also been awarded a spot in said tournament, but it did not seem as if Boateng's playing time was to be in any particular jeopardy. There was the return of former star, Brazilian midfielder Kaka, but Boateng had an established record with his club, and was clearly in form. Additionally, the Kaka transfer was not secured until after Boateng's departure.
It comes as no surprise to me then, that now the Chief Financial Officer of Boateng's new club, Schalke 04 has come out to state that the move was in part racially motivated.I remember the events that the ESPN article mentions very well, and it was a very slow, unclear time. The acute chants against Boateng came during a friendly, goodwill match against a team who had little chance of beating one of Italy's best club's in AC Milan. The racial abuse came at a particular degree of depravity and desperateness. Boateng, fed up, kicked the ball toward the chanters, and departed from the pitch. His teammates showed solidarity and followed suit. The decision was commended throughout the soccer world, except in the offices of those said to be in charge.
BBC Sport tells here of how the controversial President of FIFA, soccer's global governing body condemns Boateng's actions, and insists on harsher administrative sanctions. The thing is the very same or similar sanctions he discusses have been in place and have been utilized prior to this event. Perhaps there is not much longevity in Boateng's response, but the gravity of it should have been a stronger catalyst. It was only a friendly match, but what if those same circumstances were found in a semi-final with millions of dollars on the line? Would players be even further admonished for standing up for themselves when there are simply more stakeholders?
These comments on the transfer do not come from Boateng himself, so it will be worth following this story to see if there is any dispute from him in the days to come. I would be surprised though, if such a high ranking official in the only authority on this subject would go to the press and be drastically misinformed. Provided this is not the case, this transfer represents a remarkable failure for world soccer.
To imagine that any player would be forced to leave a high profile team for reasons not at all related to soccer, even after heightened media focus on his plight, is deplorable.
Some will say that Boateng has always been an eccentric, and liable to the spotlight, and there are events supporting that. Boateng was also raised and got his professional start in Germany. Still, it is not hard to suggest that the post-holocaust Germany is more racially progressive than Italy, motivating Boateng's move now. Even with these variables, this is an extremely slippery slope for soccer.
Especially considering how much of a surprise the transfer was, and how it fell under many of the other deadline day story lines. One can only hope that these comments from Schalke 04, published today, will bring the event back into focus. The contrast between the lack of interest in this transfer and the media uproar following the pitch walk-off is stark. In the days following the friendly match, pundits from all side called for the need of increased penalties, which never materialized. Now, eight months later, the main figurehead for the cause has been forced to quietly relent from the catalyzing situation.
There is some hope, as Boateng actually went to the United Nations this past March to present a speech with another soccer legend, former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira. He even had the "honor" of presenting his thoughts to Sepp Blatter a month prior to that. But following those events Boateng's role, despite his personal plight facing no resolution, faded out and apparently towards the Rhine River.
Boateng is a talented, fun to watch player. I still remember his goal in the 2010 World Cup which eliminated the United States, along with this absolute screamer below from a Champions League match against Barcelona, for his former club. I don't doubt AC Milan will miss his services.
If someone can do this, that's all that should matter for them to be able to show up and play soccer for a living. Here's to Kevin-Prince Boateng's continued success in Germany, and to his legacy somehow improving the increasingly turbulent racial situation in Italian, and global soccer.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Getting the Ball Rolling
It's been too easy thus far, but I promise the well of corny soccer-related puns will run dry soon enough. I shouldn't be too surprised to imagine that any chance I have of a continuous readership will depend on it.
I am a college sophomore at James Madison University, and a lifelong soccer fan. I am starting this blog to present my thoughts and hopefully discuss them with others, on soccer. Particularly on how the game interacts with controversial societal and media issues.
If that sounds peculiar, its likely because professional sports, particularly in America, represent more of an exception to societal rules than barometers of their impact. Certain traits and a general degree of masculinity seem to come standard with any widely publicized professional athlete. However, soccer, or football as the countries where it exists predominantly know it by, has some traits that slightly vindicate it in this regard.
The most noteworthy of those is its viewership. Without exception, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It is estimated that there are approximately 3.5 billion fans globally, and the professional game is comprised of more diversity than likely all of America's major leagues combined. Soccer's expansive reach gives it much more credibility as a measurement tool of societal trends.
With such a comprehensive fan base, the sports governing bodies are also naturally much more inclusive. National tournaments that assume a scale far greater than any comparable competition for another sport. On top of this, these tournaments are hosted all amongst said fan base, from South Korea to Uruguay.
Furthermore, soccer is more competition focused than any other marketed sport. There are two forty-five minute halves, with the only commercials coming in between highlights at halftime. There is less of an intrusion from advertising into the message and observation of the game.
These traits give soccer a remarkable ability, relative to other sports, to provide a narrative of global issues in a open, passionate forum. It can capitalize on the pure emotion utilized and induced by sports whilst including an ample sample size from which to observe from.
As the sport has continued to expand, it has faced numerous issues from the societies it's assimilated into. Even established front's for the game, such as the supposed founders in England, have faced a disconcerting stretch of racism issues as of late. That same issue has plagued competitions in Italy, Russia and Asian countries as well, provoking an equally widespread debate on how best to address the issue. FIFA, soccer's governing body, has yet to present a solution, and this is just one of many issues I hope to address, albeit this one with some depth later on.
I have coursework with due dates staring at me from my desk, so this will have to suffice for my first post at the moment. Hopefully I have sufficiently convinced you that I may be capable of providing entertainment. I would be honored to have already earned and retained your attention. If not, I implore you to to stick around for a second read next time. I am good for it. I'm an Eagle Scout.
I am a college sophomore at James Madison University, and a lifelong soccer fan. I am starting this blog to present my thoughts and hopefully discuss them with others, on soccer. Particularly on how the game interacts with controversial societal and media issues.
If that sounds peculiar, its likely because professional sports, particularly in America, represent more of an exception to societal rules than barometers of their impact. Certain traits and a general degree of masculinity seem to come standard with any widely publicized professional athlete. However, soccer, or football as the countries where it exists predominantly know it by, has some traits that slightly vindicate it in this regard.
The most noteworthy of those is its viewership. Without exception, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It is estimated that there are approximately 3.5 billion fans globally, and the professional game is comprised of more diversity than likely all of America's major leagues combined. Soccer's expansive reach gives it much more credibility as a measurement tool of societal trends.
With such a comprehensive fan base, the sports governing bodies are also naturally much more inclusive. National tournaments that assume a scale far greater than any comparable competition for another sport. On top of this, these tournaments are hosted all amongst said fan base, from South Korea to Uruguay.
Furthermore, soccer is more competition focused than any other marketed sport. There are two forty-five minute halves, with the only commercials coming in between highlights at halftime. There is less of an intrusion from advertising into the message and observation of the game.
These traits give soccer a remarkable ability, relative to other sports, to provide a narrative of global issues in a open, passionate forum. It can capitalize on the pure emotion utilized and induced by sports whilst including an ample sample size from which to observe from.
As the sport has continued to expand, it has faced numerous issues from the societies it's assimilated into. Even established front's for the game, such as the supposed founders in England, have faced a disconcerting stretch of racism issues as of late. That same issue has plagued competitions in Italy, Russia and Asian countries as well, provoking an equally widespread debate on how best to address the issue. FIFA, soccer's governing body, has yet to present a solution, and this is just one of many issues I hope to address, albeit this one with some depth later on.
I have coursework with due dates staring at me from my desk, so this will have to suffice for my first post at the moment. Hopefully I have sufficiently convinced you that I may be capable of providing entertainment. I would be honored to have already earned and retained your attention. If not, I implore you to to stick around for a second read next time. I am good for it. I'm an Eagle Scout.
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