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If you believe that politics and sport often mix together, this newsletter is for you. If you don’t believe it, read it anyway, please. Maybe you’ll change your mind.
Just under a year ago, in July 2021, Ukraine and Russia were at Eurocup, a football tournament in which both teams fell in the first phase.
The Ukrainians gained more prominence for the uniform than for the performance on the field. They wore the yellow shirt with a map of the country stamped on the belly.
One detail irritated the Russians, as reported by reporter Igor Gielow at the time. On the map drawn was the territory of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014 and which is still considered Ukrainian territory by the UN.
The uniform was proudly displayed by Volodymyr Zelensky. The shirt also had the words “Glory to Heroes” and “Glory to Ukraine”, slogans of the revolt that toppled the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev in 2014.
Cut to March 2022. In the list of demands to end the war, Vladimir Putin includes Ukraine’s recognition that Crimea is Russian territory, which Kiev does not accept. The conflict continues as the Russians accumulate bans, among many sectors, in the sport.
In today’s issue, I invite Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper to explain the relationship between war and sport. He is the author of the books “Soccernomics”, “Football Agains The Enemy” and “The Happy Traitor”, about George Blake, one of the most famous double agents of the Cold War.
How can sport explain the relationship between Russia and Ukraine? It is a living element of the history of both countries. Ukraine’s relationship, especially in football, is unlike any other country in the Soviet Union. The height of Soviet football had Ukrainians as protagonists. There is, among Russians, a nostalgia for those teams, games and heyday of Soviet football. It is not very different from the sentiment that Vladimir Putin tries to propagate by invading Ukraine, by claiming territory and power.
How do you see Russia’s ban on sports? It is first and foremost a political decision. The moment the United States and Western Europe became critics of the Russian movement, opposed the invasion, it became easier for FIFA, the IOC and, consequently, the other entities to banish the Russians.
In 2017, it would be much more difficult for FIFA, for example, with the Cup to be held the following year in Russia.
Countries with serious humanitarian issues like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates are funding football and other sports and that’s fine.
Russian football today doesn’t have that much power anymore. Oligarchs no longer invest as much in local clubs. There was more repercussion with the English Chelsea, which has Abramovich, Russian oligarch, as owner of the club.
Could this case change anything in terms of greater control over the origin of money for English club owners? I don’t believe it changes anything. A few months ago Newcastle was sold to Saudi prince Mohammed Bin Salman and that’s fine. Fans rubbed their hands, there were even banners and a party. They want reinforcements to arrive. I am skeptical of any structural changes or controls.
Some say you don’t mix sport and politics… This is the biggest nonsense that can be said. They’ve been mixed up ever since. We take the Brazilian team as an example. It’s a political representation. It’s naive to think of eleven guys who only play football. It is a team that carries the Brazilian flag. Countries have borders that were not made by God. That’s political. There is power in everything related to sport, right from the start. Denying this is useless.
Do not get lost
With more than a month of conflict, the sport of Russia and Ukraine has been affected by the war. Here we recall the main events.
- FIFA excluded Russia from World Cup qualifiers, Uefa banned the country’s national team and clubs from competition and pulled the Champions League final from St Petersburg. Russian Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea, had assets frozen in England and put the club up for sale.
- F1 canceled the Russian GP while holding races in countries that violate human rights.
- Russian athletes were unable to compete in the Winter Paralympics. The Swimming World Cup also banned the participation of competitors from Russia and Belarus.
- In Ukraine, national competitions have been suspended. More than 30 Brazilian soccer players left the country. Ukrainian athletes took a stand against the invasion and even went to the front, in the case of former boxer and mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko.
What happened this Sunday (27)
What to see and hear to stay informed
US President Joe Biden raises his tone against Putin in speech in Poland. In Ukraine, musicians perform in a subway station.
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