In a Glaring Double Standard, FIFA Fails to Suspend Israel

FIFA banned apartheid South Africa. It banned Russia for invading Ukraine. But about Israel, FIFA does nothing.

Jules Boykoff and Dave Zirin 

The Nation

On October 1, fans of the Scottish soccer club Celtic FC waved Palestinian flags and released green smoke during their Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund in Germany. Celtic’s Green Brigade supporters group, long champions of the Palestinian cause, orchestrated a mini-protest for Gaza: Fourteen people, wearing keffiyeh balaclavas and white shirts that spelled out “Free Palestine,” lit flares in unison.

Two days later, FIFA, the world’s governing body for soccer, took the opposite approach: It refused to act on the Palestinian Football Association’s request to suspend Israel for violating international law in its ongoing attacks on Gaza, for discriminating against Arab players, and for including in its domestic league clubs that are located in Palestinian territory. Instead, FIFA issued an evasive statement in bureaucratese: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will be mandated to initiate an investigation into the alleged offense of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football Association.” Fully committing to the stonewalling, the group stated, “The FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee will be entrusted with the mission to investigate—and subsequently advise the FIFA Council on—the participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based in the territory of Palestine.”

In other words, FIFA kicked the can of ethics down the road.

Let’s be clear: FIFA’s double standard is glaring. In 2022, FIFA banned Russia just four days after the invasion of Ukraine. FIFA issued an unequivocal joint statement with UEFA, the overseers of European football: “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine.” And yet, to date, the soccer honchos have extended no such sentiments of solidarity to the people of Gaza, where more than 41,000 people have been killed by the Israel Defense Forces. According to a statement by the Palestinian Football Association in July, 343 athletes have been killed since October 7, 2023, including 242 soccer players.

The statutes guiding FIFA are straightforward: “FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.” The group’s governing regulations also state, “Discrimination of any kind” is “strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.”

FIFA’s conspicuous inaction is similar to the International Olympic Committee’s approach to Israel’s participation in the Paris Olympics last summer. Russian athletes were forced to participate as “individual neutral athletes,” while Israeli Olympians were free to compete under their flag and with their national anthem.

In August, Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub told us that Israel should be barred from sports due to its extreme human rights violations. “It’s not a political issue for me. It’s a moral issue. It’s a legal issue. It’s an ethical issue,” he said.

Rajoub has long fought to exclude Israel from the World Cup and Olympics—or, as he phrased it, to issue them “a red card”—because of the country’s clear violations of both FIFA Statutes and the Olympic Charter. In May, Rajoub said, “FIFA cannot afford to remain indifferent to these violations or to the ongoing genocide in Palestine, just as it did not remain indifferent to numerous precedents.”

Rajoub is not alone. Human rights experts from the United Nations issued a statement demanding that FIFA respect international law, noting, “Over the years, at least eight [Israeli] football clubs have developed or have been identified as playing in Israeli colonial settlements of the occupied West Bank.” The experts added, “A ninth club, based inside Israel, plays some home games in a settlement.”

The human rights group Ekō carried out a detailed investigation that concluded that Israel should be banned from international football. It pinpointed specific historical moments when FIFA banned countries because of gross human rights violations: South Africa was banned in 1961 over apartheid, and Yugoslavia was not allowed to play after violence it meted out in the Balkans. For years Human Rights Watch has been documenting how Israeli soccer clubs have been staging matches in West Bank settlements, thereby contributing to human rights violations. “By holding games on stolen land, FIFA is tarnishing the beautiful game of football,” HRW asserted, way back in 2016.

In 2023, UEFA fined Celtic FC $19,000 after its justice-minded fans brandished Palestinian flags during a Champions League match, categorizing the flags as “provocative messages of an offensive nature.” And yet Celtic diehards have not relented, demonstrating more courage and commitment to principle than either FIFA or UEFA.

Katarina Pijetlovic, the head of the Palestinian Football Association legal department, said to us, “This decision, while frustrating, was expected because it’s FIFA, and this is how they operate. There is a reason that when [FIFA President Gianni] Infantino was elected in 2016, Israel supported the decision. Now we know why they were so thrilled. Because of moments like this.”

It is precisely “moments like this” that make efforts to extract justice for Palestine through FIFA such a difficult road. The fight for a free Palestine is a fight ultimately for social justice against an apartheid settler state backed by the West. FIFA presents itself as a global, all-encompassing organization with room in its arms for all nations. But the reality is that wealthy, Western nations play the tune and Infantino dances.

Not even the mass civilian casualties in Palestine have caused Infantino and FIFA to act differently. To think that FIFA would live up to fundamental principles enshrined in its own rules is to live in a global fantasyland. In reality, these Western institutions—like FIFA—see life as cheap.

Norwegian footballer rejects move to Israeli club, refuses offer as 'blood money'

 'It is a country that I have neither the morals nor the values to represent,' says Rosenborg forward Ole Saeter.

Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

Anadolu Ajansi

Norwegian footballer Ole Saeter has turned down a transfer offer from Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, citing strong moral objections on Wednesday.

Saeter, the 28-year-old Rosenborg forward, told Norwegian channel TV 2 that he could not accept the deal, despite the financial security it would have brought.

"I don't want any blood money coming into my account. It would be a nightmare," Saeter said of the offer.

He said that the deal could have made him "financially independent", but the Rosenborg member insisted that he could not represent a country whose values and actions he opposed.

"It is a country that I have neither the morals nor the values to represent," he added.

Saeter has made 53 appearances for Rosenborg since 2021, scoring 32 goals and providing 11 assists.

Israel has faced international criticism for its ongoing military offensive in Gaza, launched after an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire, the conflict has continued, with nearly 41,300 people, mostly women and children, killed and over 95,500 injured, according to local health authorities.

Footballer Ahmad Abu al-Atta killed by airstrike in Gaza

Abu al-Atta who played as a defender for the Gaza Strip team Al-Ahly Gaza, died along with his wife Ruba Esmael Abu al-Atta, a medical professional, and their two children after the airstrike hit their home in Gaza City.

Reuters

Palestinian soccer player Ahmad Abu al-Atta and his family were killed in their home by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) said.

Abu al-Atta who played as a defender for the Gaza Strip team Al-Ahly Gaza, died along with his wife Ruba Esmael Abu al-Atta, a medical professional, and their two children after the airstrike hit their home in Gaza City, the PFA said in a statement released on Saturday.

Local media reported that the airstrike took place on Friday, but the PFA did not give a date.

Last Monday, the PFA said international referee Hani Mesmeh had died after sustaining wounds from an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip in May.

More than 300 athletes, referees and sports officials have been killed since the start of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023 with all sports facilities in Gaza demolished, President of the Palestinian Olympic Committee Jibril Rajoub said this month.

They also included soccer player Mohammed Barakat, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in March, and FIFA International Assistant Referee Mohammed Khattab, who was killed along with his wife and four children in an Israeli assault in the Gazan neighbourhood of Deir Al Balah in February.

At least 37,598 Palestinians have been killed and 86,032 others injured in Israel's military offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said on Sunday.

By Israel's count more than 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage in the Oct 7 cross-border attacks by Hamas which sparked the military retaliation in Gaza.

In May, global soccer governing body FIFA ordered an urgent legal evaluation of a proposal by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), backed by the Asian Football Confederation, to suspend Israel from all club and national competitions over the war in Gaza. FIFA said it would address the issue at an extraordinary meeting of its council in July.

Celtic’s growing feud over Palestine

A chasm grows between the Glasgow club’s board and fans expressing solidarity with Gaza amid Israel’s assault.

By Liam O'Hare

Al Jazeera

The atmosphere at Celtic Park on European nights needs few added extras, the electricity in the air on such occasions is enough to light up the Glasgow skyline several times over.

But as 60,000 Celtic fans flocked to the famous arena last Wednesday evening for the Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid, it was not just anticipation for the game powering the pre-match energy.

As kickoff neared, the stadium transformed into a sea of Palestinian flags, every stand awash with the colours of Palestine in a show of solidarity with those in Gaza under Israeli assault.

A few days before, when Celtic fans displayed Palestinian flags at a domestic away fixture, television networks were accused of purposefully avoiding the display. They had no such option this time. The display was beamed around the world, and quickly shared millions of times on social media.

The main flag bearers, literally and figuratively, are the Green Brigade – an “ultras” group formed in 2006, renowned for their Irish Republicanism and unflinching support for the Palestinian cause.

It’s a position that has attracted many admirers but often puts them at loggerheads with the club’s board, which is more politically conservative than the fanbase.

Fearful of penalties from football’s governing bodies, the club urged fans not to heed the Green Brigade’s call to show support for Palestine at the Atletico Madrid game, releasing a statement asking “that banners, flags and symbols relating to the conflict and those countries involved in it are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time”.

A few days prior to the match, in an apparent warning to the group, Celtic banned the Green Brigade from all away games. Following the display against Atletico Madrid, that ban has been extended to all home games.

In a letter to fans, the club outlined several reasons for the ban, including anti-social behaviour, the use of pyrotechnics and crucially “against Atletico Madrid, another unauthorised display, breaching the restrictions previously communicated”.

For the Green Brigade, there’s little doubt that it was the Palestine display which has led to the ban.

“The other issues are a smokescreen,” the Green Brigade told Al Jazeera. “The club are very clever and cynical. They want to sanction us, they want to punish us. They want to send us a message to try to keep us in line and deter us from doing further action.

But they know very well that on the issue of Palestine, they’re not on strong ground as they don’t have a lot of support amongst the wider fanbase on that issue. So they’re using other issues that they think they will have support on to sanction us.”

The Green Brigade also told Al Jazeera that senior Celtic officials had previously told them privately that they were most concerned with “their corporate image and corporate responsibilities” to shareholders.

“But we’re unashamed of and unequivocal of our support for Palestine and that will continue,” the group said.

“And once again the wider Celtic support showed that they too had the courage and conviction to stand and be counted. To side with the right side of history and voice support for the underdog, which in this case is the Palestinians.”

The club did not respond to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment.

‘They give us hope we’re not alone’

For those familiar with Celtic’s origin story, as a club born from the Irish Catholic diaspora in Scotland, the fans’ solidarity with the assault on Gaza was no surprise. Support for left-wing, anti-imperialist causes among the fanbase is common.

Banning the Green Brigades is a risky escalation by the club, as the group are popular among the wider Celtic support.

Indeed, flags supporting Palestine at Celtic Park predate the group’s formation. Both the shareholders group The Celtic Trust and fellow ultras group Bhoys Celtic have condemned the ban, with the latter staging a walkout in protest at the recent game against St Mirren.

“There will be no return to normality from us while this absurd and entirely avoidable situation is allowed to continue,” Bhoys Celtic said in a statement, suggesting that further walkouts or boycotts could take place.

With the ban on the 300 or so supporters being indefinite “pending further review”, the situation leaves Celtic a club at civil war at a crucial time in the season.

Some fans believe their political displays can occasionally go too far, but all agree that their absence will negatively impact the atmosphere at games.

There is also precedent for Celtic fans uniting on the issue of Palestine. When the Green Brigade showed support for Palestine in a tie against the Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva in 2016, the club were fined by UEFA for the display of “illicit banners”.

The wider fanbase swung behind a fundraising campaign; not to pay the fine, but to support charities in Palestine.

More than 175,000 pounds ($214,000) was raised, which helped to fund the formation of Aida Celtic, a football team in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, the occupied West Bank. The links established then have solidified in the seven years since, with regular exchange visits made as part of a deepening of fans’ education of the Palestine issue.

Indeed, while the Celtic board may have shifted uncomfortably in their seats as they saw the Palestinian flags unfurled last Wednesday, the intended recipients of the gesture, the people of Gaza, welcomed it warmly.

“We thank Celtic fans for this stand and for their ongoing solidarity to the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Hazem Tabash, the manager of the Benn’a Sports Club in Gaza told Al Jazeera, who saw the images online despite Israel’s communication blackouts and widespread bombing in the besieged territory.

The Benn’a youth centre’s footballers have played previously in green and white hoops of Celtic.

But its pitch currently lies desolate, if not destroyed. Located near the border fence in the eastern Gaza Strip, all staff and volunteers were forced to flee when the Israeli bombing started on October 7, after Hamas launched deadly attacks in Israel that killed 1,405 people, most of whom were Israeli civilians.

Israel’s retaliatory attacks have killed at least 9,061 people, including 3,760 children.

“[The fans’] actions are important to raise awareness of the public in Western countries where governments give Israel full support to continue its crimes against Palestinians in Gaza,” Tabash said of the display at Celtic Park. “They also help to support us Palestinians on the ground, giving us some hope that we are not alone.

“I call for all fans who believe in justice and freedom to follow the steps of Celtic fans and ask your governments to act immediately to stop this genocide and stop the double standards and the bias when it comes to the Palestine-Israel conflict.”

Accusations of double standards relate not just to how governments are acting on this matter, but also to football authorities. There was widespread support for Ukraine in the footballing world when it was invaded by Russia last year. Indeed, Russian clubs were even banned from European competition.

But a very different approach is taken to any display of support for Palestinians.

“Why are the football authorities uncomfortable with football fans expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people?” said David Webber, a senior research fellow at Solent University specialising in football and politics.

“UEFA and FIFA were quite quick to exclude Russia from international competition and club competition. But we don’t see that same treatment of Israel. Does it really just boil down to the fact the Palestinians are brown and not white?”

“It’s all part of trying to neutralise football as a product but what that does is it starves the game of its authenticity. The values that the fans have matter and are inextricable to the clubs they support. However much the clubs might want to expunge it, these values are not just left at the turnstile.”

The Green Brigade, meanwhile, told Al Jazeera they intend to stick to their motto: Until The Last Rebel.

“The political class like to tell working-class people that they don’t know what they’re talking about or that they can’t have an opinion on certain issues,” they said.

“We’re a proudly politically conscious group. We won’t be dictated to by anyone.”

Money isn’t everything: Bellerín

Hector Bellerín says there’s more to football than just spending money, and thinks there are other ways to build a team to be successful

By Dan Critchlow
Daily Cannon

Speaking to the International Business Times after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over AFC Bournemouth, Bellerín was asked for his thoughts on the Gunners’ business in the transfer window, and whether the club had spent enough to succeed.

The Spanish international responded: “Football is not just about spending money. There are some clubs paying £100m and £200m on players but I do not think that’s the philosophy. The important thing is to build a good team, a good block and get results from there.

“Sometimes it takes time while other clubs use money. Each club has its own resources and its way of working. What matters is that on the pitch we give the maximum to prove that money is not everything.”

It’s hard for supporters to look at clubs like Manchester City spending £100m on a couple of full backs, and Chelsea and Liverpool spending £35m+ on the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Oxlade-Chamberlain and not be upset that the Gunners apparently can’t afford to make more than one monetary signing all window.

On the other hand, building a team through internal improvement does have its benefits in principle. If Arsenal could improve their team by letting the players grow towards their peak and gel with their teammates then this allows for the least amount of disruption.

A team like Manchester United have to integrate all their new signings. Of course, if they manage this quickly, like they seem to have done, then Arsenal’s advantage suddenly disappears. As Bellerin says, it’s up to the players on the pitch to prove that the philosophy Arsenal have can actually bring success.

Grandes rivalidades: Estados Unidos - México

El contexto que se vive en el clásico de la Concacaf es plasmado en el documental "Gringos at the Gate" (2013). Mira el tráiler:

Celtic fans raise more than £100,000 for Palestinian charities after flag protest

Football club facing fine by Uefa after fans displayed Palestinian flags during match against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva

The Guardian

Celtic fans have raised more than £100,000 for Palestinian charities in an attempt to match an impending Uefa fine for displaying Palestinian flags at a match against an Israeli team.

European football’s governing body began disciplinary proceedings against the Glasgow club last week after a number of fans displayed the flags during their 5-2 home victory against Hapoel Be’er Sheva in a Champions League qualifier.

The return leg is due to be played in Israel on Tuesday night.

The Green Brigade group of supporters set up an appeal on the gofundme website on Sunday to match the anticipated fine, and donations passed £80,000 on Tuesday morning.

The fans are raising money for Medical Aid Palestine, which delivers health and medical care to those “worst affected by conflict, occupation and displacement”, and the Lajee Centre, a cultural and sports project for children in Aida refugee camp, in Bethlehem.

The appeal read: “At the Champions League match with Hapoel Be’er Sheva on 17 August 2016, the Green Brigade and fans throughout Celtic Park flew the flag for Palestine. This act of solidarity has earned Celtic respect and acclaim throughout the world. It has also attracted a disciplinary charge from Uefa, which deems the Palestinian flag to be an ‘illicit banner’.

“In response to this petty and politically partisan act by European football’s governing body, we are determined to make a positive contribution to the game and today launch a campaign to #matchthefineforpalestine.”

The statement said the money raised would help buy football kit and equipment to enable the refugee camp to have a team, which would be called Aida Celtic, in the Bethlehem youth league.

Celtic face their ninth Uefa punishment for supporter behaviour in five years when the case is heard on 22 September. Two years ago the club was fined more than £15,000 after a Palestinian flag was displayed at a Champions League qualifier against KR Reykjavik.

Uefa rules forbid the use of “gestures, words, objects or any other means to transmit any message that is not fit for a sports event, particularly messages that are of a political, ideological, religious, offensive or provocative nature”.

Celtic fans for Palestine

Inmenso respaldo a Palestina en las tribunas del Celtic Glasgow

Aunque la UEFA ha prohibido la exhibición de banderas de Palestina en las competiciones europeas de fútbol, en el estadio del Celtic de Glasgow esta injusta medida recibió una respuesta contundente.

En el partido contra el Hapoel Beer Sheva de Israel, por la Liga de Campeones, la hinchada del Celtic portó cientos de banderas palestinas en apoyo a su pueblo. El club escocés podría ser sancionado.

Europa football champions Sevilla reject Israeli sponsorship millions

Sevilla FC reportedly rejected Israeli offer which would have doubled the money the Spanish club received from previous sponsor Malaysia

Ali Abunimah
The Electronic Intifada

The Spanish football club Sevilla has rejected a €5 million ($5.7 million) sponsorship deal to advertise tourism in Israel on its players’ shirts.

The 2015 UEFA Europa League champions turned down the offer due to the “political connotations” of appearing to support Israel, according to the Spanish sports publication Mundo Deportivo.

Club sources told the sports website ElDesmarque that the image Israeli sponsorship would project “could be detrimental to Sevilla, especially taking into account present political issues and sensibilities and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

The Israeli ministry of tourism offered Sevilla more than twice the sum it received in its last sponsorship agreement with Malaysia, according to a report in Israel’s Ynet.

In January 2009, Frédéric Kanouté, then one of Sevilla’s star players, was fined by the Spanish football federation for wearing a shirt with the word “Palestine” during a match against La Coruña.

It was a widely appreciated demonstration of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza who were at that time under massive bombardment by Israel.

As of now, Sevilla has not found a sponsor for the coming season, which means its players will take to the pitch with blank shirts, a blow to the Andalusian club’s finances, Mundo Deportivo says.

But it appears that even much-needed millions can’t tempt Sevilla to associate itself with Israel’s toxic brand – its signature massacres in Gaza, military occupation and settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank and mobs chanting “Death to the Arabs” in the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Leer noticia en español

Premier League fans set for ticket price protest this weekend

Supporters from all 20 Premier League clubs, as well as 10 from the Championship, will unite in protests across the country

Hamish Mackay
Mirror

Fans from across the UK are taking action this weekend over the continued rise of ticket prices in football.

Supporters from all 20 Premier League clubs, as well as 10 from the Championship, will unite in protests up and down the country.

A recent study found ticket prices in England's top flight to be the most expensive in the world, averaging at £53.67 per game (more than double the Bundesliga average).

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore previously acknowledged that away fans in particular are one of the division's "unique strengths", and the Football Supporters' Federation would like to see that reflected with a £20 cap on away tickets.

FSF chief executive Kevin Miles said: “Over the past 25 years money has flowed into football enriching players, owners, executives and agents – we think it’s about time fans saw some of the benefits too.

“Nine out of 10 fans feel that football is too expensive but fans’ loyalty and commitment to their clubs is being exploited.

“The impact of rising prices has been particularly felt by away fans at Premier League level, who also have to contend with high travel costs and kick-off times changed for TV, and that’s why we’ve focussed on away fans with our “Twenty’s Plenty” campaign.

“It’s not just the Premier League where we see high prices though - every week we hear from fans unhappy at ticket costs lower down the pyramid.

“The FSF believes that prices have to come down and on the first weekend in October, fans from across the country will deliver that message – get in touch with the FSF if you’d like to join in.”

"Refugees welcome"

Solidaridad desde el fútbol con los refugiados de las guerras imperialistas

St. Pauli y Borussia Dortmund

Arsenal

Bayern Munich

Oldenburg

FC United of Manchester

Diego Maradona to Run for FIFA Presidency

The Argentine legend has long-denounced corruption in the organization

By Telesur

Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona confirmed Sunday that he will run for FIFA's presidency, according to his friend and former co-host of a soccer show on teleSUR, Uruguayan journalist Victor Hugo Morales. “Diego will be candidate for FIFA (presidency), with all the authority he has, he has been in the front line fighting from that world of (soccer) players … Diego has been a spearhead to talk about corruption inside FIFA, and corruption within the AFA (Argentine Football Association),” revealed Morales, who currently hosts teleSUR's “De Chilena!” show. Morales confirmed the news in two tweets:

“I called Diego Maradona … He told me  that he was going to be a candidate to be FIFA president and he authorized be to communicate it”

“I AM A CANDIDATE”: those were the words that DIEGO MARADONA said to me when I asked him about being a candidate for FIFA president”

Maradona has been a longtime critic of FIFA and its policies. During the last World Cup, the former star denounced FIFA for charging US$2 million dollars in transmission rights to Haiti, a country struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in 2010. FIFA has been mired in scandal since seven of its officials were arrested when Swiss police swooped into a luxury hotel in Zurich ahead of the congress. The officials are set to be extradited to the United States, where they are suspected of receiving close to US$150 million in bribes.

Last week, Swiss officials also said they were investigating 53 new suspected cases of money laundering linked to FIFA. “Partly in addition to the 104 banking relations already known to the authorities, banks announced 53 suspicious banking relations via the Anti-Money-Laundering-Framework of Switzerland,” the country's Attorney General Michael Lauber stated, according to AFP. Lauber praised banks for reporting the “suspicious” transactions, but said a full investigation could take years. Some of the financial transactions are allegedly linked to FIFA World Cup bids, including those for the 2018 and 2022 games. According to Lauber, the investigation “does not exclude” FIFA's outgoing head Joseph Blatter from possible questioning, though he isn't under suspicion. Blatter announced plans to resign from his position at the soccer organization just days after being re-appointed as its head on May 30 during FIFA's annual congress. He is expected to step down by the end of the year, though earlier this week Blatter hinted he may reconsider.

Third Thinking Football Film Festival

Bilbao, February 2015

Thinking Football Film Festival is a film and football festival with a social theme organized by the Athletic Club Foundation and Sala BBK, with the collaboration of the Bilbao City council. The festival will be taking place between the 9th and 14th of February 2015 at Sala BBK, with free admission to all screenings.

The 2015 edition will be Thinking Football Film Festival’s third edition. In it, ten documentary films originating from countries such as Brazil, France, Germany, the United States, Poland or United Kingdom will be presented. These films address the social and political role of soccer players and clubs; soccer as the articulator of social inclusion, the use of soccer by political authorities, et cetera. Most of these documentaries are yet unpublished in Spain and are presented in S.O.V.

As every year, thanks to the viewers’ participation, the Audience Award to the best film, endowed with an economic prize that the director of the winning film will have to donate to a social project related to the sport, will be awarded. Previous years’ winners are the films Football Rebels (Gilles Perez and Gilles Rof, France, 2012), in the 2013 edition, and Next Goal Wins (Mike Brett and Steve Jamison, England, 2014) in 2014.

Livorno and communism

The Amaranto’s fans have led fundraising initiatives after earthquakes in L’Aquila and Haiti, voiced their sympathy with Palestinian and Irish nationalists and unveiled birthday messages to Joseph Stalin and Fidel Castro.

By Greg Lea

At first glance, a trip to Livorno’s Stadio Armando Picchi appears to be an ordinary footballing experience. The 19,000-capacity arena may rarely sell out, but the area behind one goal is invariably densely populated with Livorno’s most vociferous followers, who congregate there to sing songs, display banners and wave flags.

So far, so normal. Yet on closer inspection, there is nothing conventional about Livorno’s supporters at all. The songs they sing do not just hail their star striker’s goalscoring abilities, they praise Che Guevara’s revolutionary spirit. The banners they display do not just disparage their rivals, they express solidarity with their employment troubles. The flags they wave are not Tuscan or Italian, but Cuban and Soviet Russian. Livorno fans are proudly Communist, and their home matches are used as an opportunity to show it.

Italy only became a united nation in 1861, and Livorno’s own history is perfectly representative of the country’s previous existence as a patchwork of competing city-states ruled by different dynasties. Built as a coastal fortress to protect the powerful Pisans from attack in the eleventh century, Livorno went on to be owned by Genoa and Florence before becoming a city in its own right.

It was in its period under Florentine ownership that today’s left-leaning political tendencies began to surface: the Medici family, who ruled the Republic of Florence for four centuries from the 1300s, built a new port in Livorno to improve trade and encouraged merchant workers from any background to move into the city and make it their home. Jews, Turks, Persians, Moors, Greeks and Armenians all did exactly that, creating a cosmopolitan mix of different ethnicities and religions; despite the diverse backgrounds, a strong sense of camaraderie and unity was soon fostered among the new Livornese citizens, the majority of whom worked long, hard days as dockers or fishermen. The workers were not afraid to protest against their wealthy bosses if they felt they were being unfairly treated, and when the unification of Italy led to Livorno losing its status as a free port, the people of the city demonstrated their inclination for activism by vocally challenging the decision in public.

It was within this political setting and social context that the Italian Communist Party formed in Livorno in 1921. Antonio Gramsci and Amadeo Bordiga, disenchanted members of the Partito Socialista, broke away to form the new group, deliberately choosing a birthplace where their cause would garner instant support. The party was banned by Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime a few years later, but went on – along with the city of its inception – to play a key role in the nation’s resistance movement. Even today, Livorno regularly elects far-left candidates in both regional and national ballots, its socialist identity now firmly entrenched.

The politicisation of football fan groups in Italy is a direct result of the country’s regionalism and post-Second World War history. From 1946 to 1992, the Christian Democratic party won the most votes in every single election for both of the country’s legislative chambers, their centrist positioning and catch-all nature allowing them to appeal to constituents from right across the political spectrum.

As time wore on, this led to disillusionment and frustration among sections of the electorate: the broad church setup of the Christian Democrats combined with the inevitability of their success meant that citizens felt their views were not being truly represented, and everyday life became increasingly politicised as people sought other outlets for their ideological beliefs. Football became one of the principal vehicles for expression, and clubs’ ultras began to revive or intensify political identities based on their town or city’s unique social history.

This helps to explain the atmosphere at Livorno matches, which are about far more than just the football. Aside from the aforementioned songs, banners and flags, the Amaranto’s fans have led fundraising initiatives after earthquakes in L’Aquila and Haiti, voiced their sympathy with Palestinian and Irish nationalists and unveiled birthday messages to Joseph Stalin and Fidel Castro. They have also developed friendships with the fellow left-wing fanbases of Marseille, Besiktas, St Pauli, Celtic and AEK Athens, while fierce rivalries exist with Italian sides Lazio and Verona, whose followers tend to be on the far-right. These relationships reinforce Livorno’s political character, and it is now very difficult to envisage a dilution or fragmentation of their collective identity.

Most young fans dream of one day representing their childhood club, and Cristiano Lucarelli was no exception. Born in Livorno in 1975, Lucarelli realised his lifelong ambition in 2003 when he signed for his hometown club from Torino, taking a £350,000 pay cut and dropping down a division to do so. “Some players buy a yacht or Ferrari [with their wages]”, the striker explained shortly after joining. “I just bought a Livorno shirt”.

Lucarelli was a hero to the Livornese public not just because of his on-field exploits – the target man netted 102 goals in 174 league games across two spells – but due to his political and social beliefs and willingness to voice them.  He introduced himself to the Italian public by revealing a Che Guevara t-shirt after scoring in an under-21 international against Moldova, an action that saw him ostracised from the Italy setup as the football authorities tried to steer clear of unnecessary controversy.

A particularly good domestic performance was dedicated to 400 sacked Florentine factory workers, meanwhile, and the number 99 jersey Lucarelli – who used the socialist anthem ‘Red Flag’ as his ringtone – adorned at Livorno was a tribute to the club’s leftist ultra group, the Brigate Autonome Livornese, who were formed in 1999. Lucarelli was the perfect embodiment of what it meant to be from Livorno, and the fans loved him for it.

Relegated back to Serie B from Italy’s top-flight last season, Livorno and their fans will be under much less scrutiny this campaign. Their worshipping of Castro and Guevara and pledges of solidarity with proletarians across the world are definitely not for show, though, and the dogmatic affirmations would likely continue even if they were the only people inside the stadium.

The fans’ actions have occasionally landed the club in trouble in the past – the booing by some supporters during a tribute to Italian troops killed in Iraq led to widespread condemnation, despite Livorno fans insisting that they were merely voicing their disapproval at Italy’s involvement in the war – but, for better or worse, the Amaranto are unlikely to tone down their public avowals of the Livornese political creed any time soon. The football may not always sparkle and Livorno certainly lose their fair share of games but, according to the club’s followers and the famous Chilean communist song, ‘the people united will never be defeated’.

Borussia Dortmund fans make incredible stand against racism

Borussia Dortmund supporters receive praise for huge anti-discrimination tifos

By Eurosport

And times, by their standards, are currently tough, with Juergen Klopp's side struggling in the Bundesliga.

But that didn't stop the home fans unveiling several huge tifos during the match against Hannover, attacking racists, Nazis and homophobes in football, making it perfectly clear that discrimination will not be tolerated by these ultras.

The statement is particularly pertinent at a time when far-right parties are on the rise in Europe. Of course Germany's history makes it a particularly sensitive topic for them.

Dortmund's fans even received a DFB award for their behaviour, with the club explaining the stance in detail on its website:

"During last weekend’s home game against Hannover 96, BVB fans made a clear statement against right-wing extremism.
"In the away game in Cologne, BVB fans were already holding up posters with clear messages against xenophobia and discrimination. Whether these banners were from individuals or groups doesn’t matter at all.

"What is important is the message, which is strongly welcomed by BVB’s fan and funding department."

FIFA continues to talk World Cup turf, players' lawyer wants to discuss alternatives

By Neil Davidson
The Canadian Press

Alex Morgan

Lawyers for a group of elite players opposed to playing the 2015 Women's World Cup on artificial turf say FIFA's own timetable shows there is plenty of time to resolve the issue ahead of the showcase soccer tournament.

Lawyer Hampton Dellinger pointed to a story on the FIFA website on the FIFA inspection tour that wrapped up Tuesday in Vancouver that said "all certification steps for stadium pitches are expected to be completed by early 2015."

That "supports our position that there's plenty of time to come up with a reasonable solution," Dellinger said in an interview.

"They can't say today that these fields are acceptable," he added. "So that really, in a way, provides an opportunity for the two sides to come together as we have tried to do, and work this out."

As the inspection tour concluded, FIFA gave a thumbs-up to Canada's tournament preparations.

"Canada is well on track," said Tatjana Haenni, FIFA's deputy director of the competitions division and head of women's competitions.

"We've inspected the six stadiums, and overall, we are pleased with Canada's readiness."

The tour, which included stops in Ottawa, Moncton, Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver, took place against a backdrop of protest over artificial turf.

The group of players filed a lawsuit with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal claiming that playing the tournament on artificial grass amounts to gender discrimination under Canadian law. Men have always played the World Cup on natural grass surfaces.

FIFA, meanwhile, took advantage of the Canadian inspection tour to reiterate that the tournament will be played on approved artificial playing surfaces.

"We play on artificial turf and there's no Plan B,'' Haenni told The Canadian Press.

The players' brief suggests that tournament venues in Vancouver (B.C. Place Stadium), Edmonton (Commonwealth Stadium), Ottawa (TD Place Stadium) and Winnipeg (Investors Group Field) replace their turf with permanent or temporary grass pitches.

Games at Olympic Stadium in Montreal should be moved to Saputo Stadium, which has real grass, or a temporary grass surface could be installed. The brief also calls for a temporary grass surface at Moncton Stadium.

The players' side say it would cost $2 million to $3 million at most.

And Rocky Collis, a member of Dellinger's legal team, said solutions to the turf issue could be accomplished in some three months. "So we have plenty of time before next summer's World Cup," he added.

FIFA, however, seems set in its approach.

The story Tuesday on the FIFA website said "quality football turf is an essential component of this competition and the NOC's (national organizing committee) efforts to promote and grow the beautiful game in Canada."

An independent consultant accompanied the FIFA delegation in Canada to inspect the six stadiums' playing surfaces to ensure they meet FIFA's football turf requirements.

"Additionally, the NOC has engaged a certified testing agency, which is currently testing all stadium pitches to ensure that the performance standards of the FIFA 2-Star program are met in all venues," said the FIFA story.

Peter Montopoli, CEO of the national organizing committee and general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association, was quoted on the FIFA website saying the 24 World Cup teams "will benefit from consistent, quality playing surfaces ensuring an equitable opportunity to achieve their best performance."

The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has given FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association a Thursday deadline to respond to the players' request for an expedited hearing.

The tribunal may still deny the players' request for a fast-tracked hearing. It has also asked the CSA and FIFA to file their response to the players' complaint by Nov. 6.

"We hope and assume that FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association won't seek to delay or engage in gamesmanship or stalling tactics," said Dellinger. "Surely they must have thought about how they could defend what we think is insensible. And I think they owe it not only to the players and of course the tribunal but to the public to explain why in the world they want to put a World Cup on a second-class surface."

The European Synthetic Turf Organization weighed in last Friday. The trade and consumer body for synthetic turf issued a news release from Brussels to disagree with the players' lawsuit.

"There is no discrimination. More that synthetic turf improves access and performance at all levels and genders," the release said.

North Korea beat South to make final

Asian Games/Football

North Korea beat hosts and arch-rivals South Korea 2-1 with an injury-time goal Monday to set up a priceless chance for revenge against Japan in the Asian Games women's football final.

Substitute Ho Un-Byol seized on a defensive error to fire in the winning goal just seconds from the end. North Korean tears of joy were matched by the South's cries of desperation.

Japan hammered Vietnam 3-0 in their semi-final.

A bizarrely divided Korean crowd cheered on the two sides as they met for the first time in an Asian Games semi-final.

About 1,000 older supporters of the South Korean hosts were matched by another 1,000 middle-aged members of a cheer squad for North Korea and demanding reunification of the peninsula torn apart since the 1950-53 Korean War.

AFP

A Celtic message to Palestine

Football fans known for identifying with left-wing Irish causes express solidarity with hunger strikers in Israeli jail.

Andrew McFadyen
Aljazeera

On the final day of the Scottish football season, one of the biggest crowds in Europe turned up to watch Celtic FC being crowned champions.

Nearly 60,000 fans danced and sang as their heroes demolished Edinburgh club Heart of Midlothian 5-0. Anthems such as "You’ll Never Walk Alone" and "The Celtic Song" mingled with tributes to players past and present.

Then something different happened. For a few minutes, in one corner of the stadium, a flurry of Palestinian flags flew proudly amidst the green and white colours of the home supporters.

A banner appeared reading: "Dignity is More Precious than Food."

This display of support for Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli jails was organised by members of the Green Brigade, a well-known "ultras" group who describe themselves as left-wing, anti-racist and anti-sectarian.

An unnamed spokesman told the "We are all Hana Shalabi" website: "We did this in solidarity, to raise awareness and because it's the right thing to do. We want Palestinians to know we are thinking about them and encourage Scottish civil society to look at the injustice in Palestine."

Palestinian and Basque flags have been flown at Celtic Park since at least the 1980s. Celtic's identification with left-wing causes is said to reflect the sometimes bitter experience of the Scots-Irish community from which it sprang.

For most of the 20th century, Irish immigrants to Scotland faced prejudice and discrimination. Catholics were excluded from skilled trades and denied jobs in many of Glasgow's shipyards and engineering workshops.

Celtic's great rivals, Rangers, the club of the Scottish Protestant establishment, reflected this intolerance with their own sectarian signing policy - refusing to enlist Catholic players - a policy which continued well into the 1980s.

Historian David Potter, who has written over 20 books about Celtic, told Al Jazeera that their success "provided a rallying point for the Irish community and gave them their self-respect".

Many Celtic fans today regard the Palestinian struggle for national freedom and equality as similar to their own.

Potter commented: "Ulster and Israel are similarly artificially created states. They were created by the British as an attempt to retain their influence, even if this was at the expense of naked and brutal suppression of those who disagreed."

On the other side of the city, Rangers fans fly the Israeli flag alongside the Union Jack.

Some Ulster Unionists make a connection between their own minority status on the island of Ireland and Israel, standing alone against its foes in a hostile region.

Other Rangers supporters fly the Star of David as a tribute to the club's former Israeli defender, Avi Cohen, who died tragically young in a motorcycle accident in 2010.

However, Alasdair McKillop from the Rangers Supporters Trust says the Israeli flags at Ibrox are largely a manifestation of the tit-for-tat dynamics of Glasgow's intense football rivalry.

He told Al Jazeera: "I don't think many Rangers fans would list 'support for Israel' if you asked them what they thought it meant to be a Rangers fan. But in the world of Rangers and Celtic, every action has an equal and opposite reaction."

The sporting significance of this cultural divide is likely to grow, as Palestine's national team attempts to qualify for major tournaments and Israel looks forward to hosting the UEFA Under-23 Championship in 2013.

Palestine was accepted as a FIFA member in 1998, after the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Nabhan Khraishi, spokesman for the Palestinian Football Association, said they are "using sport to deliver a message to the world".

A national team is a powerful symbol among a nation without a state, but progress has been difficult. In 2009, three Palestinian footballers, Ayman Alkurd, Shadi Sbakhe and Wajeh Moshtahe were among those killed during the bombing of Gaza.

The National Stadium and the offices of the Palestinian Football Association were also destroyed.

"We are facing harassment from the Israelis," Khraishi told Al Jazeera. "Our players - and even our technical teams - are not allowed to move freely between Gaza and the West Bank, and are held up at international borders."

When Palestine played their first competitive home international last year, an Olympic qualifier against Thailand, eight Gaza-based players were stopped from making the short journey to Ramallah for the match.

"We are asking international organisations to pressure Israel to allow us freedom of movement," said Khraishi. "We are appealing to all sports clubs to stand with us."

Amir Ofek, press attache at the Israeli embassy in London, denied that Israel was deliberately targeting players. He told Al Jazeera that "almost-daily missile attacks" launched on Israel from Gaza were the only reason for imposing travel restrictions on Palestinians.

He added that Israel had the right to control who and what entered the Palestinian territories because of the security situation - and that it had to conduct checks to stop materials being brought in that could potentially be used for "hostile activity".

Most pressing of all is the case of Palestinian footballer, Mahmoud Sarsak, whose life is said to be at grave risk after beginning a hunger strike on March 19.

Sarsak is one of 300 Palestinian prisoners being held under "administrative detention", a procedure used to hold suspects for potentially unlimited time without trial.

He has been in Israeli custody since July 2009, when he was detained at a checkpoint as he travelled from his home in Gaza to join the Palestinian national squad for a match at the Balata Refugee Camp in the northern West Bank.

The recent wave of hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners has mobilised widespread support and cut across differences of faith and geography. There are now wider calls from civic Scotland for a sporting boycott of Israel.

Pauline McNeill, a former member of the Scottish parliament and a prominent pro-Palestinian activist, told Al Jazeera that UEFA should reconsider its decision to hold its Under-23 Championship in Israel in 2013.

"Nelson Mandela said the sporting boycott was hugely significant in breaking the Apartheid Regime in South Africa," she said. "I believe it is time to make a stand that this is unacceptable. Amongst other things I believe that UEFA should not endorse the actions of Israel by playing the tournament in Israel as if it's just business as usual."

The new Scottish football season kicks-off in August. There are growing fears that Mahmoud Sarsak may never play again.

*Publicado originalmente en www.aljazeera.com en junio del 2012

Hinchas solidarios con Palestina

Manifestaciones de apoyo al pueblo palestino de parte de hinchadas de fútbol de todo el mundo. 

La solidaridad presente en las tribunas luego del criminal ataque de Israel contra el pueblo de la Franja de Gaza, que deja cientos de víctimas mortales.

Cliftonville FC, Belfast

"Stop the genocide in Gaza". Gate 9 (Omonia)

"Free Palestine". Green Brigade (Celtic)

"Free Gaza". Kolectivo Sur (Xerez Deportivo)

"Palestina resiste". Rexixtenxia Norte (Medellín)

"From the river to the sea. Palestina will be free". (Ultras del Al Ahly)

"Palestina resiste". La Guardia (Santa Fe)

"Palestina libre". (Hinchas de Millonarios)

"Free Palestine". (Paok)

"Gooners against apartheid". (Hinchas de Arsenal)

Si tienes más fotos de solidaridad con Palestina, puedes enviarlas a futbolrebelde@gmail.com

Refugiados de Medio Oriente se unen por el fútbol

El fútbol rompe barreras entre jóvenes palestinos, sirios y jordanos en el campo de refugiados de Baqa'a, Jordania.

Por Oxfam

En junio de 2014, un grupo de trabajadores y trabajadoras de Oxfam organizó en Jordania un torneo de fútbol para los jóvenes del campo de refugiados palestinos en Baqa'a y sus alrededores. En las últimas semanas, la fiebre por la Copa Mundial de Fútbol ha invadido el mundo entero. Sin embargo, para estos jugadores, hay mucho más en juego que un simple trofeo. Con este vídeo comprenderás por qué...

La crisis de refugiados provocada por el conflicto que asola Siria está teniendo un enorme impacto social en los países vecinos. En un intento de fortalecer la confianza y la amistad entre tres comunidades distintas que ahora viven muy cerca y se ven obligadas a compartir unos recursos muy limitados, Oxfam invitó a chicos de la comunidad jordana local y de las comunidades de refugiados de Siria y Palestina a participar en este torneo.

Jordania se ha convertido en el hogar de casi 600.000 refugiados que han huido del brutal conflicto de Siria y la presión que esto ha supuesto en las infraestructuras y servicios públicos del país es manifiesta.

Aunque las noticias a menudo muestran imágenes del atestado campo de Za'atari, más del 80% de las personas que han cruzado la frontera vive en comunidades de acogida, fuera del campo de refugiados. Los refugiados sirios que viven en los alrededores de las ciudades y de los pueblos no pueden trabajar y, por tanto, se ven obligados a depender de la ayuda humanitaria. En estas circunstancias, no existe un entorno tranquilo en el que los niños y las niñas puedan jugar, reír y hacer nuevas amistades.

Darles la oportunidad de conversar, correr y competir entre ellos les aleja momentáneamente de las presiones del mundo de adultos y de divisiones que les rodea. No importa qué equipo gane. Todos los niños terminan el día con una sonrisa en su rostro.