Brazil's World Cup has been stolen – FIFA pay your taxes

Give my goals to a better world hopes to launch its own campaign over the coming months linking sport and social justice. However, until that is ready to be launched the blog is supporting a campaign being run by InspirAction, Christian Aid’s Spanish organisation. The campaign is about closing the tax breaks given to FIFA and its multinational sponsors in future World Cups. You can take action here and more information can be found below. I hope you will support this important campaign.

FOUL PLAY

Brazil's World Cup has been stolen.

It doesn’t matter that Brazil is the world's seventh largest economy in 2013, or that it has one of the best football teams in the world. No last-minute wonder goal will rescue the trophy this time round.

Nelson Mandela once said “sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” This is true, sport can have this power.

FIFA, football’s governing body, has imposed conditions on Brazil as hosts of the World Cup, which grant huge tax breaks to the World Cup Sponsors. This means Brazilians will lose €200 million that could otherwise help  lift millions of Brazilians out of poverty. This lost tax monies could help improve basic public services like healthcare, education and sanitation.

And it’s the poorest people who suffer the most

Mr Joseph S. Blatter, president of FIFA, can be an example and demonstrate that the game can be played differently. Ask Mr Blatter to give tax breaks for the World Cup sponsors the red card, and never impose these rules on World Cup host countries in the future.

Take action

This is a clear example of how the eradication of poverty and inequality is a political decision.  Mr. Joseph S. Blatter, president of FIFA, can be an example and demonstrate that the game can be played differently. Ask Mr. Blatter to give tax breaks for the World Cup sponsors the red card, and never impose these rules on World Cup host countries in the future.  Take action here.

Allez les Algériens! – Algeria shining a light on why football is more than a game in North Africa

Zinedine Zidane, December 2013: “Algeria might, I hope, create a surprise.”

Like many neutrals, I was shocked and delighted in equal measure with Algeria’s 1-1 draw against Capello’s lack lustre Russian side. This was not any draw, it secured Algeria’s progress into the last 16 of the tournament for the first time in their history. Many have highlighted the poignancy of them now playing Germany in the next round. The two teams famously met in the 1982 World Cup, when Algeria completed one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history with a 2-1 win over West Germany - then the European champions. 

Algeria finished with two wins and a defeat from their three matches, which they completed before West Germany and Austria met in the final group game. A 1-0 win for the Germans would take both sides through at the expense of Algeria, and that was how the match turned out. 

It also shines the light on the role of colonialism and its effects on diaspora, with the majority of the Algerian squad being born outside of Algeria (overwhelmingly in France). Interestingly Karim Benzema, possibly the most in form striker of the tournament, would have also been eligible to play for Algeria if he had not opted to play for France.

Even though these two points alone would merit an interesting blog piece I am going to focus on Algeria’s multi identity and how it links to other football fans around the world. Algeria must be a nation which captures multiplicity of identities shown by the reaction on twitter, the Fenec Foxes do not just represent the citizens of Algeria but they also represent Africa, the Middle East (Arabs and non-Arabs) as well as being taken to heart by the world’s Muslim community (and many non-Muslims such as myself). 

The Agerian defender Sofiane Feghouli stated soon after gaining qualification that: "This win is for all the Algerians, all the Arabs and all the Muslims."

The passion of the Algerian fans has also played an important role in gaining support for the national team with widespread celebrations seen in and out of the stadium. However, other North African and Middle Eastern fans have been involved in issues even more important than the World Cup victories “the fight for freedom." Football club Ultra’s in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey have played key roles in anti-authoritarian protests.

Unlike the right wing nature of Ultra groups in Europe the North African and Middle Eastern Ultras were anti-authoritarian and anti-commercial. They stood for collectivism and resistance.

“I made my first steps into politics in 2000,” Mohamed Gamal Besheer, godfather of the Egyptian ultra movement and author of Kitab Al Ultras (The Ultras Book).

“I was against corruption and the regime and for human rights. Radical anarchism was my creed. Ultras ignore the system. You do your own system because you already own the game. We see ourselves as organisers of anarchy. Our power was focused on organising our system.”

Originally the Ultra groups were not overtly political but places where ordinary people culturally resisted their governments. There were often public shows of dissent such as the lighting of flares (remember this is within a totalitarian regime where all dissent is crushed) and singing pro-Palestinian songs.

The events of the 2011 Arab Spring further politicised the Ultras and transformed them into revolutionary actors. The fans history of conflict with the military police within a football context was perfect experience for when the revolution spilled out on to the streets. The Football Ultras along with liberals and leftists played an important role in bringing governments down in Egypt and Tunisia and were leading actors in Turkey’s now infamous Taksim square protests.

The story of what happened in Egypt is more poignant. When the Egyptian football league restarted 61 days after President Mubarak’s removal, Cairo’s Military stadium was crowded with 7,000 Al-Ahly (Egypt’s most popular team) fans who waved Tunisian, Libyan and Palestinian flags and chanted revolutionary slogans.

The sense of triumph, rather like the Egyptian revolution itself, did not last. On February 1, 2012, armed men entered the away stands at the end of a match between Al-Ahly and Al-Masry in Port Said, killing 74 fans and injuring more than 1,000. Many fans and outside observers believe the violence was premeditated and politically motivated by Egypt’s ‘secret state’; the army and police force wanting revenge for their role in bringing down Mubarak. These forces are now firmly back in power under the leadership of General Sisi. Even though things look bleak for pro revolutionary forces in Egypt, the Ultras have become a symbol of inspiration to many around the world including the previously mentioned Turkish Ultras and Ukrainian Ultras have also been involved in their respective revolutions. 

I think it would be appropriate for the World Cup to recognise the commitment of the fans that lost their lives fighting for freedom and help them receive justice. Hopefully Algeria’s progress will help shine a light on this important issue.

The French and Swiss National Teams - Indirectly Tackling Racism through Football

After watching the incredible France Vs Switzerland match, I decided to write a follow up blog to Who should I support in the World Cup? The original article can be found here.

Even though France were overwhelmingly the better team in the match, both national sides are significant for the same reason. Both countries have seen the rise of anti-immigration Far Right parties and policies in their country.  In last month’s European Union parliamentary election France’s Front National made sweeping gains.  The Front National’s campaign involved a staunch anti-immigration message and often highly xenophobic world views. Many commentators have also made reference to the Front National’s history of Nazi collaboration. 

Though not a member of the EU, Switzerland has recently been seen as a key testing ground and barometer for right-wing political gains, particularly in legislation aimed at Muslims and immigrants. Examples of this include the passage of laws banning minarets on mosques in 2009 and face veils in 2013. More recently, despite one in four citizens of Switzerland being from an immigrant background, a referendum was passed  demanding a quota for immigration be set, dramatically limiting the amount of new Swiss citizens. 

Many fellow travellers who hold left wing political views firmly believe that sport lies within the capitalist superstructure as a ‘bread and circus’ to distract the masses. I on the other hand feel that sport can play a central role in transforming society in a progressive direction. In the Swiss team they have five Switz-Albanian players, Granit Xhaka, Blerim Džemaili, Valon Behrami, Admir Mehmedi and in my opinion their best player Xherdan Shaqiri. Despite their defeat to France this team has led the national team to be rated in the top ten teams in the world despite Switzerland’s relatively small population and lack of elite competition like the Premier League in England. 

The French team are similarly peppered with first, second and third generation immigrants including France’s star stiker Karim Benzema whose grandfather was from Algeria and one of the most exciting prospects, Paul Pogba, is of Guinean decent. Both these players and the many other children of immigrants in the French team has helped propel the team to some of the most exciting football of the tournament. It is my belief that the success of these national teams can show case the benefits of multi–culturalism, which has become increasingly under attack over the last few years, as well as exposing the lies in the ideology of the far right not just in Switzerland and France but around the world. I believe both of these teams are worthy of my support.

Sócrates: the Brazilian footballer who gave his goals to a better world.

Give my goals to a better world was not only set up to highlight the links between sport and social justice. It is also a small tribute to the legendary footballer and socialist Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira. 

Sócrates was not only the captain of Brazil’s 1982 World Cup squad, a team that did not win the World Cup but is still widely seen as one of the best footballing teams of all time and a personification of the beautiful game, but also a medical doctor, a musician, an author, a news columnist, a political activist and a TV pundit. 

Sócrates played a leading role in challenging the Brazilian military dictatorship. During his time at Corinthians, he co-founded the Corinthians Democracy movement, in opposition to the then-ruling military government. Sócrates and his team mates protested against the regime's treatment of footballers, and showed support to the wider movement for democratisation, an example being the wearing of shirts with "Democracia" written on them during games. To put this bravery into context the dictatorship did not look kindly on any dissent and Socrates would have been arrested  instantly but for his poetic football skills and popularity with the wider public making him untouchable to the regime. 

Sócrates tragically died in 2011 at the young age of 57. Up until his death he remained a voice for social justice. When asked by the Guardian earlier in 2011 if the coming World Cup would help the poor of Brazil, Sócrates replied, “There will be lots of public money disappearing into people’s pockets. Stadiums will be built and they will stay there for the rest of their lives without anyone using them. It’s all about money. What we need to do is keep up public pressure for improvements in infrastructure, transport, sewerage, but I reckon it will be difficult…What needs to change here is the focus on development. We need to prioritise the human being. Sadly, in the globalised world, people don’t think about individuals as much as they think about money, the economy, etc.”

Sócrates continues as an inspiration to the millions of people around the world who strive for an equitable society, as well as influencing former and current players such as World Cup winner Romario and current Brazilian star Fred both of whom have recently spoken out in favour of Social Justice. Sócrates was a great man who gave his goals to a better world.

Who Should I Support in the World Cup? (When England Get Knocked Out)

As a liberal lefty I have always struggled with the notion of patriotism, which has traditionally left me with an uneasy relationship with the English national team. However, as I edge ever closer to my thirties, this relationship has become a lot easier. In fact I have come to positively embrace the English national team whilst keeping to my liberal and left wing beliefs.  As Blackburn Rovers (my team) for the first time in my memory do not have any players in any of the squads I have been frantically trying to decide which teams I should get behind if England were to go out. I have based my choices around my political beliefs so even though I have a soft spot for Brazil they do not make the list. Please let me know what you think.

Uruguay

Group: D

Key Player: Luis Suarez (Liverpool)

Reason for support: Possibly the most controversial inclusion in this list due to the fact they are in the same group as England and due to the ‘unsporting’ way they defeated Ghana in the last World Cup. However, there are many reasons to support them including the incredible Luis Suarez and the gentlemanly Diego Forlan. Another reason to include them is due to the countries politics and in particularly their President which particularly draws me to the national team. José Mujica has been President of Uruguay since 2010 which he has led in a left wing and progressive direction. The former left wing guerrilla fighter has been described as "the world's 'poorest' president", due to his austere lifestyle and his donation of around 90 percent of his $12,000 (£7,500) monthly salary to charities that benefit poor people and small entrepreneurs.

Ghana

Group: G

Key Player: Majeed Waris (Spartak Moscow)

Reason for support:  If Ghana’s pride and passion shown in the 2010 World Cup was not enough to lend your support there are several other reasons to support Ghana. The country has very low carbon emissions (Carbon emissions 2010 (metric tons per capita) – 0.4) as well as low military expenditure (Military expenditure 2012 (% of GDP) – 0.3). They were also the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from Britain in 1957. The newly self-governing nation changed its name from Gold Coast and adopted a flag that featured the tri-colour banner of Ethiopia and a black star that recalled Marcus Garvey’s philosophy of black self-sufficiency, race pride and pan-African unity. Playing for Ghana and wearing the black star was seen by many of the players as a sign of resistance to imperialism and African pride.

Cote D’Ivoire

Group: C

Key Player: Yaya Toure (Manchester City)

Reason for support: Ivory Coast have many of my favourite players in world football, including Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba, and I am excited to see them play together. There is also the story of how the national team led by Drogba played a vital role in bringing peace to their country. After the Ivory Coast qualified for the 2006 World Cup the team made a desperate plea to the combatants, asking them to lay down their arms, a plea which was answered with a cease fire after five years of civil war. Drogba later helped move an African Cup of Nations qualifier to the rebel and separatist stronghold of Bouake; a move that helped confirm the peace process by bringing the country together as the area rallied around the national team which they had previously felt isolated from. Ivory Coast also have the lowest carbon emissions of all the countries in the World Cup (Carbon emissions 2010 (metric tons per capita) – 0.3).

Ecuador

Group: E

Key Player: Antonio Valencia (Manchester United)

Reason for support: Of all the teams in my five, this is the team I know the least about (apart from what I have recently read and I am currently watching the England Vs Ecuador team as I type). So why have I included Ecuador in my list?  Well, it is mainly due to my admiration of their President Rafael Correa. In his previous Presidential term (he was re-elected in 2013) his administration saw unemployment fall to 4.1% – a record low for at least 25 years. Poverty fell by 27% since 2006. Public spending on education has more than doubled, in real (inflation-adjusted) terms. Increased healthcare spending has expanded access to medical care, and other social spending has also increased substantially, including a vast expansion of government-subsidised housing credit.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Group: F

Key Players: Edin Dzeko (Manchester City)

Reason for support: Bosnia & Herzegovina is definitely one of the most beautiful places I have had the joys to visit. This will be Bosnia’s first World Cup finals since Bosnia became an independent nation. Bosnia’s first XI would not be disgraced at any World Cup finals either. Up front they have Manchester City’s Edin Džeko and Stuttgart’s Vedad Ibišević to score the goals, Roma’s Miralem Pjanić provides the midfield guile and, in defence, captain Emir Spahić and goalkeeper Asmir Begović have raised a formidable barrier. 

Bosnia is a country which has been divided by war but is now being reunited by football.  Back in 1992 Bosnia declared independence. Bosnia was always a multi-ethnic nation within the Yugoslav republic; half-Bosnian Muslim and the rest largely Serb and Croat. But during the subsequent war it tore itself apart from the inside as communities turned on each other.

As many as 100,000 people died in two-and-a-half years, leaving behind familiar names for ever associated with bloodshed. There was, of course, the siege of Sarajevo, the longest in modern European warfare, and the massacre of Srebrenica, where 8,000 Bosnian men, from boys to pensioners, were murdered by a Serb militia.  The team is a true representative of the country as a whole with Asmir Begović’s family escaping whilst Džeko stayed and lived through the tragedy. The team have come on leaps and bounds as only fifteen years ago the players had to buy their own shirts. The new found uniting positivity brought to the country by the football team, which has had such a troubled past, is well worth supporting in my opinion.