War Against Ukraine: Appeasement Is Over

Anyone who previously thought of sport and human rights was not heard. Russia's war is changing that. The lesson is clear: new principles are needed.

Like no other country, Russia has used sport to gain influence. Vladimir Putin's people head sports associations. With Gazprom, a Russian state-owned company is presenting two of the continent's most important competitions, the Champions League and the European Football Championship. And a Russian oligarch owns the current Champions League winners, Chelsea FC.

Well, after the bombs fell on Ukraine, some in sports woke up. Finally, Those who called for human rights and morality in sport and warned against the influence of autocrats in sport were right. Even those who never wanted to understand it seem to understand it now.

First measures

The European football association Uefa takes the Champions League final away from St. Petersburg and is considering parting with the main sponsor Gazprom. Just like Schalke 04. Because the football associations from Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic will not play against Russia in the crucial games for the World Cup qualification, Fifa will have to position itself soon. Significantly stronger than she did before. 

FIFA Under Pressure

The IOC could also do a lot more, but at least calls on all sports associations to move events from Russia and Belarus. Even Formula 1, which has placed its income before all concerns like no other sports organization, will not come to Sochi in 2022. 

The lesson is clear: the big players in sport have to develop a new attitude. You have to pay attention to demands from human rights organizations. Sponsor selection and tournament awards need clear criteria. Anyone who ignores this in the future has ignored the Russian war and the suffering in Ukraine. If EU countries even block their airspace for Russia, can sports associations be powerless?

For the duration of the war, it is also unavoidable to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes from world and European championships, even if they cannot help the madness of Putin's war of aggression. Russia and Belarus must feel everywhere how unforgivable their actions are.

The "sportswashing" works

It was clear that the sport would find it difficult to act consistently. That is one of the goals of sportswashing. Sport is used by authoritarian states. money for access. money for image. Money brings success, success triggers emotions, emotions make you forget where it came from. And the sport has played along for decades. Football is ingloriously at the forefront: the states of Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan and investors from China sit on the executive floors of large European clubs or are essential sponsors.

UEFA Withdraws Hosting Champions League Final From Russia

Putin was also courted, a few days ago he was still sitting in the VIP stand in Beijing's Olympic Stadium. Although he hasn't hidden the fact that every means is right for him, even in sports. In 2014, he invited the world to the Olympics to betray them as hosts with a state-orchestrated doping regime. While the games were still going on, the occupation of Crimea began. The illegal annexation of Ukrainian national territory was not followed by an exclusion from world sport, but by the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "The world has formed a bond of friendship with Russia that will last forever," Fifa President Gianni Infantino said afterwards while sitting with Putin. At the time, that sounded ridiculous. Today we know: This is how appeasement works. That's how trivialization works.

The sport has let itself be used

World Championships in Russia and Qatar, Olympic Games in Sochi and twice in Beijing: This was argued with great rhetorical contortions. The sport is apolitical, the associations said. And with its attention, sport helps to point out problems in a country. In any case, these two beliefs, which also contradict each other, only applied to those who closed their eyes and ears tightly. At least since Putin invaded Ukraine, they can no longer apply to anyone. 

Russia - Ukraine Conflict

It's not just Russia either. Saudi Arabia, owners of Newcastle United, are also flying attack after attack in Yemen. The United Arab Emirates, the owners of Manchester City, abstained from voting on the resolution in the UN Security Council. The motion to condemn the Russian aggression failed.

The fact that many in the West say that the attack on Ukraine was not considered possible may also have a small part to do with sport. Finally, Putin showed himself to be a friend and supporter of sport, of peaceful competition. Now the tanks are rolling, the bombs are falling. The sport has let itself be used, the reactions now come too late.

But no one can shirk the debates about sport and human rights anymore. Those who don't want their club to throw all morals overboard once money is on the table need to be loud. Athletes who do not want to be part of an amoral system need to feel that they are being listened to. 

It's sad to have to write this at all: In the future, everyone who links human rights and sport must be taken seriously. That should be the lesson for the sport from the Russian war.

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