A Finnish professor who has written a book about football as a tool of power also believes that the demands for a boycott are increasing, but it is a different matter how many of them will be fulfilled.
Russia launched an early attack on various parts of Ukraine on Thursday. President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday morning that Russia would launch a military operation in eastern Ukraine. According to Ukraine, Russia has started a full-scale war against Ukraine.
Russia’s attack also affects the world of sports. The Swedish cross-country team will not compete in the World Cup final weekend if the competition is held according to plan in Tyumen, Russia on March 18-20.
Of the individual athletes, at least the Norwegian ski king Johannes Hösflot Kläbo and Finnish skiers Jasmi Joensuu mixed Katri Lylynperä have announced that they do not plan to travel to Russia if the Games are held in Tyumen.
The government of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association has unanimously decided to withdraw from the World Ice Hockey Championships in Russia in March. In addition to the men’s World Cup, the decision applies to the P17 national team World Cup.
The F1 world in particular has taken a stand Sebastian Vettelwho said he did not intend to compete in the Sochi GP, which is scheduled to take place in September.
“I don’t think the sports world does anything terrible on its own initiative”
Vesa Varesa professor of political history at the University of Turku, comments to Urheilu that he will not say or give individual instructions on how the international sports community should react to the situation.
– Yes, individual voices have already risen. The Manchester United team has already missed an Aeroflot flight and for the Jokers, fans have demanded to leave KHL. It is to be expected that there will be demands for some degree of boycotts and others.
ManU canceled its flight to Spain from the Russian company Aeroflot. In general, ManU has traveled to its matches in Europe on an Aeroflot charter plane, The Athletic says.
Vares has written the book Lord of the Ball – The Power and Enchantment of the Royal Species (2018, Ottawa). In it, the Doctor of Political Science viewed football not only as an instrument of the exercise of power, but also as a means of fighting for democracy and national rights.
The book was published before the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Both the World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have been questioned from a political and human rights perspective.
Vares recalls how Yugoslavia was excluded from the European Championships in the early 1990s. Due to the war situation in the Balkans, the UN punished Yugoslavia and therefore the national football team was also excluded from the 1992 European Championships.
– I would be quite surprised if the demands did not start to rise, that the sports world must also react. It is then another matter how much they materialize, Vares reflects on the current crisis.
There will be significant competitions and events in Russia in the coming months. Can they be held there in this world situation?
– At least Russia is working to ensure that they are held normally. I think it will depend on how much is going on in politics in general. If this becomes a very widespread resentment and a lot of sanctions and others, then it may be that the sport is going after it too. But hard to predict yet at this point. However, because I don’t think the sports world itself is doing anything terrible on its own initiative.
Vares bases his view on a cliché often emphasized by sports bosses.
– The world of sports always emphasizes that sport and politics should not be confused. That we just do sports. So because of that, I don’t expect them to be terribly sensitive to going for any boycotts themselves.
That’s why Vares believes the pressure should come from outside the sports world. Public opinion should be so strong that sport must also react. In the end, a lot is also about the economy.
– The supporters of the Jokers wanted the club to leave KHL, so the answer was that there are these agreements that are binding. Many things also have financial consequences. However, if someone has been given the races, it is quite difficult to take them away.
– However, not impossible. After all, the World Hockey Championships were taken out of Belarus at very short notice. And if you think about the final of the Champions League, that’s just a single event. Moving it to another location is certainly not practically impossible or even difficult, but it does require political impetus from something.
How should Russian athletes abroad be treated when they represent their country?
– I don’t think there would be any worse protests against athletes. There may, of course, be some themed posters in the auditoriums. Personally, for example, I remember when I was watching the Finland-Ukraine game in 2017 (World Cup qualifier), so there were posters for Ukrainian supporters that read “Ukraine is the 21st century Mannerheim line” in English. It was then moved a little further after half-time.
– Of course, there may be something like this, but the athletes are certainly very loyal to each other. No other athlete will ever blame his or her rival for what this government does. Now, I don’t think there would be such terrible passions in the audience either. Yes, I believe that the Russians are competing and are treated normally.
Jokers to leave mid-season, according to MTV – Several media outlets report the transfer of the Champions League final
During Wednesday MTV reports (you switch to another service) based on its own sources, the Helsinki Jokers have decided to leave the hockey league in the KHL season. According to MTV, the club made the decision after Russia invaded Ukraine.
MTV writes that the Jokerit will report on the matter either on Thursday or no later than Friday. The Jokers were scheduled to start the KHL playoffs with two home games against Spartak Moscow in early March.
Among other things BBC News (switch to another service) in turn, that the European Football Association Uefa will pull the final of the Football Champions League away from St. Petersburg. According to the news, the decision will be confirmed at the Uefa emergency meeting on Friday, which will begin at 11 a.m. Finnish time.
The final of the Champions League is scheduled for May 28 in St. Petersburg.
The Polish, Czech and Swedish football associations issued a joint statement urging the International Football Association Fifa to withdraw the World Cup qualifiers from Russia.
Russia is scheduled to play at least one men’s World Cup qualifier in March. Russia will face Poland in the qualifiers on March 24, and with a win, it will host Sweden or the Czech Republic in the crucial qualifiers on March 29.