It’s great that famous athletes take a stand on issues that are important to them. It happens all too rarely, writes Riku Porvari.
Riku Porvari sports reporter
Kylian Mbappé, Oleksander Zinchenko and Tim Sparv. Many things unite this trio.
They are soccer players and have captained their national teams in the European Championship. Besides these, they are all athletes with an opinion.
It is often said that politics and sports should not be mixed. However, elite sports are extremely political.
The state pays 13 million euros for one Olympic medal. Dictators offer circus entertainment to the people in their sports clubs instead of bread. Sheiks and oligarchs use their money to buy new players. The state is excluded from the value contest because it is waging a war of aggression.
Elsewhere, a football player is fined for a nationalistic hand sign.
Sports are also constantly used as a soft tool for political influence, such as to polish the public image of states. Sports washing is featured even more.
Silence is influence
They say athletes should focus on sports and keep quiet.
Few things are as political as silence. For example, in democratic elections, one of the most interesting topics of discussion is voter turnout.
We are always reminded that not having an opinion is an opinion. Silence is influence.
Even though the image is a little broken, there is still an attempt to erase anything socially influential from the athletes’ opinions. Fortunately, Mbappé, Zinchenko and Sparv have taken a stand on matters important to them.
The French Mbappé wants to prevent the far-right from rising to power in his home country. The Ukrainian Zinchenko speaks highly of the people who defend the independence of his country.
Finnish Sparv opposes, among other things, racism, homophobia and the killing of numerous migrant workers at competition venues. The former captain of the Finnish national team the statements about the World Cup in Qatar were taken into account internationally.
Despite the opposition, the World Cup in Qatar was organized as planned. The impact of Mbappé’s exit will be measured in the French parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7.
Role models for young people can have a huge impact
Top athletes, and especially world-famous soccer players, have enormous visibility.
Their influence on young people, for example, is significant. It is so great, in fact, that the opinion of the favorite may override the authority of a parent or teacher.
However, expressing opinions can cause problems for athletes. The feedback is often already extremely negative and belittling.
With the wrong opinion, commercial collaborations may end or the player’s contract may be terminated. Concentrating on sports can really take a toll.
Still, it’s great that famous athletes take a stand on issues that are important to them. It happens far too rarely.