In an open letter addressed to the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, the sports association is demanded to end its sponsorship agreement with the Saudi Arabian energy company.
14:27•Updated 14:43
A total of 106 professional soccer players demands in his open letter to the president of Fifa For Gianni Infantinothat the sports federation would end cooperation with Saudi Arabia’s oil and energy company Saudi Aramco.
A group of female soccer players is demanding that the international soccer federation end its cooperation with the world’s largest oil and energy company for several reasons. The letter emphasizes that the Saudi Arabian state company violates human rights in several ways, especially of women and various minorities.
Fifa signed a cooperation agreement with the Saudi Arabian company last spring that extends to 2027. With the agreement, Saudi Aramco received sponsorship rights for both the men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments.
The biggest reason is the person who published the letter Athletes of the World organization raises the energy company’s impact on climate change. According to the Athletes of the World organization, it acts as a platform for athletes in the fight against climate change.
– The sponsorship agreement with Aramco is a middle finger for women’s football, the title of the letter reads.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia, which has made significant investments in top sports and various prestigious competitions, has been accused of so-called sports laundering. This means polishing the state’s global image with the help of sports.
The trampling of human rights and climate change in the main
The letter mentions several cases of trampling on women’s rights in the country, referring to the prison sentences received by Saudi Arabian women. One case mentioned is when the government condemned a mother of two children who will be studying for a doctorate at the University of Leeds in January 2023 By Salma al-Shebab 27 years in prison and an equal travel ban from the country. Al-Shebab had re-shared a Twitter post calling for freedom of speech in the country.
In the letter, the football players also mention the difficult situation of sexual minorities in the country.
– Imagine that players belonging to sexual minorities, many of whom are heroes in our sport, are expected to promote Saudi Aramco at the 2027 World Cup. The state-owned oil company, whose owning administration has criminalized the relationships and values they represent, the letter reads.
According to the organization and the authors of the letter, the company is also one of the biggest reasons why the future of football is at stake due to the current change in climate. Also according to the independent think tank Carbon Tracker, Aramco is the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse emissions.
Several Finns joined in signing
The players who sent the open letter come from 24 different countries and they have represented their countries in a total of more than 2,300 international matches. There is, for example, a top striker Vivianne Miedema and captain of the Canadian national team Jessie Fleming.
Several Finnish professional players and a regular face of the Finnish women’s national team are also among the signatories.
The letter has been signed by, among others, the all-time best goal scorer of the Finnish national teams Linda Sällströmthe captain Tinja-Riikka Korpelarepresenting Real Sociedad San Franciscoof Vittsjö GIK Julia TunturiFC Nordsjaelland Emmi SirenIF Brommapojkarnan Anna Koivunen and IFK Norrköping Dana Leskinen. From outside the national team, Ilves of Tampere Delay Spets and Saana Tuomala have signed the claim.