Racism and the European 2012 Championships

There have been a few commentators pointing out that the Euros do not seem to be generating the same level of interest and anticipation as previous tournaments and it seems to be true - it's hard to comprehend that the tournament is just over a week away! Perhaps it is the packed schedule of sports that is dampening the enthusiasm for the event - with the Champions League final barely finished, Promotion play-offs and a thrilling Premier League finale also all filling the airwaves of late, it would not be surprising to hear that all but the most die-hard fans could do with a couple of weeks rest from football (and that's not to mention all the other sports on at the moment - Rugby finals galore, Test Match cricket, Formula One in Monaco and so on...).

But the most likely explanation is that the torrent of negative publicity regarding racism in the host countries - Ukraine and Poland - has eroded enthusiasm for the tournament. A picture has been painted of large groups of fans who regularly abuse players and fellow fans (even from the same team) based on the colour of the skin or their religion (frequently anti-semitic - which is especially upsetting given the history of the region, as highlighted in this very thought provoking article). Having personal experience of living in Poland it is sadly largely true that football there does not have a good reputation. Families shun going to see matches as a direct result of fear of violence from a hardcore groups of fans - violence which, based on personal experience, can even reach as far down as five-a-side football leagues. And although many people would say that it is fine to go and see games so long as you were sensible and keep out of trouble (I must confess I never ventured that far myself), that is surely not the point - how can you enjoy watching the game if you're trying to keep out of harm's way and being witness to racism? And that's before you'd even consider taking the whole family along to enjoy a day out.

And yet I must also point out that this group of fans is a very small minority of trouble makers and I'm sure that all fans who arrive in good spirits to enjoy the football will be welcomed with the warmth and generosity that is characteristic of the vast majority of the population in Poland and Ukraine. My bad experiences in local five-a-side leagues was quickly tempered by the organisers swiftly banning the offending team and the authroities have the opportunity to make a similarly swift statement of intent in case any trouble does arise. The tournament also has the power to promote the sport among a broader populace and push the violent, racist minority to the fringes of the game (and eventually, one would hope, out completely) - just look at the therapeutic effect that Euro 96 had on the game of football in England, going a long way towards ending the hooligan image of English football fans across Europe. I hope the same will be true of Euro 2012...

Quote of the week

In a very interesting article on ESPN Cricinfo about the use of Twitter and, more specifically, the fine that Kevin Pietersen received for criticising Sky Sport commentator Nick Knight, Andrew Strauss came out with an absolute belter of a quote regarding why he doesn't use Twitter:

"I am just too boring [...] I can't think of anything interesting to say. It wouldn't be useful to me."

As someone who also doesn't use Twitter, and who also doesn't even understand the whole concept of Twitter, I think this statement probably relates to me too.

Three observations from the UEFA Champions League Final

Adidas finally backs a winner

After several years of having to watch teams in Nike kits dominate the showpiece of European club football over the last few years (Barcelona, Inter, Manchester United), I'm sure that Adidas will be pleased to finally have both teams kitted out with three stripes rather than a tick. Whether that will be the case again next year is another question altogether, but at least they can rely on the match ball still carrying the torch for their marketing team.

A good day for the referee

Let's face it, finals are often pretty torrid affairs, with nervous players fouling, diving and arguing with the referee markedly more than usual as they try and scrap for whatever advantage the can get - therefore credit should go to the referee, Pedro Proenca, and both teams for keeping the game relatively free flowing. The referee also completed the perfect evening for the marketing guys at Adidas, with his kit also supplied from their range.

Some great penalties

The misses will probably linger in the memory longer, but there were some great penalties taken - Frank Lampard's wallop down the centre and Manuel Neuer stepping up early to take a penalty were two moments to savour.

A refreshing approach from the F.A. Please note: This isn't a mis-print

The white smoke poured out of the chimneys atop the F.A.’s headquarters last week to signal the end of a remarkably opaque process to replace Fabio Capello as the Manager of the England national team. And the theme of general disbelief and bewilderment among observers of the process continued, as the selection panel chose not to hire the bookies and fans’ favourite for the job, Harry Rednapp, but instead opting for Roy Hodgson to take the reins.

Now before you turn away from this article, thinking that I'm about to launch into a vast critique of the F.A. (as would be my normal approach), I actually think it's a very positive and even brave decision to take; in an industry which often becomes a slave to accepted wisdom and public pressure (this can be said for many sports, not just football), this was a refreshingly single minded decision and one which will hopefully be a fruitful one for the next World Cup in Brazil.

Picking a manager with a track record in international football and an understanding of what the job will involve takes a lot of risk away from the appointment – there had been rumblings for a while that Harry Rednapp was worried that he would get bored away from the day-to-day contact he had with players and the weekly fix of competition which the Premier League provides.

Furthermore, Hodgson has suffered a perceived failed role during his time at Liverpool and has built his career and reputation back up from this set-back. This kind of fortitute will be critical in the media goldfish bowl that is the England manager role.

The big uncertainty will be the other major part of his role - that of ensuring the new, and much delayed, National Football Centre at St. George's Park is providing talent and continuity for future England squads. Both Hodgson and Rednapp have had experience of overseeing club acadamies, but Hodgson's experience of what skills makes for a successful national team would again surely give him the edge in this area. However, the sidelining of Stuart Pearce by Hodgson as one of his first moves in the role, might be considered as damaging continuity between the senior squad and youth players. Alternatively, it suggests that he has strong opinions on how he wants the youth system to be run and Stuart Pearce could be on his way out soon. In either case, it is certainly an area of critical importance - having the cream of English football used to regularly playing and training together will hopefully create greater team spirit and fluency, and so avoiding the difficulties of forging a team in a short time period from a disparate group of players and who are transitioning from involvement in fierce competition between each other in the Premier League.

But the greatest challenge for Roy Hodgson as he takes up his new role will be to hit the ground running, having been given a pitifully short amount of time to prepare the team for the Euro championships in Poland and Ukraine. At least he will probably be given some leniancy should performances not be up to scratch and allow him to focus on the long term needs of the team - at least there is one unintended benefit of the F.A.'s dithering over his appointment.

For now though, positivity is in the air and, gullible as always (speaking for myself, at least), we can hope for some silverware to come to these shores.