Can football “open” its eyes and “see” again?

2009-06-25

Can football “open” its eyes and “see” again?

By Lavinia Fratila

98min – Full time! Barcelona goes crazy as Chelsea players surround the referee. What a crazy game!

98min – you could see in Ballack’s eyes that he could hit somebody, John Terry looks crushed. Drogba is pushing the security guards trying to get at the referee but then he turns to the camera and screams

Well, this is how Chelsea and Barcelona UEFA Champions League semi-finals’ last minute looked like. It was indeed a dramatic game. I saw the tears in Chelsea fans eyes- tears of pain and frustration, I saw tears in Barcelona’s fans – tears of victory and happiness - and that image was wonderful and impressive. But I also saw something that I did not like and that is the beauty of this wonderful game we love so much being reduced to disgraceful behavior and violence.

Of course , human nature is violent and violence in sport goes back to Middle Ages. Back then people used this game to settle personal problems, land disputes between villages, establishing new feudal connections , and also to achieve the most desired prizes – Admiration and Respect. Since then our history is full of violence and now it is even a study subject at the University – “Violence in Sport”. Thus , something that was supposed to be pleasant, enjoyable and full of passion fills our hearts with hate . This is not the game I love. This is not something I would teach my children to love, too. It’s a great feeling to go and support your favorite team, but what about the feeling that doesn’t give you peace for the whole 90 minutes: “ Am I going to make it home safe after this?”. I dream about wearing my team’s shirt without the fear that this might stir somebody’s anger and that because of this love of different colors, I might get hurt. This might seem dramatic for those who don’t know a few facts, but lets review some events even though history teaches us that people don’t learn anything from history:

Belgium 1994 - A Tottenham fan was shot dead in Brussels in the UEFA Cup Final against Anderlecht. Same place 1995 – 39 fans killed before the European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus.

Italy 1995 - A Genoa fan was stabbed to death by a teenage AC Milan fan. There are many more incidents similar to this, just look it up.

I want to read about transfers, about amazing players, about wonderful games not about death and violence. I want to be proud that I am a football fan and I don’t want people to say to me: “And you are not afraid to go to see that game live? I think you should watch it on tv..it is safer.” I want to take my children to every live game so they will grow to love this sport as much as I do.

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent”( ( Isaac Asimov – Salvor Hardin – in “Foundation”) .. so true but it should not be about us – football fans and football players.

The summer will pass and we will be back in those stadiums to fire up our passions , so lets make it a fresh start this time. Lets compete on the football field and may the best team win! So lets help football “see” again. “FIAT LUX”! ( Let there be light!)