Football: The Popular and Forgotten Victim of War

Football could have been a pretext for solidarity, continuity of life, and bonds between nations. But one should no longer expect it to hide the reality of war or downplay its consequences.

Kaveh Ali Esmaili - football expert; Anywhere in the world the sound of war is heard, all businesses are affected, but the situation is completely different for football. Football, especially in the Middle East, has always been a popular and abandoned victim, and this situation seems to be getting sadder every day.

Now that the fire of war imposed against Iran has been extinguished for some time, the situation of politics, economy, security and even social relations in the region is dire. It's as if everything is waiting for a new event and uncertainty is playing with the fate of the people of the region. There was only one happiness left; Football, and now football again, is the closest social event to victimization.

These days, the Asian Elite League is more than just a stage for the competition of the continent's football stars, it has shown an image of life and sports in the shadow of war; Where rockets, airports, flight paths and security considerations have inadvertently become part of the story of football matches.

Last Monday night, Saudi Arabia's Al-Nasr was supposed to play against Uzbekistan's Naftar in Riyadh with the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. A security alert caused by Yemen's Houthi missile threat delayed the match by an hour. The game was finally held and Al-Nasr won 3-1 with the goal of Cristiano Ronaldo, but that security warning brought new fears to the lives of Asians.

To put it more simply; A security warning that changes the schedule of an international competition is not just a simple news, now Jang can easily enter the stadium without buying a ticket, and football has become "brother" again with politics and realities outside the stadium.

On this side of the border, the conditions were even worse. In order to participate in these competitions, Iran Tractor went through a journey, the stages of which were also locked for Marco Polo. The convoy of this team first went to Najaf, then traveled the land route from Najaf to Baghdad, and from there it went to Muscat, Oman, to face the North of Qatar in a match that was to be hosted by the representative of Iran. They protested that they did not receive any help from the Asian Football Confederation and the Football Federation of our country and had to endure an 18-hour journey.

The result was clear. They gave one point to the not-so-quality Qatari team, while if the game was held at Yadgar Imam Stadium in Tabriz, Shamal Club would have added a historic defeat to its record.

These are the mirror of football under the shadow of war and embargo. Two events that took place in a short space of time and are indicative of a fact; Professional football in West Asia, even at the elite level, is not immune to geopolitical tensions in the region.

Now let's look at these issues from another angle; Sports is never a separate institution from society, especially in a region that is always politicized like the Middle East. Here, football is closely tied with economy, politics, security, national identity and people's daily life, and any news can tighten these knots. Limitations that are marginal under normal circumstances suddenly become decisive factors. The game is delayed with Ronaldo's presence, the two-hour journey must take 18 hours, and people who are disobedient to this commotion do not even have the right to officially protest.

The war took away the possibility of hosting in the home stadium, put everyone in fear and worry about the continuation of the war, took the mental preparation of the players, destroyed the staff's concentration and even the calmness of the spectators, and if you protest against these things, you will only hear one sentence: "This is not the fault of the federation, the confederation, and FIFA, and it is related to factors beyond the control of football."

Do you think these events were only for this week and ended?

Let's review the events. The possibility of a bombing in Riyadh has caused deep concerns about Saudi Arabia's hosting of the 2027 Asian Nations Cup, which will be held this winter. Saudi Arabia wants to host Asian countries at the highest possible level, they have the infrastructure, facilities, plenty of money, the best hotels and transfers and possible qualities, but they do not have security, and for this reason, a number of countries, including Iran and Japan, expressed concern about what is happening in this country in a letter to the Asian Football Confederation, so that the future hosting of the Saudis will be questioned.

Around these news, there are people who live in a tense area. Players, coaches, club staff, fans and even ordinary people, before being part of a multi-billion dollar industry, are a slice of world geography that is affected by the consequences of war.

The war and security threats in the region have affected the elite league, the Nations Cup and all the interesting sports events and people's daily lives, and now it is no longer important to win the championship of the teams, it is only important that everyone can return home safely. There is no peace in Saudi Arabia, nor in the region, and this is to the detriment of those who live in the Middle East.

Football could be an excuse for solidarity, continuity of life and connection between nations, but it should no longer be expected to hide the reality of war or trivialize its consequences. The war has fallen on the life of football like a devourer and it is devouring this innocent child bit by bit; Just like the lives of all of us, who are busy with two or four economic jobs under the shadow of the war, to make ends meet with 250,000 Toman dollars.