Anyone read this?
Chagney Hunt
It was described as a "historic opportunity," a "decisive battle," a
matter of "divine justice," a question of "dignity." But this was
neither a deciding military encounter nor a fraught diplomatic
negotiation; it was a soccer match, the bout to determine whether
Egypt or Algeria would be the lone Arab country in the 2010 FIFA World
Cup. The rhetoric was overheated from the start, but reality more than
lived up to it. What started as a soccer rivalry has become a deep
diplomatic rift between two erstwhile allies, revealing the shaky self-
confidence of two autocratic Middle Eastern governments and the
volatile combination of demagoguery and new media.
On Nov. 12, the Algerian national team arrived in Cairo to play a
qualifying match for the World Cup. The Algerian team needed a one-
point victory to qualify for the 2010 championship in South Africa;
the Egyptian team need to win by two goals to earn a rematch, or by
three to knock the Algerians out in one blow.
The Algerians and Egyptians had played a similar match 20 years ago,
from which Egypt emerged victorious. Violence erupted after that
match, leaving an Egyptian team doctor blind in one eye and an
Algerian soccer player wanted by Interpol. That was also the last time
Egypt gained admission into the World Cup, while Algeria hasn't
participated since 1986.
The rematch was hotly anticipated by both countries. Flag sales
soared; both the official and the privately owned media focused
breathlessly on the upcoming game. The day before, the newspaper Al
Akhbar ran the headline: "Eight-four million Egyptians say: Please,
God."
Partly because of the history, partly because of the stakes, the
cheering was accompanied by an undercurrent of animosity from the
start. For weeks, Egyptian and Algerian fans engaged in cyberwars,
taunting each other in online forums, trading doctored team photos,
provocative homemade songs, and YouTube videos -- and finally hacking
each other's websites. Amr Adeeb, anchor of the popular evening talk
show Al Qahera Al Youm (Cairo Today) on the Orbit satellite channel,
and one of the prime instigators of Egyptian soccer mania, said the
night before the match, "What annoys me is the way the Algerians
talk ... this provocation, this conceit.... Why do the Algerians hate
us so much? We supported them during their million-martyr revolution;
we sent them teachers to teach them Arabic." Needless to say,
provocative and paternalistic remarks like Adeeb's -- and there were
many -- were not well-received in Algeria.
On the night the Algerian team arrived in Cairo, its bus was pursued
and stoned by Egyptian fans. Footage quickly surfaced on the Internet
of Algerian players arriving, bloodied and indignant, at their hotel.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian media claimed the attack was staged and that
the Algerian players had smashed the windows of their own vehicle as
part of a scam to get the venue changed. FIFA launched an
investigation that remains open.
In round one, the Egyptian team beat Algeria 2-0. Ecstatic crowds
poured into Cairo's streets, blocking traffic, waving homemade
flamethrowers and celebrating until dawn. According to the Egyptian
Health Ministry, 20 Algerian and 12 Egyptian supporters were injured
that night. Back in Algeria, the accounts were much more dramatic:
Algerians had been killed in Cairo's streets; women had been stripped
naked; an Algerian supporter was burned alive by Egyptian fans and
police. When the Algerian ambassador in Cairo formally denied that any
murders had taken place, the Algerian newspaper Echorouk posted a
video to its website, showing an Algerian rapper crying over his dead
brother, supposedly killed in Egypt (it was apparently a hoax).
Partly in retaliation, Egyptian businesses in Algeria were looted, and
Egyptian workers had to be protected by police. The mobile telephone
operator Djezzy -- which is owned by the Egyptian company Orascom
Telecom -- was a particular target. Customers were reported to have
burned their Djezzy phone chips and looted the company's offices,
causing, according to Orascom officials, tens of millions of dollars
worth of damage.
In this atmosphere of recrimination and growing hostility, the sides
prepared for the final and deciding match, held in Khartoum on Nov.
18. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika sent his personal
representative. The two sons of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Alaa
and the heir apparent, Gamal, were also present.
Egypt's World Cup hopes evaporated that night. Algeria won the game,
scoring the only goal in an unimpressive match. Afterward, buses of
Egyptian supporters on their way to the airport were reportedly
waylaid, their windows smashed. Panicked phone calls were made to TV
talk shows by Egyptians who described themselves as under siege, the
victims of a "bloodbath."
In the end, the Egyptian fans left Khartoum shaken but generally
unscathed. The Egyptian health minister reported that 21 Egyptians had
been injured. Nonetheless, back in Cairo, the escalation continued.
The media ran stories of the Algerian government emptying its jails
and transporting thousands of criminals to Sudan, of Algerian
supporters chasing Egyptians with what Egypt's English-language Al-
Ahram Weekly listed as "knives, nails, daggers, switchblades, scalpels
and heavy wooden sticks." Crowds of indignant Egypt supporters tried
to attack the Algerian Embassy in Cairo; dozens of policemen and fans
were injured in the fighting and rock-throwing that ensued. Alaa
Mubarak, the president's son, called in repeatedly to TV talk shows to
complain of the behavior of the Algerians in Khartoum and to call them
"terrorists" and "mercenaries." Elsewhere in the Egyptian media,
Algerians have been described, en masse, as "uncivilized," "violent,"
and "sick."
This virulence has shocked observers, especially considering that
historically, the two countries have had good relations. Egyptian
strongman Gamal Abdel Nasser was an active backer of the Algerian
revolution; in 1973, Algeria sent military equipment and 3,000 men to
support Egypt's retaking of the Sinai Peninsula from the Israelis.
But any vestiges of pan-Arab fellow-feeling are in shreds today, and
underlying political issues have come to the fore as the soccer fight
grows more personal. Alaa Mubarak told TV presenters: "There is
nothing called Arab nationalism or brotherhood. This is just talk
that doesn't mean anything in reality.... When Algerians learn how to
speak Arabic they can then come and say that they are Arabs." This led
the Algerian newspaper Liberté to ask whether Algeria should leave the
Arab League, an organization that "has always been in the hands of
Egyptians," and to wonder: "How is it that the Egyptians today
shamelessly proclaim themselves leaders of the Arab world, whose most
noble cause, Palestine, they betrayed by being the first to sign a
peace and exchange ambassadors with Israel?"
Egypt's relationship with Israel has been the focus of many Algerian
taunts. Before the games, Algerian hackers placed a Star of David over
the Egyptian flag on the national soccer teams' website. An Algerian
newspaper referred to the stadium in Cairo as "Tel Aviv stadium."
Egypt has long been one of the leaders of the Arab world and continues
to see itself that way. But the government's unwillingness or
inability to offer succour to blockaded Gaza, especially during the
Israeli bombing in 2008, has done long-term damage to its prestige
among other Arab countries.
Far from ending after the game, the rift between Egypt and Algeria has
intensified. Egypt recalled its ambassador. Both the Algerian and the
Egyptian parliaments have discussed retaliatory measures. A few
Egyptian artists have returned prizes from Algeria, and there have
been calls to exclude Algeria from Egyptian cultural festivals.
Algerian tour operators have suspended trips to Egypt.
Many have pointed out that the soccer frenzy may have served the
interests of both autocratic regimes, whose populations might
otherwise be striking over living conditions or demonstrating for
greater political freedom. An article published on the website Algeria-
Watch notes the similarities between Egypt and Algeria: "The crushing
of freedoms, daily oppression, misery and despair are the common lot
of the majority of both people. Life-long presidents, all-powerful
secret police services, large scale predation are the characteristic
that the two regimes, which have both kept their people under
emergency law for decades, share." The pseudonymous Algerian blogger
The Moor Next Door notes: "The cycle of despotism and vulgarity will
continue and the ultimate winners are not the national teams or young
men in the street, but rather their governments and them alone. Such
are the 'politics of sports' in the Arab countries."
The other oft-cited culprit is the media, which in both countries
fomented the fight. Of course the authorities could almost certainly
have put the lid on this incitement, if they'd wanted to. But though
they did their best to direct and profit from the superficial
nationalism of cheering soccer fans, the rulers of Algeria and Egypt
seem also to have been somewhat overtaken by passions and events. The
role played by new media -- Twitter, blogs, cell-phone footage,
YouTube videos -- can't be underestimated. It was thanks to this
technology that Algerians could see, within hours, amateur footage of
their soccer stars displaying their injuries, and Egyptians could
watch in horror as their flag was set on fire or desecrated in other
creative ways.
In the end, Egypt is the greater loser. The Egyptian overreaction to
perceived Algerian impertinence and aggression seems a symptom of a
larger crisis of confidence, a sense that its prestige and authority
in the region is not what it used to be. The government's lack of
legitimacy was highlighted by the chaos in Khartoum; aiding and
abetting the crudest nationalism, while blocking all forms of real
political participation, is a shortsighted tactic that doesn't address
the population's underlying discontent. "The Egyptian regime cheapened
the Egyptian citizen in the eyes of the world," wrote Ibrahim Eissa,
editor of the opposition newspaper Al-Dustour, holding the government
responsible for the attacks on Egyptians in Khartoum. "We've come to
have no value, no standing, no esteem, because our government has
destroyed our dignity." Are we still talking about soccer?
Mark V.
> http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/12/03/the_soccer_wars
No, but it is fascinating and sad. Thanks for posting.
Binder Dundat
“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure
you, it's much more serious than that.”
Bill Shankly quote
On Dec 7, 2:48 pm, Chagney Hunt <ess...@gmail.com> wrote:
Chagney Hunt
> “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure
> you, it's much more serious than that.”
When Shankley said that, he was probably on cloud 9th, overjoyed with
the pleasure football brought him at that moment. He was never shy
speaking something that blipped across his mind. The guy also retired
early at the peak of his success -- so I don't think he actually
believed that. He might even have gotten embarrassed if that's the
only quote people remembered him by.
Clément
> On Dec 7, 2:48 pm, Chagney Hunt wrote:
>
> >http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/12/03/the_soccer_wars
>
> No, but it is fascinating and sad. Thanks for posting.
Indeed.
Now, this is one of the things that would make me want to see both
teams lose in future competitions (knee-jerk reaction, I know).
Abraço,
Luiz Mello
Deeppe
> > On Dec 7, 2:48 pm, Chagney Hunt wrote:
>
> > >http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/12/03/the_soccer_wars
>
> > No, but it is fascinating and sad. Thanks for posting.
> Now, this is one of the things that would make me want to see both
> teams lose in future competitions (knee-jerk reaction, I know).
>
It would seem that the Algerian team going winless might send a decent
message to it's supporters, where it's success in next years WC would
definitely not.
Great find Chag
Bob
> �Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure
> you, it's much more serious than that.�
>
> Bill Shankly quote
The beginning of relegation for Coritiba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4cMUWiNV0M
Chagney Hunt
I am surprised by your reaction, actually :-) I think what happened
there is more a symptom of our own nature and the kind of world we are
part of. We are restless animals shaped by needs, driven by wants and
deprivations, materially, physically, and mentally. Many governments
choose to divert the pressure of that restlessness to nationalism.
Every now and then, such policy backfires. What happened between Egypt
and Algeria could easily happen elsewhere with similar political
agenda. It won't surprise me when the next great war will be triggered
by the stupidest of cause, something that just slowly unravels and
then spirals out of control -- to the fascination of everyone
watching.
Or may be the pseudo-psychologist in me tend to be fatalistic :-)
Clément
> On Dec 8, 4:35 am, Clément wrote:
>
> > On Dec 7, 6:00 pm, "Mark V." wrote:
>
> > > On Dec 7, 2:48 pm, Chagney Hunt wrote:
>
> > > >http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/12/03/the_soccer_wars
>
> > > No, but it is fascinating and sad. Thanks for posting.
>
> > Indeed.
>
> > Now, this is one of the things that would make me want to see both
> > teams lose in future competitions (knee-jerk reaction, I know).
>
> I am surprised by your reaction, actually :-) I think what happened
> there is more a symptom of our own nature and the kind of world we are
> part of.
Well, I agree. There are stupid people everywhere, and I don't think
either Algeria or Egypt got a bigger share of those than any other
country.
Plus, a football team losing (or winning) is not likely to make stupid
people any less (or more) stupid than they already are, so there's
probably no point in wishing either team to lose in the future.
Still, today I would be less inclined to pick one of them to support
in, say, an ANC match, than I would be yesterday. Probably not fair,
and certainly not relevant at all. =) Just the way I feel about this
kind of stupidity.
Abraço,
Luiz Mello
Abubakr
I feel sorry for the players.
Clément
> On 9 Dec, 13:18, Clément wrote:
>
> > Still, today I would be less inclined to pick one of them to support
> > in, say, an ANC match, than I would be yesterday. Probably not fair,
> > and certainly not relevant at all. =) Just the way I feel about this
> > kind of stupidity.
>
> > Abraço,
>
> > Luiz Mello
>
> I feel sorry for the players.
Excelent point. I thought about the players, but forgot to mention it
in my post.
Abraço,
Luiz Mello
Abubakr
What a burden must both sets of players be feeling in all this?
Clément
>
> The beginning of relegation for Coritiba:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4cMUWiNV0M
I hadn't watched it, very embarrassing. Coritiba must be heavily
punished.
There's a possibility some good things will come out of this, though.
Some of the offenders have been identified and arrested (this sounds
obvious, but there's not a lot of precedent for it in Brazil).
Paraná's police is accepting video/picture submissions through their
website, looking for evidence that might help in future arrests and
charges.
Coritiba's president spoke to the press and openly blamed one of the
club's organized torcidas. Not all club presidents are willing to
alienate these groups of "fans", so it's nice that he named the
faction. Granted, I wouldn't expect any less from him.
Also, some fans are starting a movement to get money to help with
stadium repairs. According to my newspaper source (Lance!), they
stated they want to show "what true Coritiba fans are about". I also
believe this is a nice symbolic gesture, a way of taking
responsibility for the damage fans brought to the club.
Abraço,
Luiz Mello
Clément
> On Dec 8, 2:31 pm, "Bob" wrote:
>
> > The beginning of relegation for Coritiba:
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4cMUWiNV0M
>
> I hadn't watched it, very embarrassing. Coritiba must be heavily
> punished.
And heavily punished they were.
They won't be allowed to host their next 30 League home games (which
means they would play away from Curitiba through 2011) and were issued
a R$ 610k fine (roughly US$ 350k).
I expect this sentence to be reduced on appeal, but still.
Abraço,
Luiz Mello