Sevilla striker Fredi Kanoute, a Malian, lifted his jersey to reveal a pro-Palestinian t-shirt after scoring against Deportivo La Coruna in the Copa del Rey today. He was given a booking — which the ref can shove up his ass — for making a political statement. When we get world class futbol players doing this, Israel better know it’s in trouble with the world (who can forget Ronaldo’s Palestine visit and Italy’s 1982 World Cup dedication to the Palestinians; I did forget about Abou Trika’s t-shirt after his goal against Sudan this year, but QuiQui reminded me).
This was almost as exciting as the basketball game in Ankara between the Israeli and Turkish clubs that had to be aborted because of Turkish protesters in the stands. They threw “shoes, cigarette lighters, water bottles,” according to one Israeli player. No phosphorous bombs were reported.
Sports often mixes with politics in interesting ways.
Then again, not all global soccer players support Palestine, such as this “dream team” and the clueless Ghanaian from the last World Cup.
How is Israel going to match this? By getting a Tel Aviv Maccabi player to wear a wristband to support the troops? Or will they just continue to take it out on Palestinian kids playing soccer, as they have in the past (warning: gruesome pictures)?
[Tarboush Tip: Fadi]
Related posts:
- New Basketball Rules in Palestine
- Abunimah on ‘One State’
- Israel Risks the Talibanization of Gaza: the Long-View on Israel and Palestine
- Palestine’s First English Daily
- Israel Grounds Palestinian Football Team Again
I LOVE it when they do that shit!
Posted by Anonymous | January 8, 2009, 11:01 amlets get it over with GAZA GOES TO EGYPT AND WEST BANK TO JORDAN——NUFF SAID…stop wasting time and money john bolton is right!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/04/AR2009010401434.html
Posted by Anonymous | January 8, 2009, 12:28 pmwhat about John Pantsil. You didn’t mention him
Posted by Alpha3958 | January 8, 2009, 6:09 pmThis (the link) is very unfortunate, although probably expected by everyone. I love this guys for doing that. And Abu trika as well when he did the same thing.
Posted by Abdu | January 9, 2009, 12:08 amAnd there is this one:
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/249424,israeli-tennis-player-faces-protests-over-gaza.html
“Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer, 22, was subject to a small but noisy protest over her country’s invasion of Gaza when she played a quarter-final match at the ASB Classic tournament in Auckland on Thursday.”
Posted by Ted Swedenburg | January 9, 2009, 8:43 amDont forget about “Palestine Days” at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland. Lovely to see so many Palestinian flags waving side by side with the Irish tricolour.
Posted by أبو سنان | January 10, 2009, 8:30 pm