- This sponsorship deal is not just an own goal for the sport of football. Fifa might as well pour oil on the pitch and set it on fire. We are not served by our supreme organization allying itself with this nightmarish sponsor.
This was stated 14 months ago in an open letter to the International Football Association Board (FIFA), which had entered into a major agreement with the oil company Saudi Aramco, which is owned by the state of Saudi Arabia.
The agreement covers both the 2026 World Cup for men and the 2027 World Cup for women, and the then more than 100 professional female players behind the letter expressed, among other things, dissatisfaction with the fact that the agreement was entered into with a country that oppresses women and does not respect human rights.
The number of signatories has since grown to around 135, but no useful response has ever been received, believes Sofie Junge Pedersen, who is one of the initiators of the letter.
- FIFA issued something they called a response in the days that followed, but it was not an answer to our questions at all. It is of course disappointing that they cannot say what their thoughts are behind such a sponsorship agreement, says Junge.
In short, the players asked Fifa to justify an agreement with an actor that does not respect human rights and also bears significant responsibility for the climate crisis.
In a brief message, Fifa referred to itself as an "inclusive" organization that historically invests a lot of money in women's football because of its "valued" partnerships.
Junge: Absurd to advertise a state that does not live up to human rights
Junge does not buy that argument.
- I do not believe that there would be no money in football if Saudi Aramco were not a sponsor. There must be other sponsors that are not oil companies and that do not stand for human rights violations.
- Decisions have been made before not to advertise for, for example, tobacco or betting companies, so they are already thinking about how to promote the sport.
- We will have to take care of football and the values it stands for. Women's football stands for values such as inclusion and equality, and it is completely absurd to advertise a state that does not live up to those values at all.
The open letter also contains a proposal for a committee with the participation of, among others, players, who will assess future sponsorship agreements and partnerships in relation to the set of values that Fifa itself has formulated.
- There is no indication that such a committee will be established, because we simply cannot get in touch with Fifa.
- I hope, however, that it may be possible in the future, as it makes good sense for the players to be involved. We are the ones who play with the sponsors' stomachs, and Fifa has clearly not done their job well enough when they cannot live up to their own policies, says Junge.
She has received primarily positive feedback from within the football community about the open letter.
- But of course there have also been some from outside who say that this is just incitement against Saudi Arabia. But it is not. We stand on the side of the population.
- I have never hidden the fact that it is positive that there is now a league for women and that women can drive. But the positive things should not cover up the violent violations that are still taking place.
- We must be open about what is happening and ensure that everyone can join in the football celebration. The women and men who are in prison for speaking out about human rights cannot do that. It needs to come to light.
33-year-old Junge played for the Italian Inter until the summer. She has since moved to the Spanish Badalona and in December was selected for the national team for the first time in more than two years. However, she did not play in the test match against Norway.
/ritzau/
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