Qatar 2022 in the Winter?

Happy Holidays to all!

As the winter break continues and football is on hold in most places until after the New Year, the news from the world of Jedi soccer is about the latest in the Qatar 2022 World Cup saga.  I am sure everyone will be completely surprised (Not!) to know that FIFA President Sepp Blatter, England coach Fabio Capella, and the international players union, have all endorsed the idea of holding the Qatar 2022 World Cup in the winter, in order to avoid the searing heat of the Arabian peninsula.

I am totally sympathetic to the players union desire not to have to play in the heat.  But I must also say that the fact the players want to move the event to the winter, is a clear expression of no confidence in the Qatari plan to 'air condition' their stadiums.  After all, you can't air condition an entire country.  The players don't want to roll the dice on unproven technology, and who can blame them?

But the fact that Sepp Blatter is now advocating a Winter World Cup, really burns.  The whole Qatari bid was based on the concept of air conditioning the venues.  Those were the conditions that FIFA accepted the Qatari bid.

If they 'move the goalposts' now (as they say in American football), then it is tantamount to saying that the original bid was flawed.

In which case: Why didn't they give it to the USA, which was a totally superior bid?

Which is, of course, my whole point.

The Qatar Jersey Deal Stinks

The last week of Jedi soccer has been quite interesting.  Yesterday our heroes were uncharacteristically held to a goaless draw in the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) competition by Athletic Bilbao, despite throwing everything at the stubborn Basque side but the kitchen sink.  Even so, despite this tied score, Barca remains at the top of La Liga, because just four days ago the Blaugrana totally clobbered city rivals Espanyol by the score of 5 - 1, opening a 5 point lead over rivals Real Madrid in La Liga standings.  So, things couldn't be better right now for Barcelona on the pitch, and in the league standings.

However... there is trouble brewing over the recently announced jersey sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation.  According to Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv, Israeli "diplomats had been sent to Barcelona to try to persuade the club to back out of the five-year deal it signed eight days ago.  The fresh controversy follows claims made by Spanish paper El Mundo 10 days ago that the Qatar Foundation had given money to extremist cleric Yusuf al Qaradawi, an advocate of terrorism, wife beating and anti-Semitism."

Of course, rabid anti-semites will jump on this to say its all Israeli lies; but frankly I have more faith in the Israeli sensitivity to terrorist connections, than I do in the current management of Barcelona to NOT jump on dirty money.

Need I remind anyone that the Qatar Foundation is a wholly owned enterprise of the Qatari Royal family?

Added to the litany of worker abuses in Qatar, this pretty much seals the deal in my case.  Our beloved Club is being purchased by a country with a history of abusing its workers and, apparently, funding terrorism.

In a related development, according to imscouting.com, "Barcelona's shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation will reportedly allow the Catalans to launch fresh bids next summer for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres."

Fabregas is Catalan and it would be wonderful to have him playing for Barca.  Fernando Torres would also be a splendid addition to the Club.  Perhaps we can simply assemble the entire Spanish National Team and dress them in the Blaugrana, then unleash them on Europe as "FC Barcelona."  We are not far from that right now.

However, in my opinion, Barcelona is doing splendidly right now without Fabregas and Torres.  It would be great to have them but we don't need them.  FC Barcelona is kicking ass and taking names all over Europe right now, they are currently the best professional football team on the planet.  We are so rich with talent that we can actually pass on these two talented players and it won't hurt the club's performance on the pitch.

We don't need them.  Especially at the price of selling our soul and the socially responsible traditions of this great club.

Kill this smelly jersey deal, I say.  If we must sell the jersey... sell it to someone else.  ANYONE other than the Qatar Foundation.  This is all becoming a very ugly business.

Barca Sells The Jersey!

It has happened: FC Barcelona, the last bastion of commercial-free jersey wear in the world of professional football, has sold advertising on the cherished Blaugrana, and Barcelona has succumed to the allure of capital and the dictates of economics. 

In an announcement that is barely a few hours old, today team officials announced a five year deal to sport the emblem of the Qatar Foundation on the jersey (noooo!!!), worth more than 200 million US Dollars.  The team has announced that it will receive $20 million for the remainder of the current season, plus an additional $40 million for the next five seasons each, plus up to $7 million in bonuses for any titles won. The Qatar Foundation, founded in 1995, is a non-profit organization whose purpose is "to bolster education, science and development" in the nation and surrounding regions.

The Qatar Foundation!

I knew Pep Guardiola was supporting the Qatar 2022 bid (I'm sure a nice paycheck went with that), but I could not believe that it would lead to the sale of the Blaugrana to Qatar.  For the first time in the 110 year history of FC Barcelona, the club has sold its jersey to the highest bidder.  According to team officials, a new jersey incorporating both the Qatar Foundation logo and the UNICEF logo is under design by Nike, but supposedly if the new design is not visually appealing, the UNICEF logo takes precedence.  We can only hope.

I am really devastated by this news.  Barcelona is supposed to be "Mes Que un Club!"  Is this not the club that was once (and still is) a bastion of Republicanism in Spain?  The heroic Workers Team, instead of stuffy aristocratic Real Madrid?  Barcelona, selling the jersey?  Unbelievable!

I recognize that despire their spectacular on-field success, Barcelona is struggling financially.  The club posted a loss of 79.6 million euros last season -- their first in seven years -- and they have debts of 442 million euros.  I get it.  But surely there are other ways of raising the capital, other than selling the blaugrana.  Raise ticket prices or something.  Raise club memberships.  There are other ways.

And I'm not the only one who feels this way.  According to ESPN and AFP news, "Johan Cruyff, the great Dutch Master and Barcelona legend, has roundly denounced the deal.  Cruyff said that by signing the deal, Barcelona whose slogan is "mes que un club" (more than a club), had become "just another club."

"Socially we've made a bad deal," said Cruyff, who is currently coach of the Catalan national team. "There are other solutions rather than sullying the jersey."

In his weekly column El Periodico de Catalunya , he remarked: "We are a unique club in the world, no one has kept their jersey intact throughout their history, yet have remained as competitive as they come.

"We have sold this uniqueness for about six per cent of our budget. I understand that we are currently losing more than we are earning. However, by selling the shirt it shows me that we are not being creative, and that we have become vulgar."

"If things are so bad," continued Cruyff, "then we should cut out the deal we have with UNICEF, and all the values it represents, because we pay them to carry the logo on our shirts."

Wow.  Thank you, Johan Cruyff.  Surely there is a better way to make up about six percent of the budget?

I'm not going to stop supporting Barcelona because of this.  At least the UNICEF logo will take priority.  But Cruyff is right: this is a boner move and a betrayal of the club's principles.  I hope the fans let them know how much they dissaprove of this move.

Barca Bombs Basques 5 - 0

Same story, different day.  The last time a team with the word 'Real' showed up at Camp Nou, it was Barcelona over Real Madrid 5 - Nil.  Yesterday, Real Sociedad came to play, and the result was the same: 5 - Nil.  Its seems that Barcelona has a visceral reaction to the word 'Royal,' no?

Taking the field just hours after Real Madrid momentarily captured the top spot in La Liga with their 3 - 1 win over listless Real Zaragoza, Barcelona opened the scoring at the nine minute mark with a perfectly centered ball from Pedro to David Villa, who fired home the opening score.  Just a few minutes later, Pedro again set up another score with a determined near-post drive that he dished off to Andres Iniesta at the last moment, catching Sociedad goalkeeper Claudio Bravo out of position.  Iniesta put the ball in the back of the net and just like that, it was 2 - 0. 

The scoring continued just after the second half re-start, with a characteristically beautiful one-two drive by Dani Alves and Lionel Messi, finishing with a characteristically beautiful goal by Messi Wan Kenobi.  Soon the overmatched and overworked Sociedad defense began to break down, suffering Death by Tiki-Taka.  Messi Wan Kenobi scored a second beautiful solo goal in the 85th minute, and then Barca substitute Bojan nailed the coffin closed just before full time with a final insult-to-injury goal.

Only 15 games into the season, and Barcelona has already scored 46 goals and conceded only 8.  WOW.  And our hero Messi Wan Kenobi has 17 goals already this season, only one goal behind That Annoying Portuguese Fellow Who Plays for Madrid. 

And so the Blaugrana remain on top of La Liga standings, chased two points back by 'The Evil Empire' AKA 'Real Madrid.'  It seems they are not accepting their recent 5 - 0 dismissal by Barca.  We shall have to spank them a second time, I fear.