HIBAPRESS – Shafiq Anouri
Atlético Madrid coach, the Argentine Diego Simeone, did not limit himself on Friday to commenting on the racist chants that targeted Muslims in the match between Spain and Egypt, but rather presented a broader reading of what he considered a values crisis that goes beyond the boundaries of the stadiums, to touch the structure of society itself.
Simeone, in a tone that seemed closer to an "ethical plea," considered that what happened cannot be reduced to an isolated incident or a passing crowd behavior, but rather a direct reflection of a deeper imbalance, saying that "the problem exists at the societal level," in a clear reference to the fact that the phenomenon of racism is no longer just an individual deviation, but has become an expression of the erosion of the system of respect that used to regulate relations within the public space. The Argentine coach did not hesitate to link these phenomena to what he described as "loss of respect" for years, recalling a series of authoritarian and social symbols that no longer have their former status, from parents and teachers to the police and officials, considering that the collapse of these references has contributed to unleashing hostile behaviors, including racist chants that have resurfaced in football stadiums. Simeone's statements gain their importance from the fact that they come from a sporting figure who has been at the heart of competition in Spain for about 15 years, to raise the alarm regarding any laxity within the International Federation of Football in adhering to the strict standards for choosing the host of the 2030 World Cup final, foremost among them the ability to control "racism" which has turned into a dangerous phenomenon in the Iberian kingdom whose authorities are no longer able to control it. Racism, in this context, is not reduced to color, religion, or origin, but is a behavior based on exclusion, discrimination, and rejection of the other, and it is fueled by multiple factors, including ignorance, fear of difference, and populist discourses that invest in narrow identities, all of which clearly contradict the system of values that "FIFA" defends, headed by respect for cultural, religious and ethnic diversity. While Simeone stressed the need to "work with faith" to restore lost values, the battle to confront racism in Spain seems more complex than mere ethical calls, as it requires strict policies, education on pluralism, and real accountability for all forms of incitement and discrimination, whether inside or outside stadiums, which is almost completely absent within Spain, which has for years tolerated those involved in sports racism cases, with very few exceptions.
