The beautiful game brings scores of people together and can let the fans and players alike experience the highest of highs or the most disappointing lows. However, the game is not perfect by any means. The lesson of respect is taught at a very young age.
Sometimes, people enjoy pushing the envelope and cause controversies. This leads to a severe backlash across the globe and puts a black mark on the sport.
Here are five instances when football was disrespectful in the face of tragedy:
#1 Saudi Arabia vs Australia, World Cup Qualifier
A few of days back, Saudi Arabia’s football team was in hot waters as the players failed to pay their respects to the victims of the recent terror attacks in London. As the whistle blew, the entire Aussie team stood in unison and paid their respects whilst their counterparts were enjoying their pre-match kickabouts. Video footage revealed that midfielder Salman Al-Faraj was the only Saudi player mourning.
Sara Zelenak and Kirsty Boden were the unfortunate Australians killed in the attack and a few other fellow countrymen were severely injured as well. It was revealed that the Asian Football Confederation had approved the minute’s silence. It was also reported that the Australian officials failed to persuade their opposition players into participating in the tribute.
There was a major backlash on social media when the Gulf country held a minute’s silence to mark the death of a former Saudi king. However, the Saudi Arabia Football Federation put the matter into bed by making an apology on behalf of their players.
#2 Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur, FA Cup semi-final
A small part of the Chelsea’s fan base showcased their true colours before an FA Cup semi-final fixture against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. April 15th, 2012 marked the 29th anniversary of the infamous Hillsborough tragedy, which led to the deaths of 96 innocent football fans. During a customary one minute silence, a minority of the Chelsea fans inexplicably started booing and some even went on to shout murderers.
As expected, a vast majority of the footballing fraternity were displeased with the fans and called out for bans. A large section of the club’s supporters condemning the booing was an act of respect, but the damage was beyond repair. Moments after the match ended, a Chelsea FC spokesman apologised for the hideous act and labelled the hecklers as an embarrassment.
Earlier, families of the victims and thousands of fans flogged Anfield to attend a memorial service for the departed. A minute’s silence was observed at 3:06 PM, the exact moment Ray Lewis blew his whistle to abandon the game.
#3 Turkey vs Greece, International friendly
Turkish fans booed during a minute’s silence in a friendly against Greece in November 2015. The silence was observed at all the games held across Europe in memory of the 129 victims who lost their lives in the Paris attack. Some supporters went on to shout Allahu Akbar.
The Prime Ministers of the both the above-mentioned countries were in attendance as a sign of reconciliation. As the game ended, then Turkey manager Faith Terrim lambasted the home fans regarding their awful behaviour. He also went on to say that Turkey didn’t act as good neighbours on World Neighbours Day.
However, comments on social media later revealed that the boos were not to disrespect the deceased, but more to do with the hypocrisy of the Western culture. A month earlier, more than a hundred people lost their lives in the twin Ankara attacks and not a single international team held a minute’s silence as a tribute. This led to severe boos during Turkey’s game against Iceland later that week.
#4 Chelsea vs Arsenal, FA Cup final
Once again, the Londoners were involved in a controversy in an FA Cup fixture. This time, their opponents were Arsenal and the occasion was the final of the tournament. Due to the unfortunate bombing in Manchester, the two teams were supposed to wear black armbands as a mark of respect. Once the teams made their way onto the pitch, it was clearly evident that only eleven players were wearing the band.
Strangely enough, the entire Chelsea team had forgotten to embrace the token of respect before kick-off. However, they made amends as the players came out with their armbands on in the second half.
In the middle of the second half, Victor Moses was sent off for simulation. The Chelsea winger threw his armband in anger, causing a major uproar on social media; a foolish thing to do from one of the best players in the league this past season.
#5 The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Euro 2016
The Euro 2016 was a grand success. But, it did have its fair share of controversies. UEFA was involved in another incident when they unfathomably refused to observe a moment’s silence for the victims involved in the Istanbul attack. 42 people were killed and a further 135 were injured in a triple-suicide bombing incident.
One of the organisation's’s journalists had reported that UEFA considered those incidents which had a direct connection to football or if it was related to one of the participating teams. When the terror attack took place, the affected nation (Turkey) had been knocked out of the tournament, prompting the committee members to rule out the tribute.
Their decision sparked outrage on social media and fans demanded a tribute since Turkey were one of the 32 competing teams in the tournament. Despite their (the organisation) unruly behaviour, the fans united as one and paid their own tributes before each of the four quarter-final fixtures.
