From the Portugal-Uruguay game on Monday night, one image in particular stuck in my mind that has nothing to do with the game itself: a young man in a blue Superman T-shirt with the words “Save Ukraine” and “Respect Iranian Woman” (sic !) runs across the playing field, holding a rainbow flag.
The picture often appears on social media, the speedster is celebrated as a hero. Where the image could not be seen: In the TV broadcast of the game. Fifa wants to force everyone into a world that it determines.
Because she tried to keep the speedster out of the picture. He appeared only briefly, and for a moment you could also see the rainbow flag, which the referee picked up from the ground. The camera immediately switched to the spectators.
Fifa no longer has the power to interpret
That’s not surprising. Fifa has a bad tradition of not showing runabouts on TV. They shouldn’t be given a platform, and imitators shouldn’t be encouraged. In the age of social media, this is completely outdated.
In the past, there would have been hardly any pictures of the speedsters without the television pictures. Today, when everyone has a smartphone, Fifa no longer has the authority to interpret it. She makes a fool of herself by not showing it.
Because the viewer in front of the television screen quickly realizes what is going on when the game is interrupted. He then only has to take a quick look at Twitter and, if in doubt, sees pictures immediately.
In the ARD commentator Tom Bartels clarified immediately. He was able to follow the situation live in the stadium and found particularly clear words. Fifa’s actions, he railed, were “censorship”. “Everybody knows something happened. It’s downright grotesque.”
Precisely because the speedster with the rainbow flag and the message about Iranian women took up two issues that are repeatedly criticized in relation to the World Cup in Qatar, Fifa’s handling is not particularly intelligent. By not showing it, it makes the runabout even better known.
Laura Dahmer finds Fifa’s handling of the speedster not only outdated, but unintelligent.
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
