As Erling Braut Haaland got ready for Manchester City on Tuesday, there were mostly two different reactions among Norwegian readers.

Some are excited about how Norway’s golden boy will do at City.

Others slaughter a selection of clubs used for sports laundry.

The city is owned by the royal family in Abu Dhabi, who have used it as a public relations tool for the United Arab Emirates since its 2008 acquisition.

Some would say that almost each person Owners in football are unscrupulous in their own way. But few of them are totalitarian states with thousands of human lives above their conscience.

Norway’s biggest star who will lead the City project is disappointing.

But what’s even sadder is that this has become the norm among the world’s best players.

Calm from the stars

City are already brimming with profiles that appear to be just playing football, but also contributing to the Emirates project. They played in costumes that represented Etihad Airways, one of the state’s two airlines and key to boosting tourism in the country.

They played at the Etihad Stadium. They went to training camp at the Emirates.

City’s players mostly seemed like sensible people. But no one ever said anything. We are still waiting for the day when a top international player tells us he is leaving the club, or says no to the club, because of possession.

When Saudi Arabia, a regime with similar actions to the Emirates, bought Newcastle last year, there was no shortage of players wanting to go there. Eddie Howe, a seemingly jolly man who always speaks well of himself, takes the opportunity to become a coach.

Ser is he not a problem? care He does not?

Want to talk about Qatar

All kudos to those who really care, and even more to the few who say anything.

In September last year, the then captain of the Finnish national team Tim Sparv published a case on the website Player Stand entitled “We have to talk about Qatar”.

For a long time, Sparrow was like most players. Qatar, where at least 15,000 migrant workers have died since 2010, was awarded the World Cup that year, but Sparrow didn’t think much of it.

Not that hers the decision to give them the World Cup. He can’t do anything on his own.

But in 2019, one of his teammates, Riku Riski, refused to join the team at the training camp in Qatar. Then Sparrow began to read more about Qatar. He studied law and spoke with organizations. He became increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that Finland might play the World Cup there.

Since then, Sparrow has spoken to the migrant workers themselves. In his case, he urged other players to put pressure on Qatar.

– I wish more players talked about this, said Sparv.

Some dare to say something

What happened since then? Netherlands national team coach Louis van Gaal said it was “ridiculous” with the World Cup in Qatar. Several Danish players said the same thing.

Before Sparv’s case came to light, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany had focused on Qatar’s human rights abuses.

But statements from stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have yet to emerge.

There are practitioners who dare to say something. In the United States, superstars such as Megan Rapinoe and basketball player LeBron James have played an active role in the national debate about racism and gender discrimination.

Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton focused on human rights before the final three races of last year’s season – in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates.

In Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Hamilton wears a helmet in rainbow colors because of the country’s treatment of LGBT people. According to Amnesty, homosexuality in Qatar is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

– Would I like more athletes to speak publicly about these things? Yes, in Hamilton.

Money flowing in

Some would say that such a contribution is too much expected of a football player. Human rights organizations say it is not the players’ job to eliminate sports laundering. That responsibility belongs to leagues and leagues – and that’s entirely true.

Mino Raiola, who was Haaland’s agent before he died two weeks ago, said players should not be forced to say anything about Qatar.

Perhaps this could explain why Haaland appeared to distance himself from the Qatari guard in Norway by standing further behind the banner than his team-mates.

Furthermore, football is marked by the interests of these states, so players can be punished for criticizing them.

FIFA still maintains that the World Cup will be in Qatar. UEFA has jumped into bed with Nasser al-Khelaifi, the Qatari president of PSG, which is practically owned by Qatar, and who became a key ally in UEFA’s clash against the Super League last year.

During the 2021 European Championships, one of the sponsors will be Qatar Airways.

Another powerful organization in Europe is the ECA, which represents more than 240 clubs. President there? Nasser al-Khelaifi.

Money from the Persian Gulf has flowed into several leagues. Premier League? They have welcomed the Emirates and Saudi Arabia. English Football Association? Today, the FA Cup final was played, which is officially called the “Emirates FA Cup”.

Spanish Football Association? They have moved the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

Various companies from Arab oil countries are possible sponsors for the club. If a player said something, he could quickly receive a call from their boss. Sparrow said he knows some players who are afraid to say something for such reasons.

So you can understand that it’s easier to be silent. But it’s still possible to say no to contributing to a sports wash, as Haaland could. Maybe many do it secretly.

Low expectations

But in reality, too many ignore the human factor. In March, the Saudi state beheaded 81 people they considered criminals.

A journalist asked Newcastle coach Eddie Howe about this.

“I’m just going to stick to football,” Howe said.

Most disappointing is the biggest star. Some of them don’t just play for clubs that are used for sports laundry; they also descend on their own initiative to these states and play a passive role in PR campaigns.

Take the 10 players who got the most votes in last year’s Gullballen selection. Eight of these have been used for various forms of sports laundry.

This is where the list is. Sports laundering has become commonplace among the stars, which sadly would have been far more surprising had Haaland turned down City because of the owners.

There’s no doubt that sports laundry works. The players are not responsible – they just play football. Leagues and leagues don’t care. Even for the press, it’s hard to write about sports laundry all time.

Maybe Haaland will get some tough questions about City owners. Then a new season will soon be at the door, and football will continue as before.