Newcastle’s renaissance in recent times has been nothing short of a fairytale. From qualifying for the Champions League this season to posing a genuine threat as contenders for the Premier League, Newcastle is back to where they should be: Competing for the honor!
All of this, however, couldn’t have been possible (or maybe not as fast as we are witnessing) without the intervention of Saudi Arabia. In October 2021, Saudi’s Public Investment Firm (PIF) took over the club, and the revival has followed since then.
As a result, it didn’t come as any surprise for the fans when a certain group of traveling Newcastle fans was caught singing “We love you, Saudi” before their game against Borussia Dortmund. However, with the controversies associated with Saudi Arabia, the chants were far from justified!
After a hiatus of 2 decades from the Champions League, it’s understandable how passionate the Magpies are this season.
However, it seems like the success they’re enjoying now is reminiscent of a previous era, and most of the fans, if not all, may be experiencing a collective cognitive overload.
These fans must understand that there is a world outside football where fellow humans are abused and are devoid of even basic human rights.
Such idiocracy goes on to further validate the cause of Sportswashing among the Gulf countries and encourage many other nations to take up the act to conceal their internal wrongdoings.
While supporting your favorite club and players is a great way to boost their morale and hype them before games, chants such as “We love you, Saudi” are flimsy and unjust and go on to show how half-witted people can be.
Behaviors as such should be called out and condemned no matter the place, gender, or age. Fans from every club and country should be cautious of what they preach and certainly not allow a few back-to-back wins to cloud their judgments.
The ardent followers standing in front of the Shearer’s Bar should be aware of the thin line separating politics from sports as they are more interconnected than thought. Sportswashing is one of the underlying evils of modern society, and fans must be aware of the consequences of their actions. All it takes is a little ignition for the whole forest to burn, and Sportswashing is no different.
