Ayoba
Poster of Noncense.
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2021
- Messages
- 9,474
I had to google ameliorate and pejorative
On the whole, yes.So you think the UAE's global image has been ameliorated by City thus far?
Overall, the UAE have improved their image to the 90% majority but worsened it to the more informed 10%.
The 90% couldn't give a feck about the UAE, who I promise you isn't thinking about them or the 10% who now hate them.
They have who they want in their pocket. Look at the relationship of the UAE/Saudis with the UK government. See where they get their weapons from. See where they sell their oil to.
I still find it fascinating some people think, "yeah but they still desire the affection of the average football fan, and that's why they bought City"
It's not about attracting the adulation of the average football fan. It's about aligning your stage with the image of excellence, high performance, success, etc.
Decent balanced reporting would also mention the 100000 children maimed or killed in Yemen by the Saudi-UAE conflict. Perhaps they could mention that flogging and stoning are still permissible sentences for being part of the LGBTQIA+ community. That the UAE have been assisting Russian oligarchs circumvent sanctions imposed due to the Ukraine invasion. The fact that the UAE are on the FATF grey list due to being an enabler of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Stripped and titles won, voided. No winner those seasons.
You seem to think that they bought City to move coverage about them from the horrible stuff they've done, to them owning a successful football club. That's not how the news works, and you're assuming the 90% would otherwise give a feck about the UAE if they didn't own City.
Just another day in dubai then...D. Hold the responsible parasites to account in front of a packed etihad stadium, and then execute them. Its a bit extreme, but then, these are extreme times.
A nice idea, but I’ve highlighted where your plan unfortunately falls apartD. Hold the responsible parasites to account in front of a packed etihad stadium, and then execute them. Its a bit extreme, but then, these are extreme times.
They keep them, they won them the players won them .. not the club .. . Do the players know there playing for a corrupt club ? .. put them in a crime museum for all to see..
Geopolitical PR is not about winning an argument or winning hearts and minds. It's about shifting the window of respectability enough that the apathetic majority will let you do business with their governments.
After Kashoggi, Biden said he would make Saudi a 'pariah'. Now he's fist-bumping with MBS. The gap between those two stances was bridged, significantly, with sportswashing.
All owners do this This isn't exclusive to City's owners.
Harsh and barbaric.D. Hold the responsible parasites to account in front of a packed etihad stadium, and then execute them. Its a bit extreme, but then, these are extreme times.
A nice idea, but I’ve highlighted where your plan unfortunately falls apart
All owners? Only a minority are State owned so cannot be all owners. Most are club owners out of personal interest or for commercial benefit.
Glazers aren't owning United to improve the image of the USA. Strange analysis.
Sportswashing is not about winning the hearts and minds of citizens of places like the US, EU, UK. It's about attaching your nation to enough 'respectable' news to give governments of those countries the wiggle room to do business with you.
90% wouldn't give a feck about Saudi Arabia if they didn't do things like buy Newcastle, host Club World Cup, fund the LIV, host a Grand Prix, boxing matches etc etc. They would hear about the nation only through occasional awareness of news stories about warcrimes in Yemen, human rights abuses, oil geopolitics, and the bigger splashier ones like the assassination of Jamal Kashoggi.
Now, those news stories are balanced or even outweighed by news stories about drama in world golf, Cristiano Ronaldo, Newcastle joining the big boys in the PL, etc. Again, average UK citizens still broadly don't give a feck. But whereas before the 10% who did give a feck would have a clear run at protest and outrage when the UK sells arms to or otherwise supports the Saudis, now the whole issue is muddier. Governments like the UK can say 'we are committed to working with international partners like Saudi Arabia on their human rights efforts' and continue to sign arms deals etc. The protestors will look just that little bit more hysterical and silly to the average bod on the street because after all this is that lot who own Newcastle and invest in golf and infrastructure and every sports fan in the world will have enjoyed at least one thing that they are responsible for, and three or your favourite footballers work there and can regularly be seen advertising their lovely, Westerner-friendly holiday destinations boasting glitzy hotels and eternal sunshine.
Geopolitical PR is not about winning an argument or winning hearts and minds. It's about shifting the window of respectability enough that the apathetic majority will let you do business with their governments.
After Kashoggi, Biden said he would make Saudi a 'pariah'. Now he's fist-bumping with MBS. The gap between those two stances was bridged, significantly, with sportswashing.
People keep talking about either or. Both!In some sports this is fairly common - due to (mostly) eastern-Europeans athletes using doping. They are then stripped of their medals - and the medals are sent to the persons ending 2nd, 3rd and 4th in that race. The problem is - I have yet to hear one athlete really celebrating it.Judging from interviews, most of them don't take any joy in receiving it because they were denied the celebration and joy as they won it. Then they receive a trophy in the mail 3-4-5 years afterwards.
I actually think City should be stripped of their medals - but I would actually prefer a long-term punishment that deprives City-fans of much celebration in the next few years. So I would rather kicked City down the leagues with additional points deductions the first seasons they return to the P.L - and no european football for 3 seasons. That would hurt City and their-fans a lot more than taking away their trophies.
You're missing my point. All owners benefit from their clubs being successful. All owners look to align their stage with the success of their club. Are there owners out there who hide when their clubs win trophies?
Is it beyond possibility that these rich oligarchs and autocratic leaders, just hold these clubs out of personal interest, the same way they collect yachts, estates, cars, watches, women, and so on? That's the simplest answer to me and fits in their pattern.
And again we're back at the ridiculous notion that they're looking to improve the image of their country.
But not to the 10% who know their bad deeds and hate them for it.
But not to the 90% who don't give a feck about politics either way
But not to the Western governments that they are already in bed with, and get all sorts of favors from
Who are they looking to improve their image for?? Again, I see no reason to attach nefarious reason to their club purchases beyond, "oh I have all this money, why not buy a club in the PL?"
Obligatory bolding @duffer