Gianni Infantino probably really thought at one point that he was on an equal footing with Vladimir Putin. So between President and President. Well, it’s not a nuclear force that Infantino commands, but at least the proud universe of football! “Together we will show the world what we are capable of,” the FIFA President actually called out to the Russian President ahead of the 2018 World Cup. And after four weeks at the World Cup, Infantino was not too stupid to admit that he “felt like a kid in the candy store” in Russia. As if such a cozy stadium summer could outweigh everything else – the annexation of Crimea, the poisoning of opponents of the regime, cyber attacks on the free West. In the name of humanity, so to speak, Infantino drew the conclusion at the time: “We all fell in love with Russia!”
Why does this sound so familiar, this servile throwing at a despot? Ask Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, who just ran the Beijing Winter Games in silent complicity with China’s injustice apparatus. Without a critical word about Uyghurs held in camps, but with a nice banquet with President Xi Jinping. Also legendary are the images of Bach toasting himself with Putin in a street café during the 2014 Sochi Games, while the latter was already moving the troops towards Crimea.
Well then Cheers: Vladimir Putin and IOC chief Thomas Bach 2014 at the Olympic Games in Sochi.
(Photo: Mikhail Klimentyev / AP)
And now? Shows once again how much Putin can rely on his sports princes. That in the light of a war of aggression, not even the IOC and Fifa can avoid naming Russia as responsible – for free. But real consequences? Bach condemned the breach of the “Olympic Truce”, Fifa wants to “observe” the situation.
After all: Under the great pressure from the public, the first major events are now being withdrawn. Uefa has moved the final of its Champions League from Saint Petersburg to Paris, Formula 1 has canceled the race in Sochi, others are likely to follow; the IOC sent out a corresponding appeal that there should be no events in Russia. But these steps are the minimum, so to speak.
It took the politicians in Washington and Brussels a few days to decide on their sanctions – and they are still arguing about the details. Perhaps one can also concede to sport that it first convenes its committees and consults its lawyers. But after that, further measures would be indicated: not only sporting events in Russia would have to be canceled. Russia’s Paralympic team should be ruled out, and it is also inconceivable that Russia’s national team would continue to play for participation in the World Cup in Qatar.
Sport is a side stage, especially these days – but not a completely irrelevant one
It’s just unlikely to happen, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise to Putin. He laid the foundation for it himself. True to the motto “Sport is part of our foreign policy”, Russia has expanded its position of power in the associations for years – and created dependencies through major sponsorship. Some world federations are entirely in Russian hands, like shooting or fencing. Elsewhere, Putin confidants are in important management positions, such as Gazprom manager Alexander Dyukov in Uefa.
Sport is just a secondary stage, especially these days – but not entirely irrelevant, considering that Vladimir Putin announced his new Ukraine policy on state TV right after the Russian Olympic athletes were celebrated nationally. Unfortunately, one has to fear that sport will continue to make its stages available to Putin. Anyone who works in the candy store doesn’t want to throw the lollipops.
