A star football game War of the latest attempt to Saudi Arabia, Sportswash ‘rights violations. It did not work

A shot of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo head pushed Juventus 1-0 victory over rivals AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup (Italian Super Cup) Wednesday, but the reluctance of the best sports players and clubs, against violations of human rights in Saudi Arabia prompted accusations that are complicit, sports wash ‘for the Gulf state. The game took place in Saudi Arabia 62,000 Abdullah Stadium King capabilities, where a fan zone gondoliers fake and Venetian bridges football stars before the picture of the game in traditional Saudi headgear and in the stands fans detained in the United cardboard cutouts asked the monarch government. But back in Italy, he was accused Broadcaster RAI journalists units of Italian Elite League Serie A gloss on Riyadh strict gender segregation laws help the brutal war in Yemen and crackdowns on dissident voices – including the brutal murder of the Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi . The $8,000,000 that Saudi Arabia has paid to maintain each of the three Super games to the right, is expected to number over the next five years, “hush money in the face of bombs for four years in Yemen civilians massacre, facing the enlistment of child soldiers, in front of the brutal murder [of Khashoggi], “said the union of journalists Rai in a released statement a few days before the kick-off. Recalling the presence of men only sections in the stadium and the incarceration of women’s rights, RAI is to provide the trade union parties of being accomplices “a kick to the Human Rights” accused (a kick against human rights). Read more: can women in Saudi Arabia to attend any live Soccer Serie A games Riyadh agreement with sparse public opposition withdrawn when it was announced in June of last year. The traditional opener of the Italian season in the program during the middle of winter, in the past had played collapse in the United States, China, Qatar and Libya. His temporary home in Saudi Arabia has been the same reforms supervised month from the de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed Salman allowed (nicknamed MSB) women from driving in the UK, and a year later they were in the stadium live football matches can participate confirmed for the first time. But the murder of Khashoggi in Istanbul last year, say US senators were appointed by the crown prince largely an end to the efforts Bin Salman turned out the cast as a reformer. The high-profile flight from Saudi teenagers Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun asked this month to make the cool control of the system of protection in the male-dominated country, which hampers the ability of women critical decisions about their lives. Next to the RAI and other unions protest outside the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Rome staged game also criticism of the Italian politicians Wednesday and Amnesty International, to draw in October Juventus and AC Milan out of the game pushed moved. “International sports events have a public diplomacy tool set for the Gulf countries to improve their global stature and draw attention away from political controversy and violations of human rights,” said Lina Khatib, head of the Middle East and North Program Africa Policy Institute London-based Chatham House. Read “but sometimes this strategy backfires, rather than attention to the problems of countries want to sweep under the carpet”. More: Rahaf will start a ‘revolution Saudi women demanding reforms after a teenager After fleeing the country in fear for their life in the top flight in Italy is the latest organization to support a State of the Gulf are accused of “washing sport.” International football FIFA governing body has failed, the Government of Qatar to hold to tell what Human Rights Watch estimated deaths of outdoor workers inexplicable could be more than 2,000 since the FIFA Qatar awarded the right to host the 2022 World Cup , writes the researcher Nicholas McGeehan. McGeehan also criticized German club Bayern Monaco for peaceful human rights abuses to be always committed by its sponsors Qatar Airways. Such organizations “are so happy so hungry for money and the Gulf states you at every opportunity at hand that the allies use sport were not as instrument of positive change or reforms in a bid to” McGeehan tells TIME. It is a damning indictment of the organizations that often tout their commitment to fair play and inclusiveness. But, says McGeehan, stars of the game are affecting “probably the most powerful actors” change. Serie A president Gaetano Micciche in a statement said that the championship is women who work to ensure all areas would be able to enter the stadium for the fixtures later Super places. But analysts say that shows negligible criticism of football matches, such as Saudi Arabia, public pressure was to stand up, fueled by international economic and political interests concern for human rights to overwrite. “Football of the Italian economic system and culture, and can not logical, especially in international relations from those of the country belongs to” defend, Micciche said in a statement the decision with the game continues. “Saudi Arabia is the largest Italian trade partner in the Middle East by dozens of major Italian exporting companies and work there, with many of our country to Saudi Arabia for work, and none of these reports have been broken.”
Picture copyright by Claudio Villa-Getty Images for Lega Serie A