There was an unsettling atmosphere at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, a sense of discomfort that even the magic of Kai Havertz’s late winner couldn’t quite shift. It was an afternoon when events on the pitch felt secondary to those taking place elsewhere despite the sporting significance of Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United.
The fixture symbolised the moral vacuum at the heart of 21st century football. Chelsea, owned by recently sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, faced off against opponents now backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, linked to a state accused of human rights abuses.
Sanctions against Abramovich have caused major disruption to his West London club, which is now unable to sell tickets and merchandise to fans, including many from Hackney.
In recent years, football has been forced to face up to its ethical responsibilities. Although corruption existed in the sport before FIFA awarded World Cups to Qatar and Russia in 2010, it was a transformative moment in the game’s history. Finally, sportswashing, when sport is used to improve a person’s or state’s image, was there for all to see.
Saturday’s match was a Premier League classic, a true sportswashing derby, and although the home side won, it was the sport that lost.
Here’s the banner. pic.twitter.com/6arZJugSGO
— Adam Newson (@AdamNewson) March 13, 2022
Zak Green, a lifelong Chelsea fan from East London, understands the contradiction at the heart of his fandom. The 22-year-old, too young to remember his club’s pre-moneyed era, was swept up in Abramovich’s public relations project – and is now stuck on what to do next.
“Obviously, in the footballing sense, you can’t exactly say a bad word about Abramovich. Just strip everything apart, and I know it’s very difficult to do, [but] in a strictly football-sense, he arrived in 2003, saved the club from going bust, and the rest is history,” Green explains.
“In a way, you kind of put everything else to the back of your mind because your club’s winning trophies every year, you have a state-of-the-art academy, and you have a secure, successful women’s team that are pioneers in the game. You’re top of the tree, at the big table, and things feel fine.”
On Tuesday [15 March], Abramovich was hit by a second wave of sanctions, this time from the European Union, due to his “long and close ties to Vladimir Putin”. According to a document released by the EU, the 55-year-old has “privileged access to the president” which allows him to “maintain his considerable wealth”.
A week earlier, the UK government froze the Russian’s assets, accusing him of having “clear connections” to the Kremlin.
“I think lots of Chelsea priced it in with Abramovich that he was this kind of very shady character, someone who regularly appeared at games,” Green adds. “And, whether we like it or not, his association with Putin has always been up for debate, in the past, in the present, and in future.”
However, fan-owned clubs like Clapton Community have shown that the beautiful game can still be run with local people in mind. The Tons, established four years ago, operates on a democratic basis, allowing ‘members’ to vote on issues often decided behind closed doors at clubs like Chelsea.
Told you it would be sunny ?
Looking dry today with a bit of blue sky poking through, time to break out the sun cream for the match?
See you at 2pm. pic.twitter.com/fS4by1CW2d
— Clapton Community FC (@ClaptonCFC) March 13, 2022
“The difference between clubs like ours and traditional clubs is that supporters of the club own the club,” Maciej Barron, a CCFC member, said last year. “The community itself is amazing, everyone is very helpful, and everyone is welcome to be a part of it.”
“You are in control here, not just some rich guy upstairs.”
Although Clapton Community’s approach is promising, it doesn’t help fans of Premier League clubs who have been priced out of ownership at the elite level.
The trouble with sportswashing is that it toxifies everything the institution touches; Chelsea’s so-called Roman Empire is a case in point. Under Abramovich’s leadership, the Blues have invested millions into local projects, enjoyed glittering success on the pitch, and given their fans a lifetime of memories.
Politically motivated club ownership takes advantage of fans’ unconditional love for their teams. It’s why sportswashing is so devastating.
