Football World Cup fever has touched every nook and corner of the world with every class and creed going La La La over it. Four years back, FIFA promised a bigger and better show. Bigger! Yes, better! I am not sure of.
As expected, this year’s game is thrilling, breathtaking, fast, but at the same time upsetting, which has, after a long time, forced me to raise my voice against the offenses openly occurring against world’s most popular victim. The victim is football by the way.
After a long stretched four year wait, on 12th June 2014, the world cup started at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Like many football fans, my heart was filled with delight and eyes had a sparkle to witness the greatest game of the world. I was glued in front of my television screen to see the mesmerizing showcase of skills and fitness, hoping to abreast self with new innovations and development occurred in the game that were largely missed due to our political and social turmoil. Speaking on behalf of football lovers, we also wanted to see how the fastest, sharpest and most expensive athletes of the world utilize their brains to impress us with their skills. How they portray their tremendous fitness, passing and planning, resultantly conquering their opponents and bag the victory trophy. Even though this year’s world cup offered us all of it, but we also observed a rather gloomy side of the game. In almost every match, we witnessed it, a rigid stain on the face of the football i.e. the use of extreme and unnecessary ‘Foul Play.’ This is an ugly scar that not only ruined the true spirit of the game but also demoralized fans and players alike, yet none restrained from practicing it.
Yes, it is such a spot that was quite apparent in every game. Excessive use of foul play adversely affected the fineness of each match. It overshadowed the enchantment of the game and instead of dodging their opponents with intelligence, quick-wittedness, tricks and planning; the teams were seen doing fouls after fouls. Whenever spectators get to see any quality move, there was always a player from other side who would resort to the foul of any extent to halt it. It is however, beyond understanding that when exactly this violence and aggressiveness replaced the sportsman spirit, leaving the fans concerned over differentiating between a game and harsh realities of life. I don’t know where have those smiles gone which were used to spread smiles on the faces of players and subsequently their supporting fans in spite of extreme pressures, which used to pull millions of fans towards the stadium to witness this great game. They not only for months but for centuries used to reminisce those players and moments with high esteem, and used to talk about their favourite players’ achievements and performances generations after generations.
Knowing that the world is suffering from the plague of terrorism, football world cup came in as a time of joys and cheers and expected to strengthen us against these torturous odds. But regrettably the excessive foul play is hastily spreading football terrorism.
We should raise our voices against this increasing football terror and press against the tackles that contravene the fair play. We should stand unite just like we are standing unite against global terrorism and save FIFA from turning into WWF. We should force FIFA to constitute stern laws to make the violators accountable for their foul with iron hand and strategically formulate polices to save the game from blights. Fouls and misconducts are addressed in the Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. An offence may be a foul, misconduct or both depending on the nature of the offence and the circumstances in which it occurs. The acts committed by players which are considered deemed by the referee to be unfair and are subsequently penalized must be revised or the federation should maneuver to bring in third umpires in the form of technology. The use of technology can play a pivotal role in keeping a check on players and reduce their offences to much extent. Otherwise, if this maniac use of fouls continued then it won’t take long when the people would start contemplating to call football, terror ball.
Fresh example is of Brazil, who suffered humiliation because two of their key players were out due to fouls. Brazil’s forward Neymar Jr. was fouled by Columbia Zuniga which left him with a fractured vertebra, and their captain Thiago Silva was unable to play the semi-final for committing a foul. Similarly, in another disgraceful incident Uruguayan footballer Luiz Suarez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. Even though, later he apologized for his heinous act but disgrace was upon him. Therefore, if this fanatic spree continued then it will not take long when other established and forthcoming names of football such as Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Arjen Roben, Thomas Muller, James Rodríguez etc would be facing such situations and instead of leading the team to victory will be seen worrying about saving themselves from injuries.
If such situation arises then it may stain the face of football, and if not addressed sincerely, might overshadow all its glitz and mightiness forever. Therefore, I request all football lovers to build pressure on the FIFA disciplinary committee to take strict action against foul plays and to maintain the pride of this game, throw football terrorists from the stadiums to the wrestling rings.
