Fifa clumsily tried to cover up the statues of sports legends.
Fifa’s general secretary of women’s football, Sarai Bareman, apologized for the upset caused by the organization. EPA / AOP
The international football association Fifa has once again angered people with its decisions. During the summer soccer World Cup, soccer’s umbrella organization made a decision, about which it immediately heard complaints and eventually had to cancel its intention.
Fifa ordered that the name plates of the statues in front of the Allianz Stadium, the World Cup stage in Sydney, Australia, be covered. Fifa had nothing against player legends, but the nameplates had mentions or logos of the statue’s sponsors, who are not involved in the soon-to-be-started World Cup.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Fifa received harsh feedback from the relatives of the players in the statues and had to reverse its decision. Fifa Secretary General of Women’s Football Sarai Bareman said, according to the source, that the usual arrangement is followed in the competition areas, where the extra badges are covered for the duration of the competition. Due to the criticism that arose, Fifa agreed to make an exception for the statues.
Regardless, the damage had already been done, as the covers covering the nameplates left adhesive stains covering the initials.
The daughter was dismayed
In front of the stadium is a statue of, among other things, an Australian football icon About Johnny Warren. The player’s daughter Shannon Warren says that he was shocked when he heard about the attempt to cover up his father’s statue.
– I cannot understand the reason for this. Why are you trying to hide a statue of a great sports legend in a country that hosts the Women’s World Cup? This is not the first time Fifa has done something stupid, says Warren.
– Should we also cover up? Pelé name in Brazil or Bobby Charlton’s In England? This is disrespectful to the host country and the supporters traveling to the games.
Sydney 9News visited the stadium on Wednesday to check on the status of the statues. The video below shows that the Warren statue’s name placard was still under the plastic wrap.
The Women’s Soccer World Cup starts on July 20 and ends on August 20.