Common Goal: April Highlights

Football Fights Back

In April, the football world was rocked when an alliance of top European football clubs announced plans to form a new European Super League.

The response of those within the football industry led to the project being abandoned and highlighted once again the beautiful game’s power to incite social change when it unites as one — bringing to the forefront the question of what could be achieved surrounding issues like racism, homophobia, and gender inequality.

For Common Goal April was a month where we welcomed several new members to the movement, caught up with Zambian organisation Sport in Action, and revisited the story of Football vs Apartheid to mark South African Freedom Day.

COMMON GOAL MEMBERS DENOUNCE EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE

In response to a potential European Super League, Common Goal members such as Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin were among the many to condemn the plans.

"Our game has become the greatest sport in the world based on open competition, integrity and sporting merit,” said Čeferin.

“We cannot and will not allow that to change. Never, ever.

“We urge everyone from the millions of football lovers around the world, the world’s media, politicians and football’s governing bodies to stand tall with us, as we do everything in our power to ensure this never ends up in fruition.”

“I don’t run away when there are problems, I never did that,” said Klopp.

“When times get even tougher that makes me even more determined to stay here. I feel responsible for the team, for the club and for the relationship we have with our fans. I will try to help and sort it somehow.”

Manchester United legend and Common Goal mentor Eric Cantona was quick to highlight how the fans are what makes the beautiful game so special.

“The fans are the most important thing in football. They have to be respected,” he said via Instagram.

“Did these big clubs ask the fans what they thought about this idea? No, unfortunately, and that’s a shame.”

Borussia Mönchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl added his criticism of the Super League.

"Yesterday was a decisive day for football," Eberl said.

"Sport consists of competition. One can qualify for something through performance. The planned Super League is an absolute no-go. The clubs are immensely in debt and are now trying to save their asses.

"I don't know whether this is the club of the super-rich, or rather the club of the super-indebted.”

PIA-SOPHIE WOLTER AMONG THREE NEW MEMBERS TO JOIN COMMON GOAL

VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Pia-Sophie Wolter joined the movement — pledging 1% of her salary towards tackling social issues through football.

The two-time Bundesliga winner became the 15th German player to join Common Goal with the DFB international one of three people to join in April, the others coming in the form of football agent Stephanie Molina and former footballer-turned-creative Florencia Galarza.

For football agent Stephanie Molina joining Common Goal was one of the easiest decisions of her agency career.

When the managing director of Asmantra Sports and Consulting joined the movement she became the first female agent to do so, and arrived determined to help it grow.

"When you feel emotionally inspired by something, you want to connect with it, you want to be a part of it, and it to be a part of you," said Molina.

"It felt like joining something strong and beautiful. That’s what the Common Goal community is.

"I feel as an agent that I have a responsibility to use my network of players, coaches, clubs, and people of influence to help raise awareness, generate commitments and drive positive social change."

USL CHAMPIONSHIP CLUBS TAKE PART IN COMMON GOAL LGBTQ+ WORKSHOP

Following a 2020 season marred with instances of hate speech, ahead of the upcoming campaign the USL reached out to Common Goal based on our work with Play Proud to co-develop a new model to work with pro athletes in addressing topics pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community.

Play Proud is an initiative which works to create safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ athletes in the grassroots and professional game. 

By the end of 2020, the USL had pledged to increase punishments for players who use hate speech on the field — but after seeing three such instances in 2019 and 2020 alone, it was clear more needed to be done.

While the entire USL went through sensitivity training with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice, it still didn’t represent a new or innovative approach to ending the cycle.

“When I thought about this instance, this wasn’t just an instance of one player saying a homophobic slur to another,” Lilli Barrett-O’Keefe said, the North America lead for Common Goal.

“These are two humans that had two completely different lived experiences, grew up in completely different contexts. I was thinking of how we can build a hybrid model that doesn’t just look like the traditional hour-and-a half D&I session that you’re going to mandatorily put your players through.” 

On Wednesday, both Phoenix and San Diego took part in team sessions led by Barret-O’Keefe.

Rather than trying to teach a locker room of soccer players about the challenges and experiences unique to the LGBTQ+ community, the session was built around each person’s shared humanity.

She rooted the session in restorative justice, a process which repairs the harm caused by an infraction and often involves a community of people beyond the victim and the aggressor.

Read more via The Athletic here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD: FOUNTAIN OF HOPE

After losing his mother at a young age, Sport in Action's football programmes at the Fountain of Hope orphanage gave Steven Siame hope of a better life.

Having risen through the ranks as participant, Steven is now working with them, volunteering at that same orphanage to share what he learned with the next generation.

“Sport in Action has come up with that concept of using sport as a tool for social change, and one of the beneficiaries is me,” he said.

“There are a lot of challenges, especially for those kids who are coming from the street. When I’d just lost my parents, especially my mum, all my hope was gone.

“Then I came to Fountain of Hope, they received me, they welcomed me, and then I came to realise, there is still hope ahead of me.”

FOOTBALL VS APARTHEID

Robben Island – A piece of land jutting out of Table Bay some four miles from Cape Town – was used by the South African government from 1961 as a place to incarcerate political prisoners and convicted criminals.

After years of fighting for the right to play football in the prison, in December 1967 the authorities begrudgingly gave in and Saturdays were officially scheduled as match day.  

“A person locked up and doing nothing cannot think,” said Lizo Sitoto. “When you were playing outside you felt free, as if you were at home. Soccer gave us something to talk about. That’s why it is more than just a game.”

However, once they won the right to play, it wasn’t long before the authorities realised how much football meant to the prisoners.

Soon the pleasure of football started being withdrawn – turning the game from something beautiful into a form of manipulation used against the prisoners.

In the cell blocks and at the quarry, the players discussed a plan of action, eventually agreeing to a united boycott on playing. So one Saturday morning in early April 1968, the men began the strike – denying themselves the game which had become a lifeline for survival.

“We came here young, with our feed eager to play sport,” said Tokyo Sexwale. “We were not allowed to play any indoor or outdoor games, but in the end the spirit of survival prevailed.”

In 1969, following mounting pressure and a change in prison management games were resumed and inmates soon formed the Makana Football Association.

“With football we manipulated the system,” said Tony Suze. “That was an expression of freedom for us. In a situation that sought to undermine us, it gave us hope.”

Read more here.