Dutch Footballers Join Women's Footballers' Call to End FIFA's Partnership with Saudi Aramco
-
Loading... - Mikhail Petrov
- 21 Oct 2024
- 46 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Several professional Dutch footballers, including Oranje international Vivianne Miedema, have joined a global movement among women’s footballers urging FIFA to terminate its partnership with Saudi oil giant Saudi Aramco. A total of 106 professional footballers from 24 countries and five continents have signed a letter condemning the partnership, which FIFA announced in April.
Saudi Arabia owns 98.5 percent of Saudi Aramco, and the female footballers have labeled the partnership as unacceptable due to the country's human rights violations, particularly against women and the LGBTQIA+ community. They highlighted numerous violations, including the imprisonment of women who campaigned for their right to drive—rights that were only granted in 2018—and the sentencing of a woman to 27 years in prison for retweeting a post advocating for freedom of speech.
The letter emphasizes the broader implications of the partnership, stating, “The Saudi authorities trample not only on the rights of women but on the freedom of all other citizens too. Imagine LGBTQ+ players, many of whom are heroes of our sport, being expected to promote Saudi Aramco during the 2027 World Cup, the national oil company of a regime that criminalizes the relationships that they are in and the values they stand for.”
Additionally, the footballers criticized Saudi Aramco as a major contributor to environmental degradation, describing it as “the largest state-owned fossil fuel company in the world.” They pointed out that grassroots football globally is suffering due to extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change, while Saudi Arabia continues to profit, with FIFA acting as its supporter.
Miedema, who has earned 120 international caps and currently plays for Manchester United, expressed her concerns, stating, “This letter shows that this is what we as players do not want to stand for and accept in women’s football. It’s simple: this sponsorship contradicts FIFA’s own commitments to human rights and the planet.”
Other Dutch players who signed the letter include Tessel Middag (Rangers), Loes Geurts (BK Häcken), Ziva Henry (Feyenoord), Amber Verspaget (Feyenoord), Jill van den Ende (ADO Den Haag), and Manon van Raay (ADO Den Haag).
