Despite the ongoing world economic crisis, French politicians this week spent much of their time whining about Tunisian fans booing “La Marseillaise” before the France-Tunisia exhibition game in Paris Tuesday. It’s just another example of politicians interfering in the game, writes Brian Homewood, arguing that international soccer would be best served by scrapping the anthems altogether.
“International football already stirs enough nationalistic sentiments,” he writes, “and anthems, many of which have a decidedly belligerent tone, fuel them even more.” Playing anthems merely gives politicians “an excuse for sticking their noses into football affairs and creates the potential for embarrassing gaffes.”
He cites last month’s World Cup qualifying game between North and South Korea that was played in China after the North Korean government refused to allow the South’s anthem to be played in Pyongyang. And he notes that the Italian national team defiantly refused to sing along to the country’s anthem at the 2002 World Cup after they were told to do so by politicians.
“So many teams employ foreign coaches and field naturalized players — often with the help of governments fast-tracking passport applications — that they are becoming ever-less representative of the country they represent,” Homewood argues. Argentine-born Italian midfielder Mauro Camoranesi admitted he did not know the tune of his adopted country, but added, “I don’t even sing my own national anthem.”