Let's talk about the good football
And why we need to keep talking about it and fighting for it
Hello and welcome to this brand new channel created to talk about The Good Football - the one that is good on and off the pitch.
To kick it off, I want to share the story behind the creation of this newsletter, which happened to be a personal crisis that made me question if football could actually be good, and ended up serving as a push to keep working for the things I believe in: the tremendous power that a sport such as football has to promote inward and outward positive change. If this rings true to you, stick with me.
Ready for some story time?
The racist attacks seen and heard against Brazilian Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. during the match against Valencia last month hit me like a punch in the stomach. I had been following the constant racist abuses targeted at him leading up to that match as a Brazilian football fan living in Spain but also as a professional in the sport and social impact sector. I was reading, researching and talking to locals about it, trying to wrap my mind around where this was coming from and where it could potentially take us.
I hoped it would be a pivotal moment for Spanish, European and global football, but I kept getting hints that maybe that wouldn't be the case. And then came May 21st. Thousands of people watched Vini Jr. reach a breaking point, including the ones who were present and had the authority to do something about it but didn't.
Football failed me that day. And not like the big setbacks that scarred me for life (I'm looking at you, 1998 World Cup Final.). This time, it felt like the message was loud and clear: there is no room for those of us who want to help make a difference in and through this sport we love so much.
But see, you can't shake off something that runs so deeply in you that easily - at least that's what I am learning. After taking a break from all things football (and deleting the Twitter app, of course), I came back to see Vini Jr. rising stronger and speaking up even louder against racism in Spain and the world. I saw him being handed the legendary Real Madrid #7 jersey for the upcoming seasons and entering the pitch with the Brazilian Seleção in a black kit for the first time in its history.
This last one I got to see with my own eyes and join the crowd in giving Vini Jr. a standing ovation as he walked out of the pitch. It felt like things came full circle. Ultimately, this whole thing only reassured my belief that social impact makes football, players, clubs, leagues, and sponsors even stronger. This is the Good Football.
And this is what I will be talking about in this newsletter - in shorter and less personal content, I promise.
If this resonates with you, subscribe, share and join me in the upcoming editions. Don't hesitate in writing back to share your feedback and thoughts too.
THE GOOD LINKS
🇹🇷 This group of mascots for the UCL final, who were children from an earthquake-hit area in Turkey.
👧🏻 This campaign featuring Liverpool FC male players and raising awareness of the reasons why girls are more likely to quit sports at an early age.
💰 FIFA's new payment system, which guarantees financial support for all participating teams and players in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
✊🏿 The announcement that Vini Jr. will be the head of a FIFA anti-racism committee made up of players who will actively suggest stricter punishment against racism in football.