Football and politics

Football and politics

From Media Indonesia

I think all of us will agree that football is the most popular
game throughout the world. During the current World Cup, football
fans came to the United States to watch their favorite teams
despite the high cost they had to bear for their travel and other
necessities.

The game has such an influence on people that some even
recklessly end their own life in disappointment and one person
even murdered a player just because he made a mistake on the
playing field.

I was wondering if football's impact will influence the
political arena? In certain countries where football is the most
respected and honored game, politics is linked to the development
of the game. I still remember that the Colombian presidential
candidate, Ernesto Samper, eventually won the presidential
election because he was supported by a celebrated national
football player.

The simple explanation to this phenomenon is that football
fans consist of different social strata. In countries like
Brazil, Italy and Colombia football is liked by people from all
walks of life, so football has become a national issue and thus
closely linked to politics.

EDIH SYARTO

Jakarta