More needed on football violence
It is commendable that Sulom did not waste time to crack the whip on Red Lions for the violence last weekend that left many injured, including a young man, Geoffrey Mwale, who is in critical condition at the hospital.
Red Lions have been handed a K3.6 million fine and a one-year ban to two players while six others got six months suspension. However, I am curious as to what would happen to the soldiers who deliberately injured the young man who is in hospital.
Mwale’s story is very touching. He was not at the football match. He stood along the road waiting for a car to pick him up when soldiers attacked him. It is clear this attack was unprovoked. The soldiers believe they are above the law. Instead of protecting lives they are at the forefront inflicting harm on unsuspecting innocent citizens.
All along, I was under the impression we had the most disciplined servicemen on the continent as everywhere they have been on peacekeeping missions, they have been awarded accolades for good behaviour. But what we have witnessed here is a complete opposite. These soldiers should be arrested and face justice for the injuries to this young man.
After you have beaten up everyone you encounter in town, what do you achieve? Do you walk tall or you earn more money? These barbaric acts must stop.
Sulom should do more other than just handing out punishments to guilty parties. It should be proactive in these matters by organising sensitisation workshops involving club administrators, supporters and other stakeholders to end hooliganism. Recently, football suffered apathy from sponsors because of violence. We cannot go back to those dark ages. Give us back our beautiful game.
There are more interesting fixtures on Sunday in Spain and England. In Spain, Atletico Madrid face Barcelona in a match of the weekend in which Barcelona could wrap up the league if they win at the Vicent Calderon. Diego Simeon’s men are more than handful, but they face the attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez that is capable of breaking any defence. I suspect Barcelona will win this match and become champions this Sunday.
At the beginning of the season, they were many doubts over Louis Enrique’s credentials but now he has silenced his critics and is having the last laugh as his team urges closer to an unprecedented treble.
Although Chelsea were already crowned champions in the Barclays, some fixtures are more than just an academic enterprise. The match between Arsenal and Manchester United carries a lot of significance as both teams stand the chance of finishing in automatic qualification for champions league.
United have 68 points on fourth position while Arsenal have 70. It means if United win, they could go above Arsenal. It is difficult though to predict the winner because both sides are struggling. Man City who are in second position face a tricky fixture at Swansea, the team that humiliated Arsenal with a 1-0 win on Monday. So there is still more to look forward to even at this penultimate stage of the fixtures.
Many people were surprised Real Madrid were booted out of the Champions League. I was not. Real look pedestrian without Luca Modric orchestrating things from the midfield area. Modric is the engine room. Whenever he is playing, Real become unplayable even against Barcelona. Bale’s lack of form is nothing compared to the absence of Modric. Bale, in my opinion, is just a scapegoat.
On the other hand, take away nothing from Juventus. The team has been playing together for a long time and is a well-balanced side from defence, midfield to the attack headed by Carlos Tevez. We should expect one of the best finals on June 06. Congrats to Sevilla for reaching the finals to defend their Europa trophy on May 27 against surprise side Dnipro.
