Football is not relevant in the face of a global crisis
Mark Wotte experienced an Egyptian season delayed by the 2011 revolution but he fears current situation is far too serious for any bickering over clubs’ fates
IT WAS the sight of a military tank occupying his allotted car-park space at the stadium that confirmed to Mark Wotte the normalities of a football season wouldn’t be enhancing everyday life any time soon. That sporting rivalries were being parked for several months — at least — and that the destination of league titles really weren’t worth arguing about.
Egypt’s top-flight history is dotted with suspended or aborted league campaigns for a variety of reasons.
The 1971/72 season wasn’t finished following violence at an Al AhlyZamalek game in week nine and the Yom Kippur War put a halt to 1973/74.
The league of 1989/90 was shelved to help the national team prepare for the World Cup finals, where they held Euro winners Holland to a 1-1 draw but exited at the group stage.
A stadium riot leading to 74 deaths forced the cancellation of 2011/12 and the following season was halted by the 3rd of July coup.
Incredibly, however, all parties did manage to complete one unique season amid a national crisis.
Wotte was head coach of Ismaily when the bloody 2011 revolution overthrew the Hosni Mubarak regime and claimed over 800 lives, placing football on pause for nearly four months from January through to April.
Yet play resumed to complete in full, with Al Ahly cruising to the championship almost a year after it began — and the following campaign pushed back for an October start.
Living through the horrors of the uprising, Wotte was readily able to place the desire of his team to improve on their third place in perspective.
Right now, with the world in the grip of a pandemic, he believes there should be a similar outlook from within football, where the self-interest has soared with every passing day of conjecture about how to settle this season.
‘Sometimes in life there are bigger things than this game of football,’ said the former Scottish FA performance director.
‘Like the political revolution after 35 years of Mubarak regime. To free the people, that was the motto, winning over a dictatorial regime was what was important. Football was not relevant.
‘Now there’s a health crisis, I don’t think it’s appropriate to be fighting about giving titles to Celtic or not.
‘The numbers all over Europe are rising and, if there could be thousands more dead people, then surely no one will talk about the football any more? If your neighbour dies or your father dies or your son dies because of this, then you won’t be arguing about giving the title to this team.
‘This is a global crisis. And when there’s a global crisis, you cannot discuss whether it’s fair or not for Celtic to win the league, surely? ‘I know how it works in Scotland, remember. But I cannot believe that people are debating this so much considering the difficulties being face around Europe.
‘Because, if the virus is spreading as rapidly as we’re being told, then it’s going to become more and more severe.’
In Wotte’s eyes, there is no debate to be had if it proves practically impossible to complete a domestic league season.
The deeper into the summer the inactivity extends, authorities will run out of time to fulfil the fixtures that will dictate who advances to the Champions League and Europa League tournaments next season.
‘You need to take a decision because of these competitions starting early,’ noted Wotte.
‘So you stop a league with maybe seven or eight games left in Scotland, the number one becomes the champions — you don’t have any alternative.
‘You can only use the table at the moment. How can you come up with justification not to announce them? I know it’s not fair because you should be the champion over all the games.
‘Hopefully, the coronavirus will be disappearing after six weeks from now but we have to think seriously about not finishing leagues.
‘I was working in Scotland when, in 2012 in Egypt, there was the stadium riot at Port Said in which around 75 died at a game between Al Masry and Al Ahly. It was horrific and the season had to stop for good. ‘The surprise team, Haras El Hodood, led the league but most teams had played only 14 or 15 games that season. There could be no chance of making them being champions.
‘The biggest priority then was sorting out the stadiums because they were clearly unsafe and it ultimately took six years for them to be allowed to play games in front of crowds in Egypt.
‘Games were played behind closed doors — apart from the national team — and broadcast live all over television channels because football is a big deal to so many people there.
‘Considering this current situation, there shouldn’t be a long discussion if there’s little chance of being able to play the remaining eight games of leagues in Europe in May and June.
‘There are more serious ones to make throughout the world. So stop the league, declare champions and that’s the final table. How can you possibly make another decision if you cannot finish in May or June?’
The Egyptian football authorities were content, after the country stabilised in 2011 and the army took control of the streets, to allow the league to restart and Al Ahly went on to be crowned champions.
Just over two weeks after the revolution began, teams were allowed to return to training — an edge that might not be granted to clubs here if the coronavirus spread isn’t stifled.
‘We were soon allowed to train in Egypt, so this period is worse for players at all levels, we can’t even train and we must be creative,’ said Wotte, now in UAE as Al Wahda FC’s academy technical director.
‘The players and kids must do their studies online and we’ve sent them a programme to work on between 2pm and 4pm on technical skills, physical exercises. Here in our hotel in the Emirates, there is solidarity. Everyone wants to protect themselves and their families.’
The Egyptian top flight is currently suspended, once again, until April at the earliest.
If your neighbour dies, or your father or son, you won’t be arguing about who wins the title