Winning, But At What Cost?
“Just aim to be a winner, On Saturday May Twenty; Victory or triumph Is almost seen in Eternity”.
Winning is a habit that boosts self-confidence with an added touch of complacency. Sometimes, this addition determines whether people will celebrate your success or turn it into a source of controversy.
The recently concluded 48th edition of Copa America witnessed criticism of the Argentine team’s winning celebration, who claimed their 16th title. A leaked video of Chelsea midfield maestro Enzo Fernandez chanting racist and homophobic slurs about the players of their World Cup Final opponents created a sense of dissatisfaction and embarrassment among his current club team members from France, as well as the current and former French national team members.
Enzo is a promising talent, with so many trophies in his cabinet at the young age of 23. But a few words of his out of a state of excitement proved to be hazardous for his career. Winning is a feeling that can be dealt with humility and the aspiration to maintain it forever. Racism is still running in the veins of society, and it is something that can completely change the sweetness of victory to the sourness of criticism, as is evident in this case. Chelsea immediately responded to the incident by adopting internal disciplinary procedures against Fernandez, which forced him to apologize for his comments.
This instance of racism is not new in the history of the game. Recent examples include countries like Albania and Austria sanctioned by the UEFA following criticism from their fans during EURO 2024. Recent war-like situations and political emergencies in many parts of the world have given way to a number of incidents involving racial discrimination.
Modern life focuses more on the importance of mental health and lifestyle. However, this cannot be accomplished without destroying bigger, older evils like the veins of discrimination from the roots of society. Initiatives are being taken to reduce the level of racism through various campaigns like Visit Rwanda by Arsenal and the No Hate Campaign by Chelsea. The Premier League has announced a three-year progress update as part of the “No Room for Racism Action Plan.” The plan is built around six pillars that increase diversity across the game and reinforce the League’s commitment to tackling discrimination and supporting those who are subject to racist abuse. In fact, most games in modern football start with a kneel-down gesture to ensure that the spirit of the game is enriched with diversity.
Enzo won that night at the cost of losing the positive image that he had developed gradually among his teammates and the whole world. In the real world, “pros and cons” are two forces that, if taken care of, can complement each other well. After all, winning takes a lot of hard work and determination, which should never go in vain.
Author: Saptarsi Sen
About the Author: Student of MBA 10
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