Lessons learnt from the top sports crises of 2021
We’ve seen over the years that the principles of good communication planning and crisis preparedness continue to leave much to be desired – and sport is no exception.
There are so many examples of organisations and individuals in the public eye whose commercial partnerships and reputations suffer because of the mistakes that they make and the way that they respond to them.
There’s always plenty to learn from the crises that take place and the opportunities for individuals and organisations to observe to avoid similar fates to those affected below.
THE EUROPEAN SUPERLEAGUE
Rarely has criticism been as universal as for the announcement of the breakaway European Super League (ESL).
As rumours grew of a new football competition, opposition and outrage dominated the discourse way before the official statement was released to the public.
Twelve clubs, including the giants of Spain and Italy and six from the Premier League, launched the ESL as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the financial challenges that had caused.
The closed competition appeared to be focused on simply making the richest clubs richer and Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez admitted as much.
The ESL statement quoted just three executives, Pérez, Manchester United’s Joel Glazer, and Andrea Agnelli, Chairman of Juventus, with the curiosity of United’s Glazer even appearing on the website of arch-rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, something that would previously have been considered unthinkable.
No wonder the scenes at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge soon after the news broke were so dramatic, with former goalkeeper and current Technical Director Petr Cech having to plead with fans who were peacefully protesting and blocking the route for team coaches to enter the stadium car park.
No wonder the pressure from all sides led to clubs dropping out and some issuing apologies to fans for joining in the first place.
Learning: At a time when the football family should be working together to support all levels of the game from grassroots to elite level, the ESL was a crisis that threatened to destroy the very fabric of the game.
It said so much that not even managers had been consulted, with Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, forced to speak ahead of a Premier League game when his club’s owners had not yet faced the media.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson reportedly led a captains’ call before a co-ordinated campaign by him and his teammates to express their displeasure on social media.
Governing bodies, fan groups, and politicians were united in their anger and opposition as Prime Minster Boris Johnson had a Zoom call with the clubs with the crisis deepening.
English football’s Fan Led Review may see supporters having more involvement in key decisions but lessons must be learnt to stop such a crisis from ever happening again.
It’s a case study in ensuring stakeholders are briefed and committed and that a co-ordinated communications plan is put in place to showcase a clear proposition with a strategy and vision that makes sense and prompts excitement rather than ridicule.
ENGLISH CRICKET
It started with Azeem Rafiq and Yorkshire County Cricket Club but exploded into a crisis that has rocked English cricket to its core.
Rafiq, a former captain both of England’s Under-19s and Yorkshire’s Twenty20 side, first spoke publicly about his experiences at the club last September and claimed that "institutional racism" left him close to taking his own life.
The conclusion of a year-long investigation raised more questions than it answered, with doubts over the independence of the panel and the Club’s refusal to initially publish its findings in full.
Yorkshire did issue a ‘full apology,’ and said: “There were many allegations made against the club most of which relate to a period more than 10 years ago. Many of the allegations were not upheld and for others there was insufficient evidence for the panel to make a determination.
“It is right, however, to acknowledge from the outset that several of the allegations made by Azeem were upheld and that sadly, historically, Azeem was the victim of inappropriate behaviour. This is clearly unacceptable. We would like to express our profound apologies for this.”
Rafiq responded: “To try and tone racism down to inappropriate behaviour ... straight away for me, I find it really difficult to understand what they think they are doing. At the end of it [the statement] there is some sort of apology, but it is spoilt by the words that are used to try and minimise what my allegations were.
“I have a lot of proof to back up the things that I am saying. I wouldn’t think twice about making sure people see that proof because I am not having, for any second of the day, a statement that turns my sufferings of over a decade into ‘inappropriate behaviour’.”
ECB Chairman, Ian Watmore, demanded that Yorkshire deliver a copy of the report to the governing body, which itself faced criticism for not getting involved earlier with the sports minister Nigel Huddleston hinting at the possibility of creating a new, independent regulator.
The ECB made a statement of its own, saying: “We are sorry that, as a sport, this has not yet been resolved. We will conduct a full regulatory process that is fair to all parties, but also ensure this happens as quickly as possible. The ECB Board has also reaffirmed its commitment to further additional resource, should the investigation require it.”
Eventually, Yorkshire Chairman Roger Hutton resigned, taking the opportunity to both apologise and point the finger at Board members.
He said: "I am sorry that we could not persuade executive members of the board to recognise the gravity of the situation and show care and contrition.
“There has been a constant unwillingness from the executive members of the board and senior management at the club to apologise and to accept [there was] racism and to look forward.
“During my time as chairman, I take responsibility for failing to persuade them to take appropriate and timely action. This frustration has been shared by all of the non-executive members of the board, some of whom have also now resigned."
Yorkshire executives and Rafiq spoke at a DCMS Select Committee hearing and a whistleblowing helpline set up by the club received more than 30 calls in its first week.
More players past and present have been accused of racist or unacceptable behaviour and the entire Yorkshire coaching team departed as the fallout continued.
The situation has been handled so badly that it will go down as a case study in how not to deal with an issue or a crisis and one that has left Yorkshire’s reputation in tatters.
Learning: Yorkshire clearly failed to grasp the seriousness of the complaints with leaks suggesting that racist language was considered to be “banter” rather than a toxic culture pervading the club.
No wonder sponsors abandoned the club, with Danish food company Arla Foods, main sponsor Emerald, Yorkshire Tea, Tetley’s beer, and sportswear giant Nike all cutting ties while the ECB later suspended Yorkshire from hosting international matches.
Given the gravity of the investigation, Yorkshire should have been completely transparent about the findings and done everything to address Rafiq’s concerns once the report was finalised. Rather than appear to be protecting its executives, responsibility for the problems should have resulted in resignations way before the story blew up into a national incident.
Acknowledging the problems, ensuring an investigation is independent, and taking clear steps to address the causes rather than double down would have minimised the crisis and given more confidence to others affected by racism and prejudice at Yorkshire and the wider cricketing community.
RASSIE ERASMUS
Controversy is part and parcel of sporting competition and can frustrate and infuriate in equal measure.
But South Africa Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus took fury towards officials to a whole new level when he openly criticised the officiating of the first Test match between the Springboks and the British and Irish Lions last summer.
Erasmus posted an hour-long video analysing 26 clips from the game of incidents which he believed were blatant mistakes and he said: "It's comical the respect the [officials] showed towards the South African players compared to the Lions players.
"Let the Springboks and the Lions have an equal chance on the field when it comes to laws, respect, the way players are treated, what is said in the coaches' pre-match meeting with the referees, how they give feedback post-match and how things are said in the media.”
Erasmus ended the video by noting that he recorded the video “in my personal capacity, and not as part of the Springboks”, even offering to quit his position for the remainder of the series.
World Rugby reacted by saying they would be taking up the matter with the South African Rugby Union and would later ban Erasmus for two months and suspend him from matchday activities at all levels until September 2022.
It was not the first incident of the Tour, with Erasmus bizarrely refusing to disassociate himself from a burner Twitter account named “Jaco Johan” which carries video clips of controversial refereeing incidents for the previous games of the tour.
“When something makes sense to me I like to retweet it,” Erasmus said. “If you do analyse the things that he is supposed to see, then you are actually spot on with the integrity of the game.”
The South Africa union was also fined £20,000 for failing to ensure Erasmus complied with World Rugby’s code of conduct.
Referee Nic Berry explained how devastating the video had been: “I have spent many years trying to build my reputation as an international referee and in the course of his video which was posted online, Mr Erasmus has caused it immeasurable damage … I feel that regardless of the outcome and any sanctions imposed, my reputation as a referee and person will forever be tarnished.”
After initially vowing to appeal, SA Rugby and Erasmus ultimately apologised and dropped their appeal.
A statement said: “This has been a highly stressful and charged environment with unusual pressures placed on all concerned and we have no wish to prolong that experience for anyone.
“We have drawn a line under the incident and only wish to look forward. We will respect the outcomes of the hearing, allowing our national teams and rugby operations to plan with clarity for the coming months.”
Learning: Erasmus crossed the line between criticism and bringing the integrity of officials and competition into question.
The trail of damage he left through his ill-advised video went far beyond the field of play and serves as another reminder that with high profile comes high responsibility.
He is undoubtedly a great coach, but SA Rugby should have done more to address the issue when it first emerged and it’s not unheard of that coaches have lost their roles for similarly bringing their club or country into disrepute.
HANDBALL GOVERNANCE
The days where women were considered nothing more than eye candy at sporting events should be well and truly behind us.
When Liberty Media took over Formula One, they wasted little time in getting rid of Grid Girls, the scantily clad ladies wandering around the paddock.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter caused outrage almost 20 years ago when he suggested that women footballers wear skimpier kits to increase the popularity of the women's game.
In 2011, the Badminton World Federation decreed that women must wear skirts or dresses to play at the elite level in order to help revive flagging interest in women’s badminton.
In July this year, double Paralympic world champion Olivia Breen said she was left speechless and outraged after being told that her competition briefs were “too short and inappropriate” by an official while competing at the English Championships a few weeks before the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
The European Handball Federation (EHF) clearly hadn’t got the memo either, given their response to international regulations which say that: 'Women should wear a bikini where the top should be a tight-fitting sports bra with deep openings at the arms. The bottom must not be more than ten centimetres on the sides.’
The Norwegian Handball Federation (NHF), supported by Sweden, requested that its women play the European Championships in shorts, complaining that the minuscule regulation bikini bottoms were "embarrassing" and made them feel uncomfortable.
The Norwegian ladies were even prepared to pay the fines that violating the rules would incur, only to be threatened with disqualification if they went through with their protest.
Kåre Geir Lio, head of the NHF, fumed: "It's so embarrassing and hopeless – we are happy to pay the fine if that was what it was about.
"We have contacted them and worked for this for several years. We have raised it at the Congress and we have been promised that this will be sorted out. Still, nothing happens. It's just sad for the ladies to have to deal with this."
“The EHF is committed to bringing this topic forward in the interest of its member federations, however, it must also be said that a change of the rules can only happen at IHF level,” said EHF spokesman Andrew Barringer.
Learning: Without question, the IHF and EHF should have amended their rules years ago.
Having not done so, they certainly should have been more flexible when the situation arose in the summer.
Thankfully, new rules are coming into effect at the start of 2022 stating: ‘Female athletes must wear short tight pants with a close fit.’
Tellingly the IHF did not provide a reason for the change but it’s another case where organisations should keep up with a positive change in attitudes and address an issue before it becomes a problem rather than react after the fact.
ENGLAND FOOTBALL FANS
The 1980s were blighted by sorry incidences of bad behaviour by England football ‘fans’ at domestic and international level which saw clubs banned from European competition for five years in 1985.
The situation was so transformed that England fans were praised when the World Cup was hosted in Germany in 2006 while fans in other parts of Europe were criticised for racist abuse against English players.
Fast forward to EURO 2020 and England fans seemed to have regressed again, booing their own team for taking the knee during England’s games ahead of EURO 2020, starting with the victory over Austria at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough.
“We are collectively really disappointed that it happened,” said England coach Gareth Southgate.
“We are all trying to support equality and some of our team-mates and some of the experiences they have been through in their lives,
“We are totally united on it and committed to supporting each other. We feel that more than ever that we are determined to take the knee throughout this tournament.
“Some people decide to boo and I think those people should put themselves in the shoes of those young players and how that must feel”
The booing continued as England beat Romania, also in Middlesbrough, prompting Southgate to add: “If you don't agree with the situation then you don't have to applaud or you don't have to do anything.
“But to boo your own team is a very strange response in my mind. There is an acceptance that this gesture is waning in its impact because we have been going now for a season but I think ahead of a European Championship where the games are going around the world, that moment just before the kick-off which will be shown everywhere, will have a significant impact.
“If we can affect only a handful of people then we will have made the world better for others. I think we'll affect more than a handful of people and for that reason, it is worth us continuing.”
England ended up reaching the EURO 2020 final at Wembley, only for dozens to break through the barricades to cause huge embarrassment for the nation.
The Football Association condemned the "entirely unacceptable" actions of those who forced their way into the stadium and said in a statement: "These people are an embarrassment to the England team and to all of the true fans who wanted to enjoy one of the most important matches in our history.”
A review of the disorder noted 17 mass breaches of disabled access gates and emergency fire doors with 2,000 people breaking through to stadium ticket barriers illegally.
Justifiably labelled a "day of national shame," by Baroness Louise Casey who led the review into the misbehaviour, there were reports of people being trampled, fans impersonating a steward, and taking a disabled child from his father in order to get in.
“I am clear that the primary responsibility for what went wrong at Wembley that day lies with those who lost control of their own behaviour that day, not with anyone who did their best but lost control of the crowd,” Baroness Casey said.
“The prevailing view in the aftermath was that the scenes at Wembley had been ugly and disgraceful.
"The threats, aggression, violence, smoke and flare use, throwing of missiles - including faeces – excessive consumption of alcohol and cocaine all combined to fuel a febrile atmosphere."
Learning: Clearly the FA and police authorities need to do more to ensure that there is never a repeat of such scenes that have tarnished the sport on what should have been a day of celebration.
Better trained stewards and crowd control that adjusted as it became clear that fans were getting raucous, to put it mildly.
There is also a wider societal issue that more education is needed to remind those who booed the taking of the knee that diversity should always win over division.
LEEDS UNITED
Leeds United could really do with some help with their communications.
They started the year badly, prompting social media trolling of former England international and television pundit Karen Carney whose only crime was to say that their high-energy style may see them burn out as the season progresses.
The Leeds official Twitter account then shared the clip, prompting thousands of trolls to target and abuse Carney, and then, rather than recognise their mistake and delete the tweet with a full apology, they doubled down on their criticism.
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani, who has led the Leeds United revival since he took over in 2017, endorsed the tweet.
“I take the responsibility of the Club tweet,” he said on Twitter. “I consider that comment completely unnecessary and disrespectful to our Club and particularly to the fantastic hard work of our players and coaches whom were understanding on the pitch for the last two championship seasons by all stats.”
The tweet and the club’s official response to it led to widespread outrage, with Women in Football echoing the sentiments of many when they said: “Whether you agree with the comment or not, singling out and ridiculing an individual on an official club account is not what we’re here for. Karen Carney is a well-informed pundit. This tweet is inciteful and inappropriate. Not a good look now, or at any time.”
Even USA Women’s World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe got involved, tweeting: “Shame. Shame. Shame. Thicken up that skin y’all. Also, don’t come for @karenjcarney she’s a National treasure.”
When Leeds finally did issue a statement they chose NOT to post it on Twitter and it was too little too late.
The abuse was so bad that Carney deleted her Twitter account but the lack of empathy or understanding that the original tweet would prompt abuse cost Leeds a lot of goodwill.
Towards the end of the year, Leeds’ Managing Director, Angus Kinnear, compared recommendations made by a fan-led review of English football, to the punishing regime that led to the Great Chinese Famine.
The review, led by former sports Minister Tracey Crouch, issued 47 proposals to improve the sport’s governance and while Kinnear issued his support for several of the review's recommendations, he criticised calls for an independent football regulator and a transfer levy on Premier League clubs.
In his programme notes ahead of the clash against Crystal Palace, he said: "Enforcing upon football a philosophy akin to Maoist collective agriculturalism - which students of 'The Great Leap Forward' will know culminated in the greatest famine in history - will not make the English game fairer, it will kill the competition which is its very lifeblood."
In response, former sports minister Tracey Crouch, who led the review, called Kinnear's comparison a “tad extreme,” while the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) said it was a "dreadful take" on the issue.
Leeds’ shame was further compounded by homophobic chants aimed at Chelsea loanee, Conor Gallagher, during the Crystal Palace game.
LGBT+ Leeds supporters group, Marching Out Together, quickly moved to condemn the chants. They said: "Work still needs to be done, and unacceptable chanting can still occasionally be heard. The rent boy chant last night is one example of that.
“It is unarguably homophobic and unacceptable at all times. It was certainly regrettable to hear last night - but the club's ongoing powerful message of support for equality resonated much stronger on a night where we could celebrate that things are changing for the better in the game of football when it comes to LGBT+ inclusion.”
And a few days later, Leeds Director of Football Victor Orta aggressively remonstrated with a section of the support after a late equaliser against Brentford, conduct unbecoming of someone in the Directors’ Box and further evidence of the work the club needs to do if it is not to revisit the poor reputation it had four decades ago.
Learning: Everyone makes mistakes - that’s part of life. But to double down instead of apologising and addressing the issue, ignoring how your words or actions might have caused a torrent of abuse, sets a worrying precedent.
Taking a hard line on abuse whether it is from your executives or your fans, setting an example as a pillar of your community, is fundamental and can have an impact on not just your reputation but your attraction as a commercial partner.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Just a few days before the NFL Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker coach, Britt Reid, son of head coach Andy Reid, was involved in a car crash near the team’s training complex that left two young children seriously injured.
Reid apparently told police he had “two or three drinks” when the accident occurred, and details have emerged that he was driving his truck at nearly 84mph.
Reid did not travel with the team to Tampa Bay and underwent surgery after the crash, being placed on administrative leave until his contract expired at the end of the season.
He has previous, having served five months in 2007 when convicted of road rage that included driving under the influence, possession of a controlled substance, and the brandishing of a gun. He also pleaded guilty to DUI and drug possession in a separate incident.
On first look, the Chiefs did the right thing with their communications.
An initial official statement, stuck to the facts and said: “The organization has been made aware of a multi-vehicle accident involving Outside Linebackers Coach, Britt Reid. We are in the process of gathering information, and we will have no further comment at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.”
When more details became clear, a later Chiefs statement said: “We remain in the process of gathering information on the incident, and we will continue to assist local authorities as requested.
“Our focus remains on [the girl] and her family. We have reached out to the family to offer our support and resources to them during this difficult time, and we will continue to pray for her recovery.”
But with a young girl, Ariel Young, in a serious condition with brain damage and other injuries, why did her family have to set up a GoFundMe page to support her medical care?
The Chiefs owners are worth more than $15 billion and could have covered medical bills without admitting liability from the outset so why didn’t they do the right thing to back up their words with actions?
It’s clear that the club’s reputation has suffered as a result of this tragic incident and it took a full nine months before they confirmed that they will provide additional support.
According to a joint statement by the Chiefs and the family's lawyers, the team will provide Ariel with "world-class medical care and long-term financial stability.”
"Over the last several months, representatives of the Kansas City Chiefs, Ariel Young and Ariel's family have worked together, alongside medical experts, to develop a plan to take care of Ariel — both now, and for the rest of her life.
Learning: Kansas could have done better. They could have offered help immediately because it was the right thing to do, not just because it would look like the right thing to do.
Additionally, for their own risk management assessment, surely they could have conducted an internal investigation about potential issues, including whether Reid got drunk at the office.
They would do well to be more transparent and share lessons learnt in order to cut out a culture where a coach possibly drinking at their training ground did not seem out of the ordinary – which would make them in some way culpable to the events that led to that awful crash.
DULUX
Sports sponsorship is big business with Premier League clubs providing profile and potentially a significant return on the investment made by their partners.
Football clubs are now getting smart about the opportunities to diversify. Gone are the days when a shirt sponsor was the only commercial partner.
Clubs now have commercial partners for every conceivable category and often even multiple partners aligned to different specific target territories.
While it may have seemed random in years gone by, Tottenham Hotspur announcing a partnership with Dulux, the global paint brand, would appear on the face of it to be just another sports sponsorship agreement.
Tottenham made an announcement on their website about the deal and a simple PR activation using ‘the world-famous Dulux dog’ by giving him a tour of the stadium and training centre.
Nuno Pena, AkzoNobel Marketing Director for UK & Ireland, said: “Our relationship with Tottenham Hotspur is a perfect synergy of two iconic British brands.
“Together, we are joined by a shared passion for colour. Spurs fans will know only too well the powerful impact putting on their white and blue scarves and shirts has on a matchday, and as a business we’re committed to using colour to transform lives.
“We know it’s the small details that make the difference and give you the competitive edge – in sport and in decorating – and we’re looking forward to expanding on our firm foundations to explore this power of colour together, in both the stadium and in people’s homes, in the years to come.”
So far, so good.
But when it came to social media, it was an entirely different matter.
One Twitter user responded: “Can the dog play centre back?”
Perhaps trying to create a humorous tone, the official Dulux response was: “He might do a better job Chris 😆.”
Another reply by Dulux showed an empty trophy cabinet, referring to Tottenham’s lack of silverware, having only won one trophy since 1991.
When another pointed out that Tottenham can keep any paint supplies in the cabinet because they “don't seem to put anything else in there,” Dulux replied by saying: “Don't be silly, surfaces should be dust free before painting.”
It also appeared as if the then Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho had not been briefed about the new partnership with one of the biggest brands in the country.
When asked about the Dulux dog at his pre-Everton press conference, a game that ended up being Mourinho’s last in charge of the club, he replied: “What’s that?”
Learning: The tweets caused embarrassment for both Tottenham and Dulux and underlined the importance of getting the right tone and context when making online jokes.
The Dulux social media team had clearly not been briefed clearly on what would or would not be appropriate content following the announcement and the posts were quickly deleted.
The damage had already been done, though, and Dulux were forced into making a hasty statement on Twitter: “We’re deeply sorry for the posts from Dulux this morning in response to the announcement of our relationship with @SpursOfficial.
“These do not reflect how proud we are to be the Official Paint Supplier of the Club. We’re investigating what happened and apologise to all Spurs fans.”
To their credit, Tottenham responded with a paint-related joke of their own: “We’ll gloss over it this time...”
But it’s further evidence of the necessity for thorough preparation, robust safeguards, and processes when doing any sort of communications launch.
ICELAND FA
As we have always said, it is how you deal with a crisis rather than a crisis itself that defines the long-term damage to your reputation.
The key to crisis management is to acknowledge and address the specific situation and then put in place systems and processes which will help prevent similar problems occurring again in future.
So it was no surprise that the entire Iceland Football Association Board had to resign when it became clear that they had failed to take complaints of a sexual nature against an international player seriously.
The situation got so bad that even Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir had to urge decisive action and stand against all forms of sexual harassment.
“A grassroots re-evaluation is needed of how the movement deals with these sorts of cases,” she said.
Iceland FA President, former Tottenham Hotspur defender Gudni Bergsson, claimed initially that the organisation's leaders were not aware of any allegations of sexual assault made against any players on the national team. This later turned out to be untrue.
In early August, Hanna Björg Vilhjálmsdóttir wrote an article that demanded an end to the wall of silence surrounding Icelandic footballers involved in sexual assaults and domestic violence.
The Icelandic FA responded by stating that they dealt with all incidents of violence through appropriate channels and denied the accusation of silencing. This was while Bergsson declared in an interview with RÚV that they had received no official notifications.
In an interview with RÚV, Þórhildur Gyða Arnarsdóttir revealed that in 2017, she was sexually and physically assaulted by a member of the Icelandic national team, which she reported to the police.
Six months later, her father noticed that the accused man was representing Iceland and contacted Bergsson, who dropped the player from the national squad.
Following this contact, Þórhildur claims she was offered a pay-off in return for her silence by the Football Association’s lawyers, which they later said had not been authorised.
The accused player who had assaulted her then confessed to his actions and paid her damages, issuing a statement which said: “I did not recognise having harassed them, nor did I recognise having resorted to violence and I declined any guilt. My behaviour was, however, not exemplary, for which I apologised.
“I regretted that, accepted responsibility and offered to settle the incident between us. Arnardottir and her friend demanded an apology and a payment. I accepted their demands and additionally paid ISK3m (£17,200) to the non-governmental organisation Stígamót in recognition of their important work on behalf of survivors of sexual violence.
“This concluded the incident. The KSI was informed of the proceedings and the conclusion of the matter but the association’s denial in Icelandic media recently has led to Arnardottir feeling she was being robbed of her closure by the association. I can understand that.”
Bergsson later admitted his error in saying that there had been no reports made, claiming that he misremembered the incident - and following internal meetings, he announced his resignation.
Two players were dropped from the Iceland World Cup qualifying squad as the entire Board joined Bergsson in resigning.
The Board then issued a statement, belatedly, admitting their errors which said: “Dear victims. We, the board of the Icelandic Football Association believe you and apologise wholeheartedly. We know that we as the parties responsible have let you down and we intend to do better.
“We take the matter very seriously. Right now, we will start to work with outside professionals on reviewing all responses to sexual assault and violence within the association and how we have and will support victims.
“Additionally, we would like to ask victims or others who have information on serious violence within the association to come forward. We want the cases to be handled appropriately and we want to ensure that the responsibility of the violence will be placed on the shoulders of perpetrators, not victims.
“We intend to fix things that have been broken and inspect the culture that exists within the football movement from the ground up in order to make sure everyone working within the industry experiences welfare and safety, while listening to victims and taking their interests into consideration.
“On account of the statement the board issued on August 17 in response to accusations of violence on behalf of the men’s national team, it should be noted that the statement was based on the limited information the board had at the time, lacking data and further information that have later come to light.
“We apologise to Hanna Björg Vilhjálmsdóttir and others who stood at the front lines pointing out the violence within the Icelandic Football Association for the statement which belittled their accusations and assumed no responsibility nor sincerity.
“This great wave that has been crashing for the past weeks has touched us all. A part of the largest volunteer movement in Iceland, what KSÍ does and says, matters.
“We have never been as aware of that as we are now and will seek the help of the community to make radical changes, support victims and be a part of the solution. This project will take time but we will begin right away.
“The football movement is part of the community and we as a community all need to do better to support victims and fight sexual violence.”
Protests later took place outside the national stadium while a pink elephant banner was also on show, symbolising a stand against all forms of sexual abuse that depicts the elephant in the room where assaults are known about but not confronted.
Learning: While the Board’s statement was strong and addressed all the concerns that have been levelled at the Association, the mass resignations only serve to highlight the institutional shortcomings that should never have happened in the first place.
Was Bergsson forgetful, unaware, or just negligent and why did he and the Board not take the accusations more seriously?
Robust systems and processes to ensure inclusive governance and leadership are vital for any organisation.
The Iceland FA fell way below the standards expected of a governing body and undermined the confidence of their own supporter community as a consequence.
AARON RODGERS
Sports stars may not always enjoy the responsibility, but the fact is, they are role models and their words and actions have an impact on more than just their own reputation.
We are all human, we all make mistakes, and yet sports stars are often held to a higher standard as befits their profile.
Given that many have known nothing but sport their entire lives, cossetted and confined to the limited horizons of their competitive and training environments, they are often expected to have experience and wisdom beyond their limitations.
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the 2020 league MVP, has found out the hard way that a lack of authenticity and truth can have long-lasting effects and create more than just mild uproar.
The National Football League (NFL) has gone to great lengths to alleviate concerns and risks caused by the Covid-19 and ensure that players do not put themselves at unnecessary risk which might see the season postponed.
While players are not mandated to get vaccinated, their Covid protocols are easier on vaccinated players.
When Rodgers was asked whether he had received the Covid-19 vaccine, he said that he had been “immunised,” which turned out to be
When Rodgers tested positive for Covid-19 and it became clear that he had been lying about having the vaccination and said that he had “an allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines” and was scared about the possible side effects.
Rodgers said he had previously tried to petition the NFL that his homeopathic treatment for increasing antibodies should be considered as an alternative to getting fully vaccinated.
He said that the NFL knew he was unvaccinated, and he had multiple conversations with NFL doctors and had always followed the strict NFL protocols for unvaccinated players, having been tested over 300 times before testing positive.
Rather than get the vaccines, Rodgers said he consulted with alternative podcaster Joe Rogan and used a number of unproven fringe Covid treatments including ivermectin.
He later apologised, telling the Pat McAfee Show that: “I misled some people about my status, which I take full responsibility of, those comments. But in the end, I have to stay true to who I am and what I’m about. I stand behind the things that I said.
“I’m not an anti-vax, flat-earther. I have an allergy to an ingredient that’s in the mRNA vaccines. I found a long-term immunization protocol to protect myself and I’m very proud of the research that went into that.”
The NFL fined Rodgers and teammate Allen Lazard each $14,650, and the Packers $300,000 for violations of protocols, including Rodgers appearing unmasked at news conferences.
“We respect the League’s findings and we recognize the importance of adherence to the COVID protocols to keep our team and organization safe and healthy,” Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said.
“We will continue to educate the team regarding the importance of the protocols and remain committed to operating within the protocols.”
Rodgers, however, is in danger of losing many of his lucrative endorsement deals with State Farm commercials featuring Rodgers cut and Prevea Health announcing that it had ended a nine-year partnership with him.
Given the popularity of the NFL, even the handful of unvaccinated players get outside attention. Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley and quarterbacks Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Carson Wentz of the Indianapolis Colts have all been criticized for choosing to remain unvaccinated.
But they were upfront about their decisions. Rodgers, by contrast, evaded answering directly when asked if he was vaccinated.
Learning: What damage is done to Rodgers’ longer-term reputation remains to be seen, but this sorry episode once again underlines the fact that high profile sportspeople are role models, whether they like it or not.
He deserves some credit for undertaking interviews himself rather than hiding behind statements as the gravity of the situation unfolded.
But his defensive declarations underline the importance of expert public relations advice to ensure a balance between authenticity and how to share your views in a way that does more harm than good.
By showing himself to be economical with the truth - at best - Rodgers lost commercial deals and finds himself polarising where once he helped to unite.