Lessons learnt from the top sports crises of 2023
The late great sportswriter Ian Wooldridge once wrote that “Sports stories are a rich seam of human interest material. Sport embraces nobility and scandal, heroes and crooks, endurance and cheating, academics and morons, bravery and chicanery, artistry and ugliness.”
This year has been no different, with drama and excitement counter-balanced by organisational and political controversy that undermines the beauty of sport.
Planning, a code of ethics and transparency can often alleviate many of the reputation-damaging crises we have seen in 2023, but panic and self-preservation often lead to foolish decisions which ultimately do more harm than good.
WELSH RUGBY UNION
Unfortunately, sports governance is still dominated by pale, male and stale executives and while efforts are being made to increase diversity, there is so much work to be done.
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) were mired in controversy after accusations of sexism, racism and misogyny after two women complained of a "toxic" sexist culture at Welsh rugby's highest level.
An inquiry was announced, with Women’s rugby general manager Charlotte Wathan detailing experiences when a male colleague said in the presence of others that he wanted to “rape” her.
Another anonymous contributor said she had contemplated suicide after her experiences of bullying and sexism at work.
The four Welsh regions – Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – backed calls for the 58-year-old Phillips and the WRU board to resign, while the Welsh Rugby Players Association said they were “appalled by the allegations” and called for the “strongest possible action.”
The WRU’s initial response was somewhat combative and defensive and seemed as focused on inconsistencies or inaccuracies in the reporting as in the clearly serious allegations being levelled at the organisation.
The Welsh government was deeply concerned, which prompted WRU chairman Ieuan Evans to meet Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport and Chief Whip, Dawn Bowden, to discuss a new independent Taskforce to undertake an internal investigation into the culture and behaviour at the governing body.
Chief Executive Steve Phillips initially vowed to investigate and review the culture that had led to such a worrying catalogue of incidents but ultimately resigned, with Nigel Walker taking his place on an Acting basis.
To his credit, Walker was far more reasonable in his first interview, accepting the problems rather than trying to deflect or play down the seriousness of the allegations.
He commented that the WRU…“have fallen short of the high standards that are necessary. We apologise, and we recognise we’ve made many mistakes.
“We’re not now looking at how we can mitigate the furore that has come our way. What we’re looking to do is to improve and get back a semblance of credibility as we realise that it is now at an all-time low.
“We won’t be resting on our laurels, but we are committed to making sure that the female rugby players in this country have the experience that they deserved – and the equivalent to their male counterparts.”
Learning
Any organisation should have systems and processes in place to provide safety and security for their employees and participants. It’s unacceptable for leaders and executives to be so significantly out of touch with the culture that when accusations are made, they double down rather than immediately set the wheels in motion to launch an investigation and make sure it cannot happen again. Defensive messaging and criticism of the media is almost always a recipe for disaster and smacks of arrogance that generally makes things worse rather than better.
UEFA
The events in Paris for the UEFA Champions League final in 2021-22 brought back horrible memories of past footballing tragedies.
Thirty-nine fans died when Liverpool played Juventus in the European Cup final of 1985 at the Heysel Stadium and four years later, disaster struck again when 97 Liverpool fans died ahead of the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground.
So when Liverpool faced Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League final in Paris, there were fears that history may repeat itself after fans had problems getting into the Stade de France.
Witnesses described seeing fans scared for their lives, being pushed and assaulted by the French police, who fired teargas into crowds outside the stadium.
Broadcast coverage reported that UEFA had blamed the delays to the start of the game on the late arrival of Liverpool fans and Europe’s governing body later suggested that fake tickets were the cause of the overcrowding.
That version of events was questioned by Merseyside police, which said the “vast majority of fans behaved in an exemplary manner” in “shocking circumstances”.
And The French Senate backed up Liverpool’s claims, with a report which identified French police failings, having misjudged Liverpool fans’ conduct and dated in its approach.
Eight months after the final, UEFA finally had to admit ultimate responsibility after an Independent Review Panel they had commissioned found that they had ‘marginalised’ their own safety and security unit.
The panel rejected ‘reprehensible’ claims made persistently by UEFA, the French police and government ministers, that thousands of Liverpool fans without valid tickets had caused the problems.
The report added: “It is remarkable that no one lost their life. All the stakeholders interviewed by the panel have agreed that this situation was a near-miss: a term used when an event almost turns into a mass fatality catastrophe.”
It was particularly damning for UEFA that their safety and security unit played no part in planning for the match, nor in dealing with the crisis as it happened.
Liverpool posted a statement which said: “We implore UEFA to fully enact the recommendations as outlined by the Panel – no matter how difficult – to ensure supporter safety is the number one priority at the heart of every UEFA football fixture.
“Shocking false narratives were peddled in the immediate aftermath of that night in Paris; narratives that have since been totally disproven.
UEFA General Secretary Theodore Theodoridis, did at least apologise, but it shouldn’t have needed an independent review for the governing body to show contrition.
Notably, Aleksander Ceferin did not make a public comment about the findings of the Panel, a rare communications error from the leader of European football who hasn’t been shy to make statements in the past.
Learnings
The report’s conclusion summed up where UEFA went wrong.
“Institutional defensiveness, putting reputation and self-interest above truth and responsibility, prevents progressive change.
“A healthy organisation welcomes scrutiny and criticism based on evidence, an unhealthy one hides behind prejudice and baseless assertions and contributes to a carousel of blame, where it is everyone else’s fault.”
The fact that Ceferin did not lead the response to the problems in Paris certainly undermined his own reputation and is a stark reminder that leaders should always be the face of a crisis, particularly one that they are ultimately responsible for causing in the first place.
JAVIER TEBAS
Racism in football has existed for a long time but Spain seems to have a real problem that affects high profile players.
The likes of Dani Alves, Marcelo, and Samuel Eto’o have all fallen victim to racist abuse in Spain in the past few years, underlining the societal ignorance and endemic problem professional players face in La Liga.
Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior is one of the biggest stars in Spanish football, but the racist abuse he has suffered does not seem to effect any real change.
In the past year, Vinicius has been racially abused a number of times, including Real's bitter rivals Atletico Madrid singing racist songs in September 2022; abuse at Real Valladolid while he walked past fans after being substituted; an effigy of the Real Madrid winger was hung from a bridge near the club's training ground before a game against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey; and Mallorca fans were filmed allegedly racially abusing the Brazilian during a game against Real.
Late in May, hundreds of Valencia ‘fans’ sung "Vinicius is a monkey" as the Real Madrid bus arrived at the stadium before the match and later in that heated game, Vinicius was sent off after calling out some of the ‘fans’ who were abusing him.
The Brazilian used his social media platforms to demand change and tweeted: “It wasn't the first time, nor the second, nor the third. Racism is normal in La Liga. The competition thinks it's normal, the Federation does too and the opponents encourage it.
“The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano and Messi today belongs to racists. A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and which I love, but which agreed to export the image of a racist country to the world.
“I am strong and I will go to the end against racists. Even if far from here. Every round away from home is an unpleasant surprise. And there were many this season. Death wishes, hanged doll, many criminal screams...”
When a crisis occurs, it’s usually the reaction rather than the problem itself which sets the tone for how it is viewed.
La Liga President Javier Tebas, however, instead of backing a star player’s awful plight, came out fighting and criticised Vinicius for not attending meetings that he had been invited to.
There followed a classic war of words between the pair, with Vinicius accusing the President of ignoring the racism problem and Tebas continuing with his denials.
While the ‘La Liga against racism’ campaign made some noise, the fact that incidents continue underlines its limited impact and Tebas clearly hasn’t grasped quite how much these incidents have already tarnished La Liga.
The controversy led to Rio de Janeiro's iconic Christ the Redeemer landmark having its lights switched off in solidarity with Vinicius and the controversy prompted diplomatic incidents, with Brazil’s ministry calling in Spain's ambassador to explain the situation and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva calling on FIFA and La Liga to act to stop racism taking root in stadiums.
La Liga finally made a statement calling for more sanctioning powers, with current rules making it feel “powerless” while Valencia were sanctioned with a partial ground closure and a small fine which was, remarkably, cut on appeal.
Too little, too late given the global uproar, Tebas made a series of grovelling apologies, in stark contrast from his previous defensive approach.
He said: “I think that the message, and the intention I had, was not understood by a significant number [of people], especially in Brazil.
“I did not want to attack Vinícius, but if most people understood it that way, I need to apologise. It was not my intention, I expressed myself badly, at a bad time. But I had no intention of attacking Vinícius, but rather clarifying a situation.
“If I hurt someone, they thought I was racist, it’s far from reality. I feel sorry for what happened, and that’s why we denounced it. We spoke to the clubs, so that they could provide more security, identify fans. La Liga takes care of Vinícius. And, if they misunderstood what happened I have to apologise.”
Learnings
The incident at Valencia should serve as a turning point, motivating La Liga and other stakeholders to do more to fight against racism.
Only through collective action can Spanish football truly be a beacon of diversity, where players of all backgrounds can thrive and feel safe on the pitch.
Tebas’ delayed and back-tracking apology gave the impression that he was trying to save his own reputation rather than genuinely understanding the seriousness of the problem.
The fact that he spoke again later, voicing his concern for the long-term reputational damage done to La Liga by the dramas, suggests self-interest rather than doing the right thing was front of mind.
That lack of strong and determined action to deter and punish racists in the game provides little confidence that the sorry situation will be eradicated any time soon.
THE CNOSF
The Olympic Games take place in Paris in the summer of 2024 when the eyes of the world will be on the greatest sports show on Earth.
The French capital will be hosting the Games for the third time, having previously staged the 1900 and 1924 editions, but Paris 2024 has been overshadowed by controversy within the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
The controversy began in the autumn of 2022 when CNOSF in-fighting saw Secretary General Didier Seminet removed following an Extraordinary Board of Directors meeting.
An absolute majority of the 45 members agreed to the motion proposed by CNOSF President Brigitte Henriques, with Seminet claiming that his removal was down to concerns he had raised about “single thinking” and recruitment of staff which he had been excluded from, as well as too many hires from the world of football.
As the war of words played out, Henriques asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to conduct an internal audit of the CNOSF after taking two months of sick leave, which she attributed to Seminet’s "psychological violence" against her.
Séminet denied the claims and filed his own complaint for "slanderous denunciation" and "breach of trust" against Henriques, with Paris prosecutors opening investigations into the allegations from both parties.
As if that wasn’t enough, former CNOSF President, Denis Masseglia called Henriques to resign during a heated Board of Directors meeting where he claimed that she was “no longer up to the challenge.”
Accusations related to the misuse of corporate assets, psychological violence, defamation, improper spending and expense accounts all did nothing but drag the CNOSF further into the mire.
"This complaint corresponds to an imperative need for us to know, simply to know the truth," said Masseglia, who had led the CNOSF from 2009 until 2021 when he stepped down after reaching the age limit and was replaced by Henriques.
Henriques issued a statement saying: “There is no question of getting into this political game, we remain focused on the objective of the Paris 2024 Games. The challenges ahead of us are great.
"I would like to thank all those who by my side - there are many of them in France and internationally - are rising up in the face of the controversies aimed at destabilising the institution that I chair with determination and passion."
Her fighting talk counted for nothing, because within days she had resigned, little over 400 days from the 2024 Opening Ceremony.
Henriques's resignation was welcomed by the presidents of the French sports federations. "It is a courageous decision which will certainly diminish the ongoing conflicts as we were spiralling out of control," said handball federation President Philippe Bana.
"There have been no winners today," French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said after Henriques's announcement. She added, however, that there could be "a victory, that of ethics and democracy,” as she called for "an ethical and democratic overhaul of the CNOSF” and the instigation of a new governance framework for French national federations.
Henriques' departure led the IOC to call for "everybody to take responsibility so that the internal arguments that have affected the CNOSF these past few months cease."
The CNOSF has finally found some stability, with David Lappartient, President of the International Cycling Union (UCI), named as the new CNOSF President after a landslide election victory where he secured 80% of votes.
He said: “My commitment to the French sports movement is undeniable. I am thinking of the athletes, the federations and territories, the licensees, the volunteers who are committed on a daily basis to the development of sport.
“I am fully mobilized on the major issues that are emerging, first and foremost: the success of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, support for our French athletes in their quest for excellence and the legacy of the Games so that the momentum that will have been created can irrigate the entire sports movement.”
Lappartient will only preside over the remainder of the current Presidential term, which ends in 2025, but he made a positive start, submitting a French bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympic Games which appears to be successful after the IOC session in Mumbai in late November.
Learnings
The CNOSF controversy is not the first to rock French sport in recent times.
France Football's octogenarian President Noël Le Graët left in February following accusations of sexual and psychological harassment while former sports minister and French rugby coach Bernard Laporte also quit his role as President of the French Rugby Federation in January after being convicted of corruption, months before France hosted the men's Rugby World Cup.
No wonder Oudéa-Castéra established a national committee to reinforce ethics and democratic standards in sport drawing on the expertise of legendary French athletes.
With such a high profile event such as Paris 2024 taking place, the CNOSF should have got its house in order privately, finding ways to settle disputes and move forward without further tarnishing French sports governance further.
JAY MONAHAN
When LIV Golf appeared in 2022 to disrupt the sport’s status quo, it sent shockwaves throughout the sport.
“Shot Just Got Real,” LIV Golf says on its website. “We exist to supercharge the game of golf.”
With the traditional forms of the sport under existential pressure, the US PGA and DP World Tour banned ‘rebel’ players from taking part in events as well as removing their eligibility for the prestigious Ryder Cup.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said at the time of the LIV Golf launch: “You’d have to be living under a rock not to know that there are significant implications” for signing on with LIV. I would ask any player that has left, or any player that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”
It was no secret LIV Golf was backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), whose ‘Vision 2030’ plan is to increase non-oil related investment and improve the profile of the state which in some eyes are just another attempt at sportswashing – trying to improve the nation’s reputation through sport.
Lawsuits accused Saudi of playing a role in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, for instance, as well as links to the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi critic and U.S. resident.
Asked last September about the possibility of a truce with LIV, Monahan said: “When you look at where we are, and you think about words and actions, we’re currently in a lawsuit, so coming together and having conversations, to me, that card is off the table, and it has been for a long period of time.”
So it came as a shock in mid-June when it was announced that PIFhas “combine[d]” its golf business with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour to create one golf organisation with Monahan as its chief executive and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan (also Newcastle United’s Chairman) as Chairman.
The Saudi fund leader told CNBC he expected to invest “billions” into the new organisation, but with no clear plans for what the collaborative competitions may look like became apparent at the launch, it suggested that the partnership had been hastily agreed.
Players, executives and even Greg Norman knew nothing of the ongoing negotiations, which were made without consultation or wider approvals, raising significant governance concerns.
No wonder world number two Jon Rahm said that players felt “a betrayal from management” with no engagement or clarity.
While there may have been legal ramifications that meant disclosures were impossible, at least until the day of the official announcement, the Tour clearly needed to be more transparent with its members.
PGA pro Wesley Bryan spoke for many when he tweeted, “Love finding out info on Twitter. This is amazing. Y’all should be ashamed and have a lot of questions to answer. I feel betrayed, and will not … be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time.”
He went on to call Monahan a horrible communicator who stresses he “works” for the players — the same players he failed to update on the biggest golf partnership of all time.
Former pro golfer Brandel Chamblee, a LIV Golf critic, said: “I think this is one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf. I’m hugely disappointed and let down by [PGA Tour] leadership. One of the first things I thought about was, I wonder what Tiger and Rory and several other players who would have turned down tens of if not hundreds of millions of dollars to go to LIV would’ve thought.
“They stood on principle, and they fought for the PGA Tour, and they fought for the betterment of the PGA Tour. And this just came out of nowhere. I would imagine this is going to be a very hard and long day for Jay Monahan.”
Amnesty International were clear that this was just the latest episode in Saudi’s attempts to enhance its reputation through sport.
“While this may have taken some golf fans and commentators by surprise, it's really just more evidence of the onward march of Saudi sportswashing," said Felix Jakens, Amnesty International UK's head of priority campaigns and individuals at risk.
"It's been clear for some time that Saudi Arabia was prepared to use vast amounts of money to muscle its way into top-tier golf – just part of a wider effort to become a major sporting power and to try to distract attention from the country's atrocious human rights record.
"The world of golf may be about to put one of its most high-profile commercial battles behind it, but it's vital that this latest surge in Saudi sportswashing isn't allowed to obscure the increasingly dire human rights situation in Saudi Arabia."
Monahan would belatedly meet with the players, and admitted that “I recognise that people are going to call me a hypocrite.
“I would describe the meeting as intense, certainly heated. This is very complex. Obviously it’s been a very dynamic and complex couple of years and, for players, this is an awful lot to ask them to digest. This is a significant change for us in the direction that we were going down.
“But as I’m trying to explain and I will continue to explain as we go forward, this ultimately is a decision that I think is in the best interest of all of the members of the PGA Tour, puts us in a position of control, allows us to partner with the PIF in a constructive and productive way, to have them invest with us.”
The deal means that costly and potentially awkward litigation between the Tours and LIV has been dropped, sparing both sides of embarrassing disclosures which may hint at motive for the change of heart.
Learnings
One of the most important principles of communications, particularly when addressing an issue such as LIV Golf, is to have a plan, stick to it, and know what success looks like at its conclusion.
That relies on consistency and resolve, even in the face of mounting pressure. And it relies on collaboration and engagement with your stakeholders.
If Monahan had any indication that there was a situation where he would have to make such a dramatic volte face, he could have softened his messaging from the outset and advised his golfers to follow suit.
Internal communication is so important, and as a player-run organisation, the fact that event policy board members such as outspoken LIV critic Rory McIlroy were not informed was another significant misjudgement.
Perhaps golf fans won’t care, as long as the new partnership brings together the best of the best in the same competitions, beyond just the Majors, but how quickly new tournaments are launched and attract big audiences remains to be seen.
Structured planning and communications could have limited the damage to golf and its governance and shown a vision players, fans and sponsors could have got behind.
VICTORIA COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Since the Commonwealth Games began in 1930, they have only ever been cancelled because of World War Two.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games were scheduled to be held in Victoria, Australia, until state Premier Daniel Andrews announced in mid-July that the hosts had pulled out due to an increase in costs.
He said: “In terms of where we go to from here, the Games will not proceed in Victoria in 2026.
“Last year when the Commonwealth Games authorities approached us and needed someone to step in to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as a state we were happy to help out. But of course not at any price and only if there was lasting benefit for Victorian communities and benefit for the whole state.”
A failure of due diligence and budget control saw Andrews admit that the costs were no longer viable, after the anticipated A$2.6 billion project allegedly grew to over A$6 billion.
Understandably, the CGF were not impressed and issued a statement: “This is hugely disappointing for the Commonwealth Sport Movement, for athletes around the Commonwealth and the organising committee who are well advanced in their planning and preparation.
“We are disappointed that we were only given eight hours’ notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the government.”
Andrews responded by denying responsibility: “I think they [Games organisers] are asking for me to apologise for cancelling the Games. I’m not doing this because we’re not running them. Because to run them is billions of dollars over and above the original budget.”
He resigned in late September from his role as Premier after speculation about his future emerged, with Victoria having to pay AUD$380 million to settle disputes arising from the Games' cancellation.
Despite the self-inflicted added costs, Craig Phillips, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Australia doubted the A$6bn estimation.
He said: “The announcement made by the Victorian Government today is beyond disappointing. The stated costs overrun, in our opinion, a gross exaggeration and not reflective of the operation costs presented to the Victorian 2026 Organising Committee as recently as June this year.
"It’s a comprehensive let down for the athletes, the excited host communities, First Nations Australians who were at the heart of the Games, and the millions of fans that would have embraced a sixth home Games in Australia.”
Like Victoria, the South African city of Durban, due to host in 2022, declared themselves financially incapable in 2017 while budgeting issues also forced the other 2026 bids to withdraw, including Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Cardiff (Wales), Calgary and Edmonton (both Canada) and Adelaide (Australia).
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate announced in October plans to rescue the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a "streamlined" event which would only cost AUD$700 million.
Learnings
Pulling out of hosting a major international sports event can have ramifications far beyond the sports field.
As Shadow federal Sports Minister, Anne Ruston, said: “Australia’s reputation has been damaged… and you should be very worried about the damage this does to Australia’s international reputation. Today is a very sad day for Australian sport.”
LUIS RUBIALES
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup saw the Spanish national team deservedly lift the trophy for the first time after defeating England’s Lionesses by a single goal in the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
The Spanish team came into the tournament already under a cloud, after 15 first-team players had sent identical emails to the Spanish football federation (RFEF) requesting the removal of manager Jorge Vilda with rumours that they had issues with his personal behaviour as well as his tactical shortcomings.
The RFEF backed their man, declaring that ‘Las 15’ had been “poorly advised” and threatened bans of up to five years with Vilda given a vote of confidence.
Just three of the 15 were ultimately recalled to the 2023 World Cup squad, meaningmany FC Barcelona Femení stars who had just won the UEFA Women’s Champions League were excluded.
There were glimpses of the bitterness between the players and Vilda throughout their run to the final and the Sydney crowd greeted the announcement of Vilda’s name with a chorus of boos ahead of the final against England, which Spain won 1-0 thanks to a goal from captain Olga Carmona.
During the trophy presentation, RFEF President Luis Rubiales caused controversy, firstly making an obscene gesture with his groin in the stands right beside Queen Letizia of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter and then planting a kiss on the lips of Spanish attacker Jenni Hermoso.
The global criticism of his actions should have resulted in instant resignation or dismissal, but Rubiales doubled down, telling Spanish broadcaster COPE, that critics were “idiots” and “stupid people… It was a kiss between two friends celebrating something. Let’s ignore them [the critics] and enjoy the good things.”
A half-baked apology a day later proved that Rubiales couldn’t see what he had done wrong but the RFEF then made things worse, by posting a statement from Hermoso defending the President, which turned out to have been entirely fabricated.
Four days after the final, Hermoso did release her own joint statement with FUTPRO: "We express our firm and resounding condemnation of conduct that violates the dignity of women. It is essential that our national team, current world champion, is always represented by figures that project values of equality and respect in all areas.”
The entire situation was a mess, which looked like being resolved when Rubiales called a press conference, where it was widely expected that he would announce his resignation.
In a stunning turn of events, he took to the stage to defiantly repeat that he would not resign, describing “false feminism” as “one of the scourges of this country” and placed himself as the victim of a witch hunt.
Worryingly, his comments received an outburst of applause from much of the audience, including from Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish men’s team manager.
Hermoso herself responded to the press conference, confirming via her Twitter that the kiss was not “consensual” and professional players from around the world condemned Rubiales.
Rubiales’ attitude was seen as symptomatic of a long-standing issue within the system of Spanish football governance, with details emerging of complaints against Rubiales going back as far as 2016.
Wary of the unprecedented damage that this drama was doing to their national reputation, the Spanish government opened up proceedings against Rubiales to get him forcibly removed from his post via tribunal and he was then provisionally suspended from all football activity by FIFA.
Still the RFEF circled around their man and threatened to take legal action against Hermoso for her “lies,” releasing their own breakdown of the kiss, claiming that Hermoso had initiated it despite video evidence of Rubiales picking up numerous other Spanish players before Hermoso, which strongly opposes this allegation.
In addition, the RFEF general secretary wrote to UEFA to request to withdraw Spanish clubs from European competition due to government involvement breaking UEFA impartiality protocols.
UEFA chose not to respond to the RFEF request, nor make any comment on the situation surrounding their Vice-President, raising questions about their values and vested interests.
Sometimes, no communication can be just as detrimental as poor communication.
A mass resignation of the Spanish coaching staff then left just Vilda still in situ, but his position was hardly stable.
The issue went as far as the UN Human Rights office, who said that the public stance on the kiss could be “a turning point” in terms of sexism and misogyny.
It took more than two weeks for the RFEF to start addressing the issues.
Firstly, Vilda was sacked, then in early September Rubiales resigned from both his RFEF and UEFA roles, while prosecutors considered whether to press charges of coercion over the statement from Hermoso or the act of the kiss itself.
Learnings
A textbook response when an individual or organisation does something wrong, either deliberately or by mistake, is to acknowledge what has happened, apologise and then commit to fix it.
On this occasion, even in his bumbled apology video, it was clear that Rubiales did not truly appreciate what he had done wrong – the actions of the President and his organisation since has confirmed this.
Instead, the lack of self-reflection and understanding has caused this story to become one of the great communications own goals in living memory.
Nevertheless, the damage to Spanish football’s reputation will take years to rebuild, and requires a root and branch overhaul of its governance and personnel.
JORDAN HENDERSON
It’s a sad fact of professional football that not a single Premier League player has come out as gay or a member of the LGBTQ+ community and in the two years since Josh Cavallo came out in Australia, he has faced abuse for his sexuality on a regular basis.
Despite its claims of promoting the world’s game, FIFA chose to stage the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison.
The Premier League has promoted sexual diversity with its annual Rainbow Laces campaign in collaboration with Stonewall to highlight the importance of inclusivity and understanding in society.
In Jordan Henderson, an England international and former captain of Liverpool, the LGBTQ+ community thought they had a high profile ally, who was regularly vocal about his support for Rainbow Laces.
“In this day and age that anyone would make another person feel uncomfortable or unwelcome because of their sexuality is mind-blowing. I can’t get my head round it … this is a place for everyone and it’s up to all of us — players and supporters alike — to get that message across as powerfully and as often as we can,” he said in an interview with The Athletic from 2019.
So it came as a shock when news broke that Henderson was set to agree a move to Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League for a reported £700,000 per week.
Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ fan group Kop Outs released a statement in response to the potential transfer, saying that they hoped that Henderson would “prove to be a man of his word.”
In a thread shared to social media the group said: “Kop Outs have valued the allyship shown by Jordan Henderson. We are appalled and concerned that anyone might consider working for a sportswashing operation for a regime where women & LGBT+ people are oppressed and that regularly tops the world death sentence table.
“We hope that Jordan Henderson proves to be a man of his word and stays true to the values of our club, which so far he has been an absolute embodiment of.”
The transfer went through as expected, with the announcement video censoring his rainbow armband during a montage of his career highlights.
In early September, Henderson finally spoke out in a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic which was full of contradictions and fanciful comments that made a mockery of his reputation as a wise head on young shoulders.
Henderson revealed that he was prepared for a backlash: “I can understand the frustration. I can understand the anger. I get it. All I can say around that is that I’m sorry that they feel like that. My intention was never, ever to hurt anyone. My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help.
"I do care about different causes that I've been involved in, and different communities… I do care. And for people to criticise and say that I'd turned my back on them really, really hurt me. All I can say is that I apologise, I'm sorry that I've made them feel that way. But I haven't changed as a person.
"I've gone above and beyond to help [the LGBTQ+ community]. I've worn the laces. I've worn the armband. I've spoken to people in that community to try to use my profile to help them. That's all I've ever tried to do.
“When I was making the decision, the way that I tried to look at it was I felt as though, by myself not going, we can all bury our heads in the sand and criticise different cultures and different countries from afar. But then nothing’s going to happen. Nothing’s going to change.”
Learnings
There is often a debate about why high profile sports people are seen as role models and that they should not be held to the same standards as politicians, for instance.
But that misses the point, especially with the influence and platform that elite sports people have to reach, in many cases, far bigger audiences, avoiding the opportunity really stand up for the cause.
By positioning himself as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, Henderson had a responsibility to maintain that solidarity, both for his own reputation but more importantly for those affected by causes that athletes like Henderson have chosen to support.
The abandonment of his supposed principles has not just damaged Henderson’s reputation, but has also broken down the trust of the community in the support from other players, with everyone now conditioned to expect that player support will be taken away if it no longer becomes suitable or convenient for them.
Henderson still has an opportunity to right this wrong, and any public support of the LGBTQ+ community now has the potential to be even more powerful given that he would be doing it from Saudi Arabia.
Based on his recent messaging, however, it feels hard to believe that will ever happen.
MANCHESTER UNITED
It’s not that long ago that Manchester United were the best club in England, dominating the Premier League and winning European trophies under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
But the club has been on a downward spiral ever since Ferguson’s departure, with owners the Glazers often criticised for a lack of strategic direction which has left the club spending big on players without winning the biggest prizes.
With Richard Arnold’s departure formally announced in mid-November, the Red Devils are now looking for their third Chief Executive in as many years.
Arnold had not covered himself in glory with the clumsy handling of Mason Greenwood’s return after the forward was cleared to play again when a court case into sexual misconduct allegations collapsed.
Rumours circulated that Greenwood was to be re-integrated into the first team, which grew when the club released a statement indicating that an internal investigation had been concluded.
Less than a week later, public pressure from various female footballers, domestic abuse charities including Women’s Aid and high profile fans resulted in a change of heart and the club released another statement indicating that they would help him find a new team.
Arnold held an all-staff meeting soon after where he was questioned extensively about the club’s handling of the Greenwood situation with employees making their frustrations and concerns clear.
It didn’t help that a few weeks later, United were accused of covering-up allegations that winger Antony attacked his former partner Gabriela Cavallin and after a short suspension, he resumed playing for the club.
Arnold left as Sir Jim Ratcliffe secured a 25% stake in the club, a protracted affair which saw Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani withdraw his bid to buy the club despite his offer being almost double the club’s valuation.
The Glazers’ failure to see through their full sale of United led to more fan protests, including sit-ins at Old Trafford, banners flown by a plane and demonstrations, with the 1958 fan group saying: “By maintaining a dialogue with the Glazers, we have validated their actions and legitimatised their ownership of our club.
“It is now time to re-evaluate this approach and consider alternative methods to ensure that the Glazers ownership of our Club finally becomes untenable. Dialogue with the club and owners does not work. We ask that all members of the Fans’ Forum boycott their position with immediate effect. It will send a powerful message to the Glazers, the club sponsors and the media.”
That Old Trafford pulled out of contention for the list of stadia selected for EURO 2028 speaks volumes for the problems the venue faces, with serious concerns about dilapidation.
Fans have been stuck in lifts, the roof leaks and the rusting corrugated iron and graffiti speak volumes for the club’s decline.
The club’s struggles have not been helped by their worst start to a season in six decades with a humiliating defeat to arch rivals Manchester City capping their dismal start to the current season.
England international Jadon Sancho, who joined the club from Borussia Dortmund, has been excluded from the first team after publicly disagreeing with manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag left Sancho out of his squad for the loss at Arsenal in September, saying the winger's training performances had been below standard.
Sancho, 23, rejected the Dutchman's reasoning and claimed he had been "a scapegoat for a long time" but it has all added to the perceived disfunction at the club.
Learnings
A club of Manchester United’s size and stature is always going to be the focus of scrutiny from fans, former players and media alike.
Uncertainty over ownership, the stadium, players and perhaps even the manager have not created a stable environment.
Ensuring fewer leaks from staff and mapping out a clear strategy and processes to deal with challenges would help to breed a positive culture that can help the club make headlines for the right reasons.
PGMOL
The PGMOL has a communication problem.
A few months after VAR had been introduced to the Premier League, to great fanfare, the then-PGMOL chief Mike Riley admitted that there were problems that needed to be addressed.
He said at the time: ““There are significant things we can do to improve it. We can get better consistency in decision-making, we can improve the timings and if we achieve those – which we will over time – then what we’ll end up with is better quality decision-making that minimises the impact on the game.”
It’s no surprise, then, that a YouGov survey carried out in 2020 found that two-thirds of fans in England believed that VAR had made the game less enjoyable, and just 8% wanted to keep VAR operating as it was.
We are now into the fifth year using VAR and nothing has really changed.
Riley was replaced by Howard Webb, and his failure to address the problems facing top level officiating has raised more questions about the competence and integrity of referees.
The inconsistencies that referees and VAR exhibits on a weekly basis suggest that there is a long way to go – and the spectacle of the game has been ruined by slow decision-making and obvious errors that the technology was supposed to eradicate.
Former referee Mike Dean, never one to shirk the limelight, has hardly dampened the concerns that referees apply the law evenly and fairly, when he admitted that he did not send the referee to the screen when Cristian Romero clearly pulled Marc Cucurella’s hair at the end of a 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in August 2022.
He explained: “I said to Anthony (Taylor) afterwards: ‘I just didn’t want to send you to the screen after what has gone on in the game’. I didn’t want to send him up because he is a mate as well as a referee and I think I didn’t want to send him up because I didn’t want any more grief than he already had.”
We have had instances of VAR drawing offside lines in the wrong place and even forgetting to place the lines altogether.
Three times this season, Wolverhampton Wanderers have been the victims of erroneous decisions which led manager Gary O’Neil to admit that he has given up on referees.
The controversy reached boiling point when Liverpool’s Luis Diaz of Liverpool was denied a goal for offside against Tottenham Hotspur in September this year, with the Londoners going on to win the game in the dying seconds.
To their credit, the PGMOL issued a statement soon after the game, as did Liverpool, who urged for a swift escalation and resolution of the ongoing issues.
Perhaps the PGMOL thought they were doing the right thing by releasing audio of the discussion between their officials which led to the error but all it did was underline the chaos, and some would argue the ineptitude, of the VAR process and personnel.
There was more drama when three VAR reviews were undertaken for Anthony Gordon’s winner for Newcastle against Arsenal which Gunners’ manager Mikel Arteta labelled “embarrassing.”
Webb now participates in ‘Mic’d Up’ which discusses refereeing decisions using match footage and previously unreleased audio and will, perhaps understandably, look to defend his colleagues where he can.
"We made a commitment to be more transparent," said Webb on Sky Sports. "We know and recognise that people want more information about refereeing processes, particularly with the advent of VAR.
"We want to show spectators what goes into making the decisions on the field and then how the VAR works as well. We've got a professional group of officials working hard to have a positive impact on the game."
In December, the PGMOL announced that Rebecca Welch was to become the first woman to referee a Premier League game and Sam Allison would become the first black referee to officiate in the top flight for 15 years. The lack of diversity and the fact that these appointments were so notable suggests the pedestrian pace of development until now.
There is so much for the PGMOL to improve, but while VAR continues in its current form, confidence in referees and the game in general is being undermined with referees changing their minds, managers angrier than ever and clubs calling out conspiracy.
A monthly 30-minute TV show isn’t going to change hearts and minds anytime soon.
Learnings
On the face of it, improving the transparency of the PGMOL is a good move.
But former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen, who hosts the show, is not a journalist, and so does not press Webb with the challenging questions an experienced journalist should ask, so Webb gets an easy ride and the show feels more like propaganda than a genuine dissection of key decisions.
Some of the released audios are chaotic, while the optics around referees moonlighting in Middle Eastern leagues also raises questions about neutrality and fitness.
So is it any wonder that clubs, the Premier League, the League Managers Association and fans across the country lament the inconsistencies that now dominate football discussions far more than the skill of the players?