Next stop, Johannesburg

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0000figozidane_84216a.jpgA couple of hours from now, 22 handsome men of various shapes and hues will peel off their sweat-drenched jerseys and exchange them, amid hugs and kisses and mussing of hair, before a crowd of tens of thousands and a television audience of billions. And just like that, the World Cup will be over.

As the sporting winner emerges from the final pairing of France and Italy, so shall the competitionÂ’s winning narrative, the storyline of storylines that best succeeds in taking events on the field and giving them interpretive power to tell us something about the world we live in.

It is interesting that we are having discussions right now at the Mutiny about nationalism, jingoism, patriotism, anti-nationalism, and matters of that sort, at the same time that the worldÂ’s quadriennial celebration of national identities wraps up. The World Cup is a curious beast, it is a time when national loyalties are expressed, loudly and even virulently, yet in a choreographed manner and by universally recognized rules of engagement and fair play, for a limited duration and all at the same time.

It’s as much a celebration of the porousness of national barriers as it is of their continued relevance. It’s an event that inherently applauds globalization – the demographic flows, the internationalization of the business of sports, the diffusion of popular culture, the technological advances that permit billions of people to watch the same high-quality image feeds, the ease of travel that permits delegations of supporters to travel from the far corners of the planet. And it’s also an opportunity to wrap oneself in one’s flag – or that of another country to which one feels loyalty, or kinship, or just a whimsical fancy.a_ZyLuisFigo_vtop.jpgThe resurgence of the France team, which no one (including myself, a longtime France supporter who grew up in Paris) had given any shot of getting past the quarter-finals, has pushed back into the limelight the narratives of nationhood and cultural and demographic integration. By far the most “multicultural” team in the field this year – I mean that at the primitive, united-colors-of-Benetton level – Les Bleus offer a fantasy portrait of diversity in action, thrilling sporting action at that.

But since the team’s famous triumph in 1998, much of the luster has been taken off the easy “black-blanc-beur” sentiment. Culpable squabbling within the centre-left in the 2002 election resulted in the overtly racist right-wing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen qualifying for the second round of the presidential election, forcing a national rallying around the mediocre and fatigued Jacques Chirac.

Last year, severe riots and disturbances in the squalid working-class suburbs of Paris and other cities reminded France and the world that the daily lives of people of color in France are fraught with obstacles and discrimination; not that the complacent political class and intellectual elite seem much interested in doing anything about it.

With impeccable timing, Le Pen inveighed a couple of weeks ago that France’s poor showing in the tournament’s first round was due to the presence of too many players of color, suggesting that the coach had gone for political correctness over actual footballing skill. (Sound familiar?) Then the team started winning games against tough opponents in fine fashion, Zidane-mania began its second coming, and Le Pen as usual looked like the fool that he is. Best yet, it was revealed that the great white hope of French football, Franck Ribéry, a scruffy working class kid from the depressed port city Boulogne, on paper just the kind of type to support Le Pen, is… a proud convert to Islam.

Whether France wins or loses the match about to begin, the team’s run has put the question of making diversity work back under the spotlight – a healthy improvement over the spirit of 1998, which was all celebration and self-congratulation. That was before the clash of civilizations, the horrific events that we know, the emergence of the new flavors of bigotry, chauvinism and know-nothingness that feel today like the norm. Today, the problems are more sharply posed, the stakes – in Europe, America, South Asia, the world – immeasurably higher.

A football tournament wonÂ’t solve the worldÂ’s problems, far from it. But the narrative harvest of this yearÂ’s World Cup has only just begun. Four years from now, the next World Cup will be held in South Africa, which virtually guarantees good material from now til then. IÂ’ll be following intently, and so will many of you. Thanks to the futbolistic caucus within the Mutiny for adding to the World Cup experience this year — from Bong Breaker to Sahej, Flygirl to Football Fan, AfroDesiAc to Kobayashi, and all the regulars and lurkers in between.

I’ll be rooting for France. I think Italy is actually the better side, futbolisticamente hablando, but the spiritual edge is with the multi-hued crew. So long as the féticheurs have been paid their fee and the chickens buried in the proper spots, this one is for Zizou and the boys.

Much respect to all. Next stop, Johannesburg!

155 thoughts on “Next stop, Johannesburg”

  1. I’ve cheered for Italia for half my life, but in my heart of hearts, I hope his image is projected on the Arc de Triomphe once again.

  2. cheering for france. among the reasons: zinedine zidane is one of the coolest sounding names on earth and a pleasure to just say out loud and i’m so jealous of it!

  3. Viva France ;)…. I have a HUGE crush on Z^2.. My dad wants France to win too.. his reasoning was pretty humorous… he dislikes Sonia Gandhi..which sends his love for Italy out the window… too funny..

    Although I hate Charles de Gaulle (the worst airport ever) and the French can be oh so snobby…and I (heart) Italy, gelatto, and the people…but in the end I have to go with my bald crush 😉

    Okay, i’m over and out, no and not to watch the game (sigh).
    Gotta cram.

  5. I guess the rest of you are watching where there’s no wifi. Or, unlike me, other people are actually capable of leaving home without their laptop/being away from the internets. 😉

  6. I guess the rest of you are watching where there’s no wifi. Or, unlike me, other people are actually capable of leaving home without their laptop/being away from the internets. 😉

    I’m watching. I think that was a cheap penalty that Zidane went on to score on. The rest of the game has been very even. The French are controlling the ball better and the Italians are looking more dangerous.

  7. Siddhartha, I disagree with you on several points:

    Point 1: By far the most “multicultural” team in the field this year… Les Bleus offer a fantasy portrait of diversity in action, thrilling sporting action at that.

    France – like Israel and Japan (but unlike America, Australia, Britain and Canada) – defines itself against multiculturalism. French citizens (white, black, brown, yellow, purple, pokka-dot etc.) are encouraged in schools and in civil society to embrace ancient traditions, buy local produce, adhere to local custom, internalise the basics of French history, and master tricky nuances of the French language. Unlike my own country, France is not ashamed of its culture.

    Point 2: Last year, severe riots and disturbances in the squalid working-class suburbs of Paris and other cities reminded France and the world that the daily lives of people of color in France are fraught with obstacles and discrimination.

    Well, for starters, many of the rioters were not ‘coloured’. I’d describe them as beige or yellow: petty thugs of Algerian and Moroccan and Turkish decent. Secondly, you tacitly assume that the banlieue riots were a sporadic response to white racism against blacks? Again: not so. Angry young people from the Maghreb (northwestern Africa) hated Jews, Gypsies, Africans and Asians. They burned synagogues and attacked neighbours belonging to other ethnic groups. So I hope you can appreciate the irony in what you’re saying.

    Point 3: With impeccable timing, Le Pen inveighed a couple of weeks agoÂ…

    Would it surprise you to learn that many coloured people voted for Le Pen? The FNÂ’s anti-Semitic rhetoric appealed to a huge bloc of anti-Semitic voters of coloured complexion.

    Point 4 I think Italy is actually the better side, futbolisticamente hablando, but the spiritual edge is with the multi-hued crew.

    I couldn’t care less about the colour of a footballer’s skin. I believe in a colour-blind society – not one based on colour-consciousness.

    Amir

  8. Vive le Francais!!!!!!!

    Although at the end of the day I just want to see a good game, I’m hoping france wins. Let’s be honest here, today has been an excellent game thus far!

    The worldcup, international competitive sports in general, with their nationalistic spirit really may be the last frontier of such sentiment, one of the few arenas where individuals embrace the emotion as strongly as they did fifty or sixty years ago. Really makes you think. So does the involvement of money in competitive sports…this is a true alienation of man’s labor at one of the basest levels. On that note, we’re in second overtime.

  9. France used its last substitution and it wasn’t to put in Vikash. There will be no Great Brown Hope in this World Cup.

    Zidane out on a Red Card!

  10. Holy S**T!!!! Z red carded!!! TOtally deserved. What a shame to end a career with that kind of lack of sportsmanship.

  11. Oh, Zidane…for shame. No matter what he said to you (and it must have been terrible for you to react like that), it wasn’t worth it. Au revoir, Zizou.

  12. Total lack of class by Zidane. A leader cannot behave that way. He literally has gone from potential hero to “goat.” Did you see the goat like head butt?

  14. That’s so unlike him, though. I wish I knew what was said, to inspire such a violent, reckless reaction. 🙁

  15. I guess in a momentary lapse of reason he just let it go. Still, I think if France wins he’s going to be mentioned in the same breath as Pele and Maradona.

  16. as the bbc put it: “From hero to villain in one moment of lunacy.”

    what was he thinking??? no matter what materazzi said to him, how could he let his team down in the last stages of a world cup final like that? and now if it goes to penalties, no zidane.

  17. While I like the thrill of a game ending in PKs, it’s a shame when it happens. Two teams working so hard and you end up essentially deciding the winner of the tournament on what could be the flip of a coin.

  19. I’m not condoning what Zidane just did but my sister and I think that Materazzi must have said something pretty bad.

    I think that either he called Zidane a “Froggy,” or he opined that “French fries suck.”

  21. I’m sure it was pretty bad. Still, Zidane needs to keep his head.

    That’s easy for us to say…we’re not the focus of 2 billion eyes. 🙂

  22. I think that either he called Zidane a “Froggy,” or he opined that “French fries suck.”

    No. Obviously it had something to do with the need for French accents at Dunkin’ Donuts.

  24. oh well, a poor ending to an overall poor world cup. the better team on the whole in the final done in by colossal stupidity.

  27. That’s easy for us to say…we’re not the focus of 2 billion eyes. 🙂

    Fair enough, but let’s keep in mind that we’re talking about a man watched by two million eyes multiple times. He’s spent his adult life playing at this level, he’s the captain of his team, and one of the all time greats. He needs to keep it together.

  28. We can analyze this to death, we can blame Zidane, bad referees, etc. In the end the REAL reason that France lost is because they left the Great Brown Hope on the bench. Always bet on brown.

  29. but let’s keep in mind that we’re talking about a man watched by two million eyes multiple times.

    …playing in the final game of his career, at the world cup. mitigating circumstance. can you imagine the pressure??

  30. Zidane shouldnt have done that. Italians in earlier match were diving a lot but thats no excuse for what Zidane did. France lost!! Sucks !!! Nothing good is happening in last few weeks

  31. I’m just so sad for him…this will haunt him forever. He lost his cool and as a result, his team had to play one man down, when they totally needed him. I feel like he’s a good guy and THAT truth will totally bother him.

    Can’t wait for Le Pen to say something stupid about it.

  32. …playing in the final game of his career, at the world cup. mitigating circumstance. can you imagine the pressure??

    Of course I can’t. That’s why they call it armchair quarterbacking. The closest experience I’ve got is…well…ummm…okay I there’s nothing in my life that’s even remotely analagous. But, I don’t fault people, like myself, who believe that he exercised very poor judgment at a key moment.

  33. None of the black players missed a penalty kick – so I’m not sure whether Le Pen is entitled to say anything!

    Gattuso and Cannavaro were superb.

    IÂ’m not so sure how big of a difference ZidaneÂ’s red card actually made.

  35. so far 0-2 today: nadal fails to unseat federer in a match-up that didn’t live up to its hype, france fails to capitalize against italy. now singh just bogeyed the 13th at the western open 🙁

  36. IÂ’m not so sure how big of a difference ZidaneÂ’s red card actually made.

    I agree Amir, I dont think Zidane’s exit made that much of difference, as it was penalties anyway. Penalties are a lot dependant on luck. One huge thing that mattered was that Patrick Vierra had to leave, Henry left and my other fav. player Ribery was called back. So all these top players were not available for the “los penales” and that ended up costing France.

    Also why no love for our man Dhorasoo?? Why ?? May be thats why France lost 🙂

  37. France lost. The God is in Heaven and all’s well with the world.

    M. Nam

  38. “One huge thing that mattered was that Patrick Vierra had to leave, Henry left and my other fav. player Ribery was called back.”

    true, but zidane is a good penalty taker. plus his presence affects the rest of the team.

  39. @ amir (#7)

    i shall reply to your points just once.

    1. you did not notice that i qualified the use of “multicultural” by putting it in quotation marks AND by stating i meant it in the superficial Benetton sense. second, i was talking about a “fantasy picture” of diversity. in other words, i was not endorsing any kind of cheap multiculturalism, in fact i was critiquing it. no one else here ever has any trouble udnerstanding my writing, so it must be you.

    2. you have a weird definition of “coloured.” i won’t even go there. however, your interpretation of what happened last year in france is completely tendentious and wrong. you attempt to set up “algerian, moroccan and turkish” immigrants (gee, i wonder what they have in common?) against the others. completely outrageous distortion of the facts.

    3. thank you for educating me about the dynamics of neo-fascist party popularity. unfortunately, you are pulling assertions out of your arse.

    4. you don’t get writing. you have no imagination.

  40. zidane has blown up several times in the past. he was red carded for stomping a saudi player in 1998. clearly materazzi did or said soemthing ill to provoke him, but that’s all part of the game. you know these guys have detailed form sheets on the psychological weaknesses and tendencies of their adversaries. some guys dive, some are susceptible to different kinds of provocaiton, etc. they had the form sheet on zidane and used it well. deeply sad, but there you have it.

    italy were the better team on the night and in the tournament. they did not rob their victory. congratulations to them.

  41. Siddhartha- Cool post. I’m not a fan (of futbol) but you almost make me wish I were. I especially love it when a dark horse team/player makes it to the finals, no matter what the game.

    Amir- • You seem to have your colours mixed. Are people of the Mahgreb coloured or not (assuming you are referring to North Africans voting for Le Pen)?

    • I googled and can find only a single mention of a single synagogue "door blackened by a fire bomb" was the phrase. That's hardly "burned synagogues." Only one fatality (non-specified) was reported other than the deaths of two young men killed by entering the power station which likely sparked the riots and no mention of attacks, other than on cars, businesses, and French police and firefighters. Certainly not the same as "attacked neighbours belonging to other ethnic groups." I did note that one mosque was also fire-bombed and that a fatwa against the rioting was ineffectual.

    Here are the stories I found: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4405620.stm http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/27565/edition_id/527/format/html/displaystory.html

    • Finally, you will have to work harder on becoming colour-blind. Your fine distinctions between yellow, beige, black and brown give you away.

    And how does this: I couldn’t care less about the colour of a footballer’s skin. I believe in a colour-blind society – not one based on colour-consciousness. jibe with this: None of the black players missed a penalty kick – so I’m not sure whether Le Pen is entitled to say anything! ?? • Thanks, though, for spurring me to read up on the 2005 riots in France. I found this article useful: http://riotsfrance.ssrc.org/Cesari/ (though a French professor at Harvard might well be biased in addition to being very well-informed) and enjoyed the many posts at Wikipedia (Talk:2005 civil unrest in France) regarding POV in the Wiki article on the riots.

  42. zidane has blown up several times in the past. he was red carded for stomping a saudi player in 1998. clearly materazzi did or said soemthing ill to provoke him, but that’s all part of the game. you know these guys have detailed form sheets on the psychological weaknesses and tendencies of their adversaries. some guys dive, some are susceptible to different kinds of provocaiton, etc. they had the form sheet on zidane and used it well. deeply sad, but there you have it

    that makes sense, probably there is a lot of knowledge particularly about someone like Zidane who has played so long. but its so disappointing. thanks for putting some perspective on it. it would hurt more to if Italy didn’t deserve the win, but i guess they did deserve it. it was a hard fought game and i guess Italy has played that way the whole tournement….along with diving shamelessly that is. Well, its always been a complex game, and today was the same. no easy answers.

    I thought this was a great article Siddhartha btw, thanks for the great coverage, and to everyone who has posted on the WC threads.

  43. hahaha

    Zidane – what a punk rock way to go out of the World Cup final. What the hell happened? It wasn’t even anythig discreet, but a full on head charge to the ribcage. Amazing. Anyway, on balance I preferred Italy to win. Forza Italia!

  44. truth be told i think Italy were a great team through the whole thing and they deserve to be the champions. France tried their best and i don’t think Italy were cheap. it was a well fought game

  45. Gitanjali, Thank you very much for the response. Now, let me offer a rejoinder:

    Number 1: You seem to have your colours mixed. Are people of the Mahgreb coloured or not (assuming you are referring to North Africans voting for Le Pen)?

    I have not got my colours mixed up. North Africans [bar Sudan] (Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Morocco) are considerably paler than the inhabitants of Southern Africa. And yes: extremist elements of the Mahgreb diaspora in France voted for Le Pen. The world is full of complex ironies.

    Number 2: jibe like this: “None of the black players missed a penalty kick – so I’m not sure whether Le Pen is entitled to say anything!…”

    It wasnÂ’t a jibe: I was responding to AnnaÂ’s #31. She said: “Can’t wait for Le Pen to say something stupid about it.” (i.e. Zidane being of Algerian descent). It was a light-hearted riposte. Chill out.

    Number 3: “Finally, you will have to work harder on becoming colour-blind. Your fine distinctions between yellow, beige, black and brown give you away.”

    How do these distinctions ‘give me a way’? The word ‘coloured’ is too vague and imprecise – it is used, typically, as a catch-all phrase for anyone who isn’t white. Be that as it may, the term ‘colour blind’, in a political context, is less literal, and more metaphorical. Basically, it refers to the conservative ideal of a meritocratic society: we should judge people by their dispositions of character, as opposed to their physical and/or hereditary characteristics.

  46. in the end italy won fair and square, but i disagree about them being the better team on the night. i agree with the reporter who said italy let france do everything except win the game. i wonder if zidane will make public what was said that enraged him so much?

  47. At Indigo in Colaba, Bombay, upstairs was Italia and downstairs was France. A man with an excessively large tricolore paced outside.

    My World Cup fantasy involved Vikash Dhorasoo scoring the winning goal in the final minutes of extra time. Other than that, viva Italia!

  48. in the end italy won fair and square, but i disagree about them being the better team on the night. i agree with the reporter who said italy let france do everything except win the game. i wonder if zidane will make public what was said that enraged him so much

    maybe he was frustrated overall that France was not in the lead? he was also pretty upset to have missed the goal earlier. he seemed to be in a bad mood through the game, maybe this was the last straw. people with tempers lose them at the wrong time, maybe Zizou has a temper. i feel badly for him, but i’m sure he will be all right

    as someone who supported France, the game went to extra time, if France was convincingly going to win, they had enough time. Italy played much better early on, after the first goal for sure

  49. but i do agree, France were in position to win, but se la vie. sorry to multi post