CAIRO — Mohamed Salah’s massive fan support in the Arab world has been called into question after he faced sharp criticism for positions on the war in Gaza that did not match the expectation of his supporters.
Salah remains arguably the best-known and most beloved Egyptian and North African player in the history of football, and his fan base, achievements and fame continue to cross borders. And it should be stated that Egyptians have no right to feel ownership or entitlement towards him, and no one should question his affiliation and loyalty to Egypt.
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Nonetheless Salah’s football status and fame do not and should not make him immune from any criticism, especially since he has shared many public positions and opinions on a range of subjects — most recently of course on the conflict consuming the Middle East.
The statement which has caused the greatest stir was in response to a question about Israel’s war on Gaza was a declaration that would seem something everyone could support: “All souls are sacred.”
Salah use of this particular axiom in the context of the conflict could be interpreted to mean equating the executioner with the victim, and at the same time evading direct support for Gaza and Palestine. Reports say that the choice of words was a result of the calculations of his agent, Rami Abbas.
Abbas is a Colombian national of Lebanese origins, and is known to be politically affiliated with the right-wing movement in his country and is a declared backer of Donald Trump. He also no doubt made it clear to Salah that his sponsorships could be at risk for taking a clear stance, along with reducing the chances of him winning the Ballon d’Or.
A football player not a politician
We should remember, first of all, that Salah is just a football player — not a politician. But it’s also true that he has real influence globally. Taken together, he chose a path that would not jeopardize his individual success and rewards.
Salah has the right to choose his individual survival, and fans then also have the right, based on his choices, to have different feelings towards him. And some no doubt will no longer be the fans they once were.
Still, Salah has tried to have it both ways, presenting himself as an inspiration to the masses, speaking about issues bigger than the concerns of a football player, such as changing the mentality of the Egyptians towards women’s issues, his campaign against drug addiction, and the TV commercials that present him as an inspiration to Egyptians.
What has happened in recent years is that the longstanding feeling of kinship for some has faded. Salah is just a football player, even if a great one, but he is not a partner in anything with his fan base. He chose individual survival, and dropped the moral position.
Salah is not free
There was a noticeable delay in Salah reacting to the outbreak of the war in Gaza, so much so that a satirical banner in one of the New York demonstrations in support of the Palestinians, showed Salah as a missing person, last seen on Christmas Eve.
It is always difficult to talk at times like these.
Egyptian researcher Muhammad Naeem quipped that, these days, Salah will not speak out except after a major humanitarian catastrophe occurs that the West can understand — and even then will be careful not to offend the sponsors.
This is what actually happened, with Salah finally speaking out only after the bombing of the Baptist Hospital by Israeli troops. “It is always difficult to talk at times like these,” he said.
His agent, Abbas, has succeeded in pushing Mohamed Salah into the highest-paid category among international athletes, which also includes multiple sponsors.
A quick look at Salah’s sponsors list makes you realize the problem. About one year ago, after the famous rapper Kanye West, known as Ye, made multiple anti-Semitic statements. Adidas, which had partnered with West on a contract worth several hundred million dollars to produce “Yeezy” shoes, was attacked in a public blackmail campaign that eventually led to the end of the sponsorship.
Adidas eventually terminated West’s contract, which cost it hundreds of millions; First, because West won the case in court, and Adidas was required to give him his share of the profits, and second, because it was forced to donate all of its profits from shoes to so-called “anti-hate” organizations and groups.
This is the extent of the restrictions that come with large sponsorship contracts. Such sponsorships are usually linked to the political leanings of the sponsoring companies, which are not neutral entities as they may first appear.
It should be clear: There is no major sponsorship contract that is not linked to some commercial relationship with Israel. That’s the case with the likes of Vodafone, Pepsi and DHL. It is likely that Salah’s contracts with sponsors included clear terms regarding “anti-Semitism,” or at least, contained legal loopholes that could be used to harm Salah if he has clear positions on the Palestinian issue, or others.
Salah and “The Art of Indifference”
Salah’s model of self-aggrandizement and “looking out for mine” is the same discourse we hear in Egyptian rap songs from the likes of Wegz, explains researcher Mohamed Naeem.
Wegz and Bassem Youssef, and dozens of international artists, didn’t hesitate to speak out.
Still, it is notable that Wegz did not think twice about voicing his unconditional support for Gaza, even though this might directly threaten his rise to international stardom; the same can be said about Egyptian comedian and TV star Bassem Youssef, as well as dozens of international artists from Hollywood and Europe.
The complex relationship between the Egyptian public and the current generation of Egyptian national team players, thus, is not only due to poor performance on the pitch, but also due to the political and social positions of the team. This has included Salah’s defending fellow player Amr Warda, who was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and abuse.
But now, the timid position of Mohamed Salah towards Gaza, in apparent hope of winning the Ballon d’Or, may push fans too far.
In 2019, during the African Cup of Nations hosted by Egypt, the reaction of Salah and other players to criticisms was to attack the fans as if they were an “enemy,” in the tournament that saw Egypt knocked out from the round of 16.
All it takes is another beautiful goal by Salah for many of us fans to forget all this talk. And yet for some, the world before October 7 was one thing, and everything — even football — is different now.
