In front of a raucous crowd in Erbil, underdog Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya has soundly defeated visiting Saudi side Al-Ittihad. The Nov. 6 game, an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League clash, was held at Franso Hariri Stadium in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
“The game and the atmosphere are beautiful,” Ali Al-Amir, a 21-year-old from Baghdad’s Karrada neighborhood, told Amwaj.media. Both Iraqi and Kurdish flags were in abundance around the crowd, along with Jawiya’s blue banners. Vendors worked the stands selling cups of pomegranate seeds and datil, Iraq’s version of the churro.
For neutrals, the main draw was French superstar Karim Benzema, who was acquired by Ittihad from Real Madrid over the summer amid Saudi Arabia’s push for sporting prominence as a part of its greater economic, and political ambitions. For a player of his stature to visit Iraq for a meaningful match was not only exciting for fans, but also represents a golden promotional opportunity for the Kingdom.
Lofty ambitions with a global goal
Flushed with cash, Saudi Arabia has invested at least 6.3B USD in sports investments around the world since 2021. Ambitions are sky-high and the Kingdom looks likely to host the men’s football World Cup in 2034. Ittihad is part of this new, global football empire, but has a long history of success in the Kingdom’s domestic competitions. It topped the Saudi Pro League last year to earn its place in this season of the AFC Champions League.
This summer, the Jeddah-based team splashed out serious cash to sign high-profile players from top European clubs, including Benzema, N’Golo Kanté, and Fabinho. Benzema’s three-year contract alone is reportedly worth more than 100M EUR per year.
Other Saudi teams have recently brought in global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo on massive deals. They now travel the world on behalf of their Saudi clubs in an expensive attempt to burnish the Kingdom’s reputation. Fans seem to be responding, drawn by the prospect of seeing footballers in person that they could have only hoped to ever see on TV.
“I didn’t come for Jawiya. I am from Kirkuk. I only came to see Benzema,” Mohammad Othman, 30, told Amwaj.media. “For good players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Benzema to come, it just makes us happy to watch them play in our country,” he added.
Critics have alleged that what is unfolding is a prime example of sportswashing. Amnesty International said that bringing superstars is “a means of distracting from the country’s appalling human rights record.” The rights group has urged the players to use their platforms to speak out, though none have done that so far.
Iraqi football bounces back
Historically, Iraq was a force to be reckoned with, winning several regional and Asian competitions and making it to the FIFA World Cup in 1986. However, the events of the past three decades have disrupted the dynamics and institutions needed to perform at the highest levels. In contrast to Saudi football’s high-flying image, the Iraqi game is still finding its feet after years of upheaval caused by sanctions and war.
But now, there are signs that this is changing. In January, Iraq won the Arabian Gulf Cup it hosted, setting off ecstatic celebrations across the country.
Founded in 1931 and known in English as the “Air Force Club,” Baghdad-based Jawiya is Iraq’s oldest team. The squad is playing all of its AFC Champions League games in Erbil to accommodate larger crowds. It qualified by finishing second in the Iraqi Premier League last year. The winner, Al-Shorta, does not hold a license with the AFC and forfeited its slot as a result.
There is appeal in seeing the best players in the game compete, but sports loyalties run deep. Jawiya supporters came from Baghdad in force and owned the stands for Nov. 6 clash. In one corner, the Ultras Blue Hawks supporters group sang chants and cheekily jeered Benzema whenever he got the ball. A Barcelona flag flew high over a nearby section to taunt the former Real Madrid icon.
“I came to support my club…My father loved them, so the whole family started to love and support them as well,” Amir said, adding, “It is so amazing that the stars of the world are coming here to visit Iraq.”
Ittihad looks likely to qualify for the knock-out stages of the AFC Champions League, which will bring it even more attention. Before the recent loss, it was cruising through the group stage and had not conceded a goal. Notably, controversy engulfed its Oct. 2 away match against Sepahan in the central Iranian city of Isfahan. The Saudi team refused to play because a bust of slain Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani was placed near the pitch. As a result, the game was abandoned. After an investigation, the AFC awarded Ittihad a 3-0 win and found that Sepahan had violated fair play regulations.
No such display or resulting tension was apparent at Erbil’s 25,000-seat Franso Hariri Stadium, which is often the stage for major events in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. Pope Francis led mass there during his historic visit to Iraq in 2021. It was also the site of the closing rally for the “Yes” campaign in the lead up to Iraqi Kurdistan’s 2017 independence referendum.
Star power for soft power
Iraq and Saudi Arabia have a long and rocky history. The Kingdom only re-opened its embassy in Baghdad in 2015, after a 25-year gap. Both governments recognize there is potential for improved economic and political ties but have been taking it slow.
In contrast, Iraqi Kurdish politicians, and those from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in particular, are eager to establish partnerships with wealthy Gulf Arab states. The chance to host a major Saudi sporting institution was a major public relations coup for the KDP, and it made sure to roll out the red carpet.
The day before the match, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, a senior KDP official, met with members of Ittihad. Photos of him shaking hands with Benzema were splashed across media outlets affiliated with the Kurdish party. Even though they were technically the home team, Jawiya was not afforded the same courtesy. A statement from Barzani’s office did not even mention that Al-Ittihad was in town to play football against an Iraqi team.
The fact that local political figures such as Barzani appear eager to shine in the reflection of Saudi football’s purchased glamour is not surprising. In fact, it is part of the precise objectives of the Kingdom’s soft power plan. The dynamics in Erbil this week will likely be replicated across Asia in the coming months.
Together, the four Saudi teams in this season’s AFC Champions League will play games in India, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. If they move on to the knock-out rounds, they will face teams from East Asian countries like China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.
The apparent Saudi influence operation works at both elite and populist levels. Members of Iraq’s political elite filled the VIP stand at Franso Hariri Stadium, including the first and second deputy speakers of Iraq’s Council of Representatives, other lawmakers, and the governor of Erbil. This gave them a chance to rub elbows with both Saudi diplomats and businesspeople.
Similarly, several of the Iraqi fans who spoke to Amwaj.media said that the game made them feel positively about Saudi Arabia, and that they appreciated Ittihad’s willingness to play in their country. “The relationship with the Saudi club is really cool. We like them and it is good that they are here,” Amir said.
Source: Amwaj