The Good, Bad and Ugly ft Naomi Osaka, Atletico Madrid’s COVID-19 scare and Premier League’s No Room for Racism
Good, Bad and Ugly - September 13th edition
|SportsCafe
Another week goes by and 2020 continues to get worse but that has left us with a lot to talk about in this week’s edition of ‘Good, Bad and Ugly’. From English youngsters breaching UEFA protocols to a tennis controversy to Atletico Madrid's COVID-19 scare but the world keeps spinning.
Good
Naomi Osaka matching excellence with social awareness
Winning her third major honour at 22 wasn’t enough for Naomi Osaka with the tennis star wearing seven different masks to honour Black victims of racial injustice and police brutality in the US. The impact the masks have made has reverberated across the world with it just one of the countless other examples of sportsmen and women, trying to find something of value more than just sports. Whether it has helped or it does help, is something the world won’t realise for another few years but the statement/talking point it makes right now, has certainly made a difference.
Premier League players take the knee again and wear “No Room for Racism” badges
While not all the Champions League and Europa League games saw players take the knee, that has now changed in England with players free to do as they wish. It has seen players, coaches and referees in all four games on Saturday take the knee in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Not only that, after a meeting between the team captains every Premier League, and referee’s kit will be adorned with the No Room For Racism" logo. This comes after EFL CEO David Baldwin revealed that the 'Not Today or Any Day' shirt logo was to be worn by players this season.
Bad
Novak Djokovic disqualified from the US Open for hitting a line judge
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic was forced to leave the US Open early after he accidentally hit a line-judge with the ball. The Serb pleaded his case but was found guilty by the judges and was eventually disqualified from the tournament for breaching the rules. It has seen many hit out at the judges for their decision although there have been a few who believe that Djokovic deserved to be disqualified with this not the first time that he’s done something like this.
Diego Simeone tests positive for the coronavirus
Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has tested positive for the coronavirus and becomes the latest in a rather long line to do so. The Argentine is currently self-isolating at home and has shown no symptoms of the virus but it is cause for concern after he becomes the third Atletico Madrid related case. This comes after both Diego Costa and Santiago Arias tested positive although they were also asymptomatic. The trio join a long list of affected with PSG without Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Mauro Icardi and Angel Di Maria, Manchester United without Paul Pogba and Manchester City without two players after positive tests.
Ugly
South Africa Olympic body took over the cricket administration
Cricket in South Africa has found itself in a difficult situation after the CSA board and its executive were instructed to step aside by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) following nine months of administrative implosion. This gave rise to the speculation that the board might be banned by the ICC if the government interference plays a part but SASCOC clarified that the CSA is very much under its own ambit and the South African government has nothing to do in it. The situation will get better or worse but the turn of events have created a black mark, seemingly irreversible at the moment.
Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden breaching UEFA's coronavirus protocols
While the spotlight was supposed to be on England and their brand new batch of young kid superstars, it turned out to be for the wrong reasons completely. Instead of their on-field performances being the center of attention, Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood’s off-field behaviour became the centre of attention. The two Manchester starlets were ostracised from the England squad, for their second Nations League game, after they breached UEFA’s coronavirus protocols. The two players were also fined 250,000 Icelandic Krona for the rule breach which had the entire world up in arms against the two players.
