On the afternoon of Sunday 5th June London it will turn into a sort of Brazilian carnival. It is the final day of the celebrations for the 70 years of reign of Queen Elizabeth: a multicolored parade, which traces all the historical periods of the sovereign (from punk to Doctor Who; dal BritPop at the Olympics), will crowd the streets. For the occasion, the breathtaking will also be carried in procession Golden State Coach, the royal carriage all of gold. On board, however, the sovereign will not be there: she is too old to bear the discomfort. Casual coincidence of history, while the “Pageant”Which closes the 4 days of celebrations for the Platinum Jubilee will animate the capital, the War in Ukrainein other guise, he moves to the United Kingdom.
That same afternoon, but 200 kilometers west of London, a whole country will be in trepidation. To the Millennium Stadium from Cardiffsupermodern rugby arena (which five years ago hosted the ominous final of Champions League between Juventus e Real Madrid), il Wales challenge theUkraine for a place in the world Cup.
Football & Geopolitics
There’s not just a ticket to the Qatar, which for Wales would already be an event. But a minor game, to which no one would have given too much importance, becomes a symbolic event: war against peace; west against Russia; good versus evil. Paraphrasing the famous maxim of barone Von Clausewitzin the modern society of the show and entertainment, “football is the continuation of politics by other means“. For Ukraine, which liquidated the Scotlandthe opportunity for world revenge is enormous: the Kiev national team was also present at the last World Cup in 2018, hosted, ironically, by Russia, and at the time it was coached by Andriy Shevchenko, national and AC Milan glory. Now a qualification for Qatar 2022 it would have enormous political value: the country bombed by Russia would present itself in Doha with full honors. And also a revenge against Russia: Fifa has excluded Moscow from the World Cup. If the oppressed Ukraine participated, however, the West would have another reason to cheer.
A divided country
For an afternoon, therefore, the green hills of Wales, a land poor in former miners, will turn into a crossroads of world tensions: Ukrainians and Welshs, moreover, share a similar fate of oppressed and invaded peoples. To the United Kingdom, and especially to the premier Boris Johnson, would like Ukraine to qualify. London is today Russia’s archenemy: l‘England is the European country that is sending the most weapons to Ukraine; Johnson is the premier who has visited Kiev several times; the British government has made Ukraine a banner of defense of Western values and democracy. There cookie temptationto make the unfortunate Ukrainians win, is strong. But the people of Cardiff, which comes from Welsh Caer Didiothat is the strong of Aulo Didiothe Roman general who built the first settlement in 75 AD, is not of the same opinion: opposed to Brexit and an enemy of the London government, Wales wants to win the game if only to do London a favor.
See Gareth Balethe Welsh star, unemployed and bencher in Madrid, but charismatic leader in Cardiff, sank Ukraine, the Great Britain would be the only country to send two of its national teams to the World Cup. Gasoline in the country’s snobbish and patriotic engine. The Conservative party is split in two: between supporters of Ukraine, to feed anti-Russian propaganda. And who, moved by nationalism, and supports Wales. On the World Cup a rift opens in the country. “What to do?” he wondered Lenin after the Bolshevik Revolution. They are also being asked in Cardiff.