Where are the men?

The simmering controversy driven by “inappropriate” behaviour in football officialdom is not going away.?

And yet, it is still showing some glaring gaps in behaviour, and men, not just Rubiales, are doing the game and themeselves a disservice.?

Why are so few voices speaking out about this??

It reflects the ugly reality of professional sports and the ongoing lack of balance in how we watch, cover and report on it. Women’s sport is deemed to be of little interest. Football shows, sports pages, prominent people involved in sport, have sat on their hands. And that should worry us all.?

The RFEF is the governing body of Spanish football. They’ve been absent. The king of Spain, who us my age and by all accounts a decent guy, must be having interesting conversations with his wife and daughter… who witnessed the incident from a few meters away. The RFEF bears his name.?

Many men in football punditry the world over seemed to sit the Women’s World Cup out. They weren’t benched. They didn’t even dress.?

Why is that??

And when the tournament gained momentum, some of the media focus edged closer, but it was still paltry and still middling.?

It was a very exciting tournament, with top European, Asian, Caribbean and African sides out-performing expectations. So why the disinterest? Is there a rational and intelligent answer?

And now with this circus around the Spanish FA, there’s a chance for men in the sports world to talk about “safety and dignity”. That’s what the women’s game wants. That’s what professional male athletes want… why are more men not taking to the airwaves to insist on it?

Where are the men?

/df