Megan Rapinoe criticizes USA for its Corona break in football

Et has been a long time since the world’s most famous female soccer player had an opportunity to protest against racism and police violence on the pitch. The American national player Megan Rapinoe has not played since March, and she has skipped the American Women’s League tournament in the summer. The concern about the corona virus and about one’s own health was too great.

“It’s frustrating and annoying not to be able to go on the field as a player. But the way things are, I just haven’t felt comfortable with it so far – and still don’t, to be honest, “said the 35-year-old world champion with the pink hair in an interview with the German press agency. “In the USA we just handled it as badly as it was somehow possible.” In no country in the world have more people been infected with corona during the pandemic than in the United States of America.

The goal-scoring midfielder wants to go to the next course of the national team in January. “Just because it’s January doesn’t mean January is very different from December. But I have the feeling that at some point I just have to start playing again, ”explained Rapinoe. After the World Cup title in France in 2019, there is finally a big goal in summer: “With an eye on the Olympics, I definitely want that too.”

In 2016 in Rio, the United States disappointed as world champions and favorites and were eliminated by Sweden, in Tokyo the team now wants to win the gold medal and Rapinoe becomes Olympic champion for the second time since 2012. But there is another reason why the Games in Japan should be special. Rapinoe’s colleagues from “Team USA” recently made a clear recommendation to the International Olympic Committee: Athletes should stand on the big Olympic stage for May express human rights and against racism.

Just as Rapinoe did as one of the first and for a long time one of the few professionals after quarterback Colin Kaepernick caused a worldwide sensation with his gesture before the football games of his team at the time, San Francisco 49ers in 2016. “Athletes will protest. I think we are already beyond the point that this is even a question, “predicted Rapinoe for Tokyo and addressed clear words to the IOC, whose controversial Rule 50 a protest like the fist raised in the night sky by Tommie Smith in 1968 in Mexico City punishes: “They should never have enacted this rule in the first place. That was obviously shortsighted and stupid and failed all purpose. So: maybe think a little more. “

The fact that the force behind the protest against racism is now so strong is one of the few positive side effects of this crazy year 2020, says Rapinoe. “2020 has brought us a lot of truths and information that we cannot run away from. We could do this for a long time, just not talking about it, ”she said. But since the death of the African-American George Floyd in May caused nationwide demonstrations and the professionals in the major leagues such as the NBA, NFL and MLB no longer shied away from clear announcements to society, something has changed.

“To see that across all sports was encouraging. The perception, compared to four years ago when Colin knelt and so did I, has changed a lot in a short period of time, “said Rapinoe. “It’s also encouraging to see college and professional athletes making their voices heard and using their influence to make change.” Also, soccer players in Europe are making the gesture – kneeling with one leg and raising a fist – show is important. “But more important is: what comes next. The focus is still too much on the gesture and less on what Colin was talking about. “

As an active football player on the pitch, Rapinoe, who describes her motivation in more detail in the recently published autobiography “One Life”, wants to contribute to this again soon. The American association, with which the internationals for Megan Rapinoe are still fighting over a better salary, has now understood that: Members of the American national teams no longer officially have to stand by the anthem.