Mauricio Pochettino only thinks about the pitch and wants his players to imitate him. The American coach sent a sliding tackle to Timothy Weah, who said he was “a little disappointed” with the high prices for matches at the 2026 World Cup.
In a videoconference with journalists, the former Parisian coach asked that his players “talk about our job”, arguing that “we are not politicians”. “It is not our duty to evaluate ticket prices,” he lambasted. My job is to prepare the team to perform. We are athletes who can only talk about our profession. If FIFA does something, they know why and it is their responsibility to explain it. »
FIFA under fire from fans’ protests
For the coach, the only responsibility of his players is “to play well on the pitch” and not to criticize FIFA “which does a great job” and “unites people”. Speaking out against the dynamic of freedom of speech among athletes. In France, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra notably supported Victor Wembanyama after his criticism of ICE, the American immigration police.
Weah is so far the only player to have stepped up to protest against ticket prices. Which had created such controversy upon their release that FIFA had to review its copy and propose new pricing, including entry prices of $60. Which will not prevent the North American World Cup from being “the most expensive in the history of football”, according to supporters’ associations.
