Oleguer Sparks Debate Over Political Position

The Catalan futbolista Oleguer Presas Renom, known simply as Oleguer, has sparked debate and including the loss of one of his sponsers for his outspoken political views. Oleguer is a starting defender for one of the world's top club teams, FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona is also a Catalan team which remains as a symbol of nationalist and seperatist pride for all Catalonians, which ever their political position might be.

Oleguer, supporter of the EZLN ("Zapatistas")
movement in southern Mexico.

Oleguer wrote an article that was published in a Basque magazine, Berria, criticizing Spain's Estado de Derecho (Rights of the State) which he feels violates autonomy rights. He condemned the imprisonment of the etarra Iñaki de Juana Chaos (member of ETA), who begun a hunger strike upon his recent arrest. De Juana had served a 12 year sentence for taking part in placing a bomb in a Spanish military barrack and armed confrontation with Spanish troops. ETA, an armed-political organization, which stands for "Basque Homeland and Freedom" is outlawed in Spain. De Juana was arrested recently for writting an article criticizing the Estado de Drecho and also questioning the political autonomy of the judicial power.

Pero Salva es un "caca de perro"...
But Salva is a "piece of dog shit"...
After Oleguer's article was published, Salva Bellasta, the forward for the Spanish team Levante said in regards to Oleguer, "I have more respect for a piece of dog turd." If Salva believes that the state has the right to arrest an individual for writting a political opinion, then he is the only "caca de perro". By no means has Oleguer ever supported any of the armed attacks in which ETA has openly taken credit for. But he is taking a position that he feels is connected to his own views of Catalonia independence. The Spanish courts gave De Juana a 12 year prison sentence for something he wrote. The court recently reduced that sentence to 3 years after much protest. Even thoush the Spanish press said the sentence was reduced due to bomb threats--but fails to mention the marches in the streets.


After Oleguer made his opinion public, one of him sponsors, Kelme, broke his contract. Oleguer was shortly after seen practicing at Camp Nou with soccer cleats that which he painted over the sponsors name with a marker. At the same time, Catalonian fans that admire his pro-independence stance, have come out in support, including calling a boycott on Kelme. Another Spanish sports brand, Munich, has mentioned interest in sponsoring "el jugador catalan".

Oleguer is also an open supporter of the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, and took part in a soccer-fundraising tournament. He also is oppossed to Spain's involvment in the Iraq war. All these views were made public after the release of his biographical book Camí d'Itaca (Roade to Itaca).

ETA, Batasuna and the Basque Independence Movement
Upon his arrest, De Juana began a hunger strike that led him to his near death. The Basque people have held protests condemning his arrest. While the majority of Basques do not support terror as a tactic for independence, they hold their right of seperatist views. Most people know very little of the Basque movement for independence and only hear about it when ETA commits a violent act.

In 2002, the Spanish courts passed a bill entitled the Ley de Partidos Políticos (Law of Political Parties) in which bars political parties which may be based on a "hatred ideology" or which refuse to condemn political violence. This meant that the Basque independence party, Batasuna, was outlawed because of the their open support of independence. Batasuna is not ETA, like Sinn Féin is not the IRA.
Did you know or repeated what you where told?
Did you know that there are hundreds of Basque political prisoners? They are in jail for a range of reasons. Did you know that the Basque language has no connection to any other? It is actually rather strange (that is that there is no connection to Spanish or French). Did you know the Basque, as well as Catalonians, have been severly repressed throughout Spanish history, including that speaking their language was outlawed? Before you get into a deep political discussion with someone condeming Basque independence, or saying they are silly, ask yourself: What do you really know?

"For Peace and Dialogue" was the slogan that unified this march. Thousand of Basque marched through Bilboa, Basque in November 2006 opposing act by ETA of placing a bomb in a Spanish airport that led to death of Ecuadorian workers. At the same time, hundreds of family members of political prisoners, demand their release.























For other news regarding soccer and politics read article on Samuel Eto'o.
Also the blog Fútbol Intelectual.