Fields of Freedom
For decades, Bashar al-Assad used football as a means to strengthen his tyrannical regime. Now, in the wake of his downfall, Syrian football is preparing for its uncertain future
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During last month’s international break, Russia’s national football team played a friendly match against Syria, defeating the Arab nation 4-0 in front of an audience of more than 35,000 spectators at the Volgograd Arena.
The stadium, situated in the Volgograd region along the western bank of the Volga River, was a prominent venue during the 2018 World Cup. And yet, it has been years since it has hosted a match of any significance. With Russia currently under FIFA and UEFA sanctions due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the country was rendered a pariah state and has since struggled to secure opponents for international matches.
Months after Russia’s women’s team played North Korea in a friendly match in Moscow, the men’s team hosted Syria, another longtime ally. In 2015, the Kremlin sent thousands of troops to shore up President Bashar al-Assad’s totalitarian regime. It was Vladimir Putin's first major challenge to the power and dominance of the West, and played a pivotal role in helping Assad cling to power over the following nine years.
Over the past few days, however, the Kremlin’s Syria experiment unravelled, foiled by a rebel offensive that seized control of the capital of Damascus in the early hours of Sunday morning. The Syrian government collapsed thereafter, with reports claiming that Assad had fled the country in disgrace. Crowds gathered in the streets to celebrate the fall of a tyrant after nearly 14 years of civil war. Meanwhile, Russian news agencies, citing a Kremlin source, reported that Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow and have been granted asylum by Russian authorities. The Kremlin is yet to confirm the news.
The changes in Syrian football were just as swift. The Syrian Football Association (SFA) unveiled a new logo on its official Facebook page, swapping its red logo with two green stars to green logo with three red stars. The changes are significant, as the red logo was based on the national flag of Ba’athist Syria, which was first adopted in 1958 when Syria was part of the United Arab Republic with Syria, and was readopted in 1980. The green logo and flag represent the Syrian Republic, which began a pathway to independence from French rule. The green “independence flag” has more recently been used by Syrian opposition factions during the civil war.
The SFA also unveiled a new team outfit, based off the green independence flag. “The first historical change that will take place in the history of Syrian sports, away from personal connections, patronage and corruption,” read the statement on Facebook.
Furthermore, local footballers have also taken to social media to celebrate the downfall of Assad’s regime. Syrian national team goalkeeper Ahmad Madania, who participated in Syria’s friendly against Russia, shared several pictures of the Syrian National Coalition flag, as well as a post of himself in his car along with the caption “The day the revolution triumphed.”
Syrian striker Omar Al Somah and midfielder Mouhamad Anez posted pictures of the revolutionary flag on Instagram, while midfielder Ammar Ramadan shared an Instagram story that read: “My country, Syria, is being freed. Resistance to oppression is inevitable. Like it or not. Bashar is a war criminal. He has also upped and left. Coward. My happiness is for the people. My people. May we see a free Palestine soon.”
Ramadan and several other players also shared posts remembering Abdul Baset al-Sarout, a Syrian footballer and revolutionary singer who became a symbolic figure in the rebellion and was killed in 2019. Viewed as a martyr by some, al-Sarout was a controversial figure due to his hardened stances against Syrian minority groups. Nevertheless, his renowned song, “Jannah Jannah,” rang through Umayyad Square on the morning of the regime’s demise in Damascus.
The Syrian national team's official social media account shared several posts, including one featuring the slogan: "Long Live a Free Syria."
As I discussed in a post last week, al-Assad long used football as a means to exert political influence. This took on an even more insidious form during the civil war, where the Syrian dictator exploited football to present a facade of strength and unity. Several prominent players were forced to flee the country while others were forced into roles as regime puppets. On occasion, al-Assad would host the national team at one of his palaces, where they would pose for strategic photo-ops.
As rebel forces began to mount their lighting assault, the SFA announced the indefinite suspension of league matches on Dec. 4. Four days later, al-Assad’s regime was toppled, ending a 53-year dynasty that began with Bashar’s father, Hafez in 1971.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters gathered at the symbolic Umayyad Mosque in Damascus following the rebel capture of the city, leader of the main Syrian opposition armed group, Abu Mohammed al-Julani, declared a “new history” be written for Syria and the entire Middle East. “We [the Syrian people] are the rightful owners [of this country]. This victory is for all Syrians,” al-Julani, who once led the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, said.
As the Syrian rebels liberated Syrian cities during their campaign, they also emptied the regime’s notorious prisons, where more than 100,000 political prisoners were forcibly disappeared and tens of thousands others tortured and summarily executed. Bittersweet videos showed frail and traumatized prisoners reunited with weeping family members. One suffered amnesia from years of torment in underground prisons. Another had been jailed for so long that they were never informed that Bashar had succeeded his father Hafez in 2000. Raghad al-Tatary, a pilot who refused to bomb the city of Hama during the uprising against Hafez al-Assad in the 1980s, was found alive and freed after 43 years in prison.
Syria’s future is shrouded in uncertainty, and its football aspirations are no exception. The national team failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, losing to Japan and North Korea. Yet, there were glimpses of promise, as Syria did reach the knockout stage of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup for the first time and remains on course to qualify for the 2027 edition.
Whether the Syrian national team emerges as a symbol of a new era in Syrian history or continues to represent a country doomed to a perpetual cycle of violence remains uncertain.
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great stuff, Mr. Zidan! Far more than I'm likely to read anywhere else in the media, so much in-depth information. Thank you.
great commentary!