A few months ago, I asked why Emirati football fans are not showing up to support their national team in their own country.
Today, I ask: Why are Emirati footballers reluctant to do interviews with the print media?
I ask because I care about the sport, about UAE players and the Arabian Gulf League (AGL). I want the league to be as successful as those in Japan and South Korea. League officials and the leaders of the Football Association want that, too.
Though the revenues of the AGL have increased 33 per cent from Dh90 million to Dh120m during the last year, the league struggles for attendance.
A key tool for promoting the league is greater public familiarity with players, which can come through the conduit of the media, if they were to have greater access.
The FA, the AGL and the clubs should encourage players, particularly Emiratis, to soften their mentality towards the media, a platform which they can use to the advantage of themselves, the sport and their fans.
The fans appreciate “personalities”, and it is hard for the league to sell that to them because no one knows much of anything about the players, especially the Emiratis. What is Majed Naser like? Or Hamdan Al Kamali, Ahmed Khalil or Amer Abdulrahman?
Who knows?
Does Omar Abdulrahman enjoy a karak tea? Which team does he play with on PlayStation? I'm sure fans would love to know these things about their favourite players.
It was easier for me to get in touch with and interview Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao than Omar Abdulrahman and Naser. So far, I've failed to crack the "Emirati-players-doing-interviews" code.
It is not a matter of culture. Emiratis are some of the most hospitable and welcoming people.
Instead, this seems to be about the historic relation of the players with the media. Interviews are done rarely because that has how it has always been.
In tennis, golf, boxing and nearly all North American sports, athletes are available immediately after competition, and usually before it, as well. NFL players must make themselves available to the media or risk substantial fines from the league, as the recalcitrant Marshawn Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks knows.
World football, however, parcels out very little contact with its players, and this is true across all leagues around the world, from the English Premier League to the AGL.
The difference being, the most successful football leagues can do quite well with minimal contact between players and media. The Premier League, for instance, is a money-making machine even if Wayne Rooney never speaks.
The AGL, on the other hand, has tiny crowds, supported by a small core of passionate fans. Could some of that be about not having a player-and-media relationship? Is it about thinking they do not need to market themselves? As a matter of fact, they do.
The Pro League Committee, which operates the AGL, has no regulations restricting player interviews. I spoke to two club media officers about this, and one of them said: “No club in the AGL has any such policy and the players, solely, decide if they wish to speak to media or not.”
Over the years, the lack of interview availabilities is a constant and demoralising journalism challenge, particularly among Emiratis.
One of the few Emiratis who makes himself available for interviews is Eissa Santo, a former national team defender who has played with Al Wahda and Al Ahli.
“I am not sure why the players refuse interviews, but in my opinion media is the most important part in displaying a player’s character,” he said.
“Most of the fans do not know about the players off the field. I don’t believe it’s a restricted call from the clubs or the Pro League. Marketing has a huge role in our football community and that leads the young generation to follow their favourite players.
"We want to make a change in those kids to learn from the best, and it's our job as a player, person and professional to spread the good spirit."
It would be great for UAE football if more players felt like that.
sports@thenational.ae
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