Like Ovelar, Pelé or Weah: when footballers spoke or ventured into politics

Soccer and politics are not polar opposites. They are not like water and oil. In fact, footballers are sometimes required to take a political stance and be opinion leaders. And on other occasions, it is the same players who choose to be. The last case is Roberto OvelarParaguayan striker with four stages in Peruvian soccer.

The ‘Buffalo’ arrived in Peru in 2008 to play for San Martín. In 2009, after a brief stint with Cruz Azul in Mexico, he signed with Alianza Lima until 2011. He left the following year for U. Católica in Chile and returned in 2013 to play for Juan Aurich in Chiclayo. In 2021, after playing in three teams from Colombia and one from his country, he set foot on Peruvian soil again to defend the colors of Municipal. And next year he will play for General Caballero in his country.

Ovelar earned the love of the Peruvian fan and also acquired a love for the country that welcomed him with open arms every time he returned. Despite not being nationalized, he felt like a son of more than this country. And he has never hesitated to show his feelings through his official Twitter account. Or, as in this case, in making his political position clear.

the attacker tweeted. Loud and clear, like when he goes to the clash in a split with a rival defender.

Ovelar’s tweet did not go unnoticed. He had ‘likes’, retweets, comments. And one of those who responded was the journalist Eddie Fleischmanwho attacked the footballer without his having mentioned it or something like that.

“You don’t know what happened here and you don’t understand what the rule of law is. It does not distinguish between protesting and destroying public and private property and assaulting our law enforcement. You would do well to read and come out of your supreme ignorance. Respect more the legality of Peru, faker “wrote the TV presenter citing the player’s tweet.

Roberto did not stay with his arms crossed and went out in front once more. “Farsante is the Fujimori Congress and those who launder. They gave a blow to the President of poor origin and voted for by the poorest. They are afraid of a constituent (assembly) and terrified that Peru will be governed by a poor man like the majority. They prefer someone they can control.”he tweeted.

It is not the first time that a soccer player talks about politics in Peru. The ‘Put on your shirt’ campaign recently went viral in which the players of the peruvian team that was related to the second round of the general elections that were precisely in dispute to Pedro Castillo (current former president sentenced to pretrial detention for carrying out a coup) and Keiko Fujimori (Fuerza Popular leader who is being investigated for various crimes).

The political gesture of the players did not go down well. They spoke of democracy and asked not to vote for communism -in theory, represented by Castillo-. None of those selected asked to endorse votes to any of the candidates. But the speech led to a fast interpretation that has aroused an endless debate on social networks.

They were also along these lines Waldir Saenz Y Jose Luis Carranza, the eighties idols of Peruvian soccer. Both participated in a propaganda that had the same objective as that of those selected: to persuade the public not to choose a supposed communist regime.

As said, it is not the first time that football and politics have been mixed. Even in history there were footballers who left the shorts and chimpunes to put on the suit and venture into politics. Below we review some cases.

Footballers who became politicians

George Weah: The only Ballon d’Or of African origin won the 2017 presidential elections in his country, Liberia. Retiring in 2003, he founded his own party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), and ran in Liberia’s 2005 election, the first democratic one the country had held in decades. He lost them in the second round, and although he denounced electoral fraud, he ended up acknowledging his defeat.

baby: The Brazilian star, winner of the 1994 World Cup and who played for Deportivo de la Coruña and Sevilla in Spain, was elected in 2010 as a deputy for the State of Rio de Janeiro within the Partido Democrático Trabalhista (PDT). In 2014, his work focused on sports, health and education earned him his re-election.

Romario: Another legendary Brazilian goalscorer who, after lengthening his career, and like his teammate Bebeto, began his political career in 2010, being elected general deputy for the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). In 2014 he was even more ambitious, becoming a senator for eight years in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, he has already announced that he will run for city governor elections.

Andriy Shevchenko: The best Ukrainian footballer in history left football in 2012 to pursue politics. He kicked off his career by running as an MP for the Ukraine Forward party in the 2012 elections. However, the party won just 1.7% of the vote, which kept him out of parliament.

Kakha Kaladze: The Georgian became a key player for a decade in Milan, which won two Champions League titles in the 2000s. His country’s greatest historical reference in football, a few months after retiring in 2012, he led the list of the Georgian Dream party and won the elections, being appointed deputy prime minister and occupying the ministerial portfolio of Regional Development and Infrastructures. This same 2017 he has become mayor of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.

Pele: For many, the best player in soccer history also had a stage in Brazilian politics. In 1994 he was Minister of Sports under the mandate of President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, until 1998. Thanks to him, the “Pelé Law” was promulgated, which establishes that when a player’s contract with his club expires, he must renew with it, or the club must release him. In addition, this forced the clubs to act as legitimate companies, having to show audited annual balance sheets.