Woman’s World Cup soccer scandal in China?
Sep 17th, 2007 by Peter
Seems that the Danish woman’s soccer team was spied on through a two-way mirror through tactics meeting in their hotel. But by whom and what really happened?
The story as the media here presents it (this part is my rundown from many news the last 5 days):
China hosts the woman’s World Cup soccer tournament this year. The day before Denmark were to play China at the opening match, the Danes held a tactics meeting (oh, yes, women’s soccer uses tactics too). During the meeting someone at the meeting heard some strange noises from a huge mirror, and decided to check it out. Behind the mirror 2 dumbfounded Chinese gentlemen, clad in the hotel’s uniforms, were found holding each their camera.The representatives from FIFA saw them too, and they are currently holding their cards tight while China plays on in the World Cup. It is not confirmed from FIFA whether they are actually doing something about it yet. Some say they are investigating, while other reports says they won’t lift a finger.
According to some Danish players this is not a single event that has happened during the preparations to the Cup, but it is the most obvious one (this is unconfirmed news as the players has been told not to comment). This part tells that the Danish players were harassed with loud music at sleeping time and filmed during closed training sessions. Also some lights weren’t working during training and similar smaller things.
The Danish national woman’s football coach at first passed it on as being unimportant, but now the Danish Football Association decided to file an official complaint, so seems it is taken more serious.
Danmark lost the match 3-2, so some guess that it may be sour grapes.
So what is true and what is not?
Well, knowing China, the loud music part could easily be a coincidence and shooting pictures during closed training sessions, well, doesn’t that happen everywhere these days? Most things can be explained, but not all. A short video footage of the two blokes behind the mirror being found has been aired in the Danish television. Probably shot with a cellphone, but these pictures doesn’t lie. Something strange was going on. So that part is true and therefore harder to explain.
My question is: who were they working for? The Danish media’s guess is that they work for the Chinese Football Team and were spying on the Danish teams tactics, but I am not so sure. I’ll put my money on the Chinese government or maybe a combo.
There are other possibilities too, though they may be slim. I’d admit that it could be journalists, fans or you name it, but I think it seems a bit far fetched.
A left wing politician here in Denmark is demanding the Danish government to step into the whole deal, but for now nothing has happened. According to the Danish Culture Minister, Brian Mikkelsen, he is still waiting for FIFA to have their say before he does anything. I personally agree that this is wiser than just making fuzz about the whole deal before you get the facts straight. I’m just a bit puzzled that nothing has happened yet?
It’s still big news here in Denmark and may escalate to more. I’m not as surprised that it happened, but more that it was found out. If it really was government paid spies, wouldn’t you expect them to do better than this oldskool KGB style stakeout? Thinking about it, maybe not. You tell me.
Since women’s soccer is not that popular in Denmark, it is not getting that much attention, but maybe it should have? China will host the 2008 Olympics and if it turns out to be officially hired people doing the covert surveillance, it is bad news for the coming Olympics.
Meanwhile the World Cup goes on and China keeps winning their matches, while FIFA suck their thumb. What will it be?
A few links:
Yahoo sports
ESPN
Google
Sorry that I couldn’t find the revealing video shot. I tried, but seems that it may be only showed on TV so far.
“If it really was government paid spies, wouldn’t you expect them to do better than this oldskool KGB style stakeout?”
No, not really. These peeps may be completely paranoid, but they are also completely useless.
Every time the PSB have planted a bug in my home, I’ve known about it. It’s almost an insult to one’s intelligence, the way they assume you are too stupid to catch them.
Note to PSB: This isn’t the 1940’s any more. Step up a little, please. At least make it a challenge. Twats.
Fortunately I am so boring that no one wants to plant bugs at my house. Even my wife doesn’t listen to what I say.
I have tried to talk to some of my Chinese friends out here about the topic and they ALL made it clear that it was the DANISH who where stupid – no Chinese would spy on us and not intensionally make the loud music. And any way – the danish coach was a disgrace the way he reacted and accused the Chinese on this (their statement – not mine) .
I’m luckily NOT interested i soccer – so I stay neutral.
And if I ever was bugged – who knows and who cares. I’m living a very boring life in general and if they by any change got some bedroom (or livingroom or …) action I’m sure they enjoyed it.
I might have been investigated once – I was called one of the reasons for a strike (it was not a strike – just some workers refusing to work a they should). The real reason was money – but it was easier to blame me – the white guy. This was a big thing then in 2003 and it was taken up on higher level in Beijing – so I have my little part of fame in China.