Mohamed Salah

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

I've held back my opinion on this since I did not want to bring politics into a football thread, but I guess we're beyond that point now, so here goes:

This is simply a case of beliefs and freedom in opinion that is being blow way out of proportion by some terrible journalism. Chelsea is a multicultural club with fans and players and staff with all kinds of beliefs and political opinions. In his culture, Salah is a hero for not doing the hand shakes in Egypt and the Arab world. That is his culture and those are his beliefs.

And the idea that Chelsea would want "guarantees" that he's not anti-Israel is beyond ridiculous when we've had players like Anelka who is publicly ant-Israel and Drogba and Eden Hazard who were from the footballers who signed the petition to not have the U21 Euros in Israel and no doubt staff that have all different kinds of political opinions and beliefs.

Of course no one at the clubs cares if he's pro or anti-Israel. It has nothing to do with football!

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4319351,00.html

http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/93274/didier-drogba-i-did-not-sign-uefa-israel-boycott-statement

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Closest we've come to replacing Robben ?

We're hoping he'll be anything close to that. Because so far this season, we look a different team when we attack from the right wing compared to when we attack from the left. I think its because the inverted wingers are a more crucial part of mourinho's tactics than we thought. In fact, this is the first time he doesn't have a left footed winger in so many years as manager.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4319351,00.html

http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/93274/didier-drogba-i-did-not-sign-uefa-israel-boycott-statement

Two Israeli media sources making those claims. Sounds legit...

Oh, and I forgot that Ba had signed it as well.

Look, I get your frustration. You feel targeted by the whole matter. But you must realize that even footballers have political beliefs, and this has absolutely nothing to do with the actual football they play.

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

I've held back my opinion on this since I did not want to bring politics into a football thread, but I guess we're beyond that point now, so here goes:

This is simply a case of beliefs and freedom in opinion that is being blow way out of proportion by some terrible journalism. Chelsea is a multicultural club with fans and players and staff with all kinds of beliefs and political opinions. In his culture, Salah is a hero for not doing the hand shakes in Egypt and the Arab world. That is his culture and those are his beliefs.

And the idea that Chelsea would want "guarantees" that he's not anti-Israel is beyond ridiculous when we've had players like Anelka who is publicly ant-Israel and Drogba and Eden Hazard who were from the footballers who signed the petition to not have the U21 Euros in Israel and no doubt staff that have all different kinds of political opinions and beliefs.

Of course no one at the clubs cares if he's pro or anti-Israel. It has nothing to do with football!

Good post, media again trying to make Chelsea look like idiots. Besides, there is a difference between being anti-Israel and anti-Semitic. Ronaldo refused to swap shirts with Israeli players on international duty out of respect for Palestine, big deal. The media seem to love mixing the two up.

[bushman 2,043]

Two Israeli media sources making those claims. Sounds legit...

Oh, and I forgot that Ba had signed it as well.

Look, I get your frustration. You feel targeted by the whole matter. But you must realize that even footballers have political beliefs, and this has absolutely nothing to do with the actual football they play.

I would give him No. 69 since he may swing both ways, politically.

[Ahmed Kandil 7]

I'd rather shoot myself in the leg than have this lucky shit bastard on my team.

is it because he is egyptian and you are israili? or maybe because he is muslim and you are jew?

he is one of the best young talents in the world now and i think we as chelsea fans sure about his talent..so stop being a f*** racist and keep your mouth shut...

[Eidur the Spider 4,515]

Mourinho on Salah: 'We were not prepared to replace Juan in the squad, so things [with Salah] moved very fast.' #CFC

Mourinho on Salah: 'I like how he can play the same way our attacking players do, adapting to the left/right, or as a no10.' #CFC

[Special Juan 27,092]

Jose spoke personally with Salah and he said direct he wants to move to Chelsea.

[Drogzola 283]

I am off to the store....

Grab me a six pack while you out...

BTW why don't you like him?

[Nero 1,794]

is it because he is egyptian and you are israili? or maybe because he is muslim and you are jew?

he is one of the best young talents in the world now and i think we as chelsea fans sure about his talent..so stop being a f*** racist and keep your mouth shut...

he is a idiot

[Ahmed Kandil 7]

he is a idiot

No doubt!

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Two Israeli media sources making those claims. Sounds legit...

Oh, and I forgot that Ba had signed it as well.

Look, I get your frustration. You feel targeted by the whole matter. But you must realize that even footballers have political beliefs, and this has absolutely nothing to do with the actual football they play.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2246076/Chelsea-star-Eden-Hazard-caught-anti-Israel-riddle--Charles-Sale.html

http://espnfc.com/print?id=1250810&type=story

It's all over the place not just in Israeli press. And yes, footballers have political beliefs but it's also an owner's right not to have a player on the squad whose beliefs he doesn't like. Roman could insist that Chelsea be made up entirely of people born in January 1987 and that's his right. Salah would be a hero in Egypt and the Arab world for having all sorts of views that we in the West would find troubling to sickening. If he came out with "Homosexuals should be banned", or "I don't like Jews" both views shared by over 95% of Egyptians and most of the Arab world. (and no, not Israelis, the poll question says Jews.). Should we say "well, that's his culture. Who are we to say anything?" What if some Fascist player refuses to shake hands with a Muslim because in his words "they're all raghead terrorists"? He'd be a hero to people who thought like him and after all it's just his culture. Cultural relativism is a slippery slope. Players shouldn't be political unless it's non-controversial (give food aid to starving countries, etc...). Just shut up and play football.

[AndersonBLUE 819]

Just be like the Schurrle signing, won't get hardly any gametime unless there is an injury. Alright squad player I suppose but we had that with Moses, and possibly a youngster like Traore.

[LAM09 6,535]

None of them would do a better job as that ain't their position. They need to play where they perform best.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Thats why I said 'questionable'. But buying a 21 year old AM will take away the little chance they have on the team.

He isn't really a AM, but an out and out winger, or he can even play behind a striker.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-2246076/Chelsea-star-Eden-Hazard-caught-anti-Israel-riddle--Charles-Sale.html

http://espnfc.com/print?id=1250810&type=story

It's all over the place not just in Israeli press. And yes, footballers have political beliefs but it's also an owner's right not to have a player on the squad whose beliefs he doesn't like. Roman could insist that Chelsea be made up entirely of people born in January 1987 and that's his right. Salah would be a hero in Egypt and the Arab world for having all sorts of views that we in the West would find troubling to sickening. If he came out with "Homosexuals should be banned", or "I don't like Jews" both views shared by over 95% of Egyptians and most of the Arab world. (and no, not Israelis, the poll question says Jews.). Should we say "well, that's his culture. Who are we to say anything?" What if some Fascist player refuses to shake hands with a Muslim because in his words "they're all raghead terrorists"? He'd be a hero to people who thought like him and after all it's just his culture. Cultural relativism is a slippery slope. Players shouldn't be political unless it's non-controversial (give food aid to starving countries, etc...). Just shut up and play football.

That has nothing to with what I said, and you know it. You are putting up hypothetical situations that help nothing in regarding to this particular situation. Are you really comparing homophobia to a player refusing to shake the hands of players from a state that his country has been at war against for decades?! Smh. Like I said, it is a matter of beliefs and freedom of opinion and he has every right to be anti-Israel while he does NOT have the right to be homophobic or racist. That's the difference you are trying to hide.

And of course Roman has the right not to sign anti-Israeli players, and he also has the right to sign players born in January 1987 as you rightly said, but that does not make either is logical. I'm saying it's not true because we've had and currently have players who are anti-Israeli.

And btw, your comment that 95% of Arabs are homophobic is incorrect and frankly offensive (and ironically a bit racist).

But we've derailed this thread with politics long enough.

[LAM09 6,535]

Not sure why religion keeps coming up. It is a game of football, and not politics.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Tomo 21,680]

Well, I still think the Willian signing was unnecessary at the time because I thought that Mata and KDB would be given prominent roles. Obviously now that they're both gone the Willian signing makes sense but at the time it's understandable why most didn't want Willian (esp. after we signed Schurrle too). I never questioned his talent, I've always admitted he's a good player.

Similarly with Salah - guy is a decent player but it means that a few of our on loan youngsters (Traore, Piazon, Atsu) will definitely be moved on again next season. He's not much better than those guys IMO.

It's just pretty annoying that we are once again throwing money at a problem when we could've fixed it internally.

It wasn't really that aspect i meant when the news initially broke about Willian i was questioning whether we needed him to.

The bit that baffles me is some are declaring him a flop before he even gets here.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

That has nothing to with what I said, and you know it. You are putting up hypothetical situations that help nothing in regarding to this particular situation. Are you really comparing homophobia to a player refusing to shake the hands of players from a state that his country has been at war against for decades?! Smh. Like I said, it is a matter of beliefs and freedom of opinion and he has every right to be anti-Israel while he does NOT have the right to be homophobic or racist. That's the difference you are trying to hide.

And of course Roman has the right not to sign anti-Israeli players, and he also has the right to sign players born in January 1987 as you rightly said, but that does not make either is logical. I'm saying it's not true because we've had and currently have players who are anti-Israeli.

And btw, your comment that 95% of Arabs are homophobic is incorrect and frankly offensive (and ironically a bit racist).

But we've derailed this thread with politics long enough.

Egypt is not at war with Israel and has had a peace deal since 1977 which is about 15 years before Salah was even born. And yes, on the football pitch, I'd expect everyone to shake hands with everyone. One of the benefits of sport is that it brings people together. Refusing to shake someone's hand because you don't like the country his club is based in does against the values that sport should stand for,

And It is not my view on Arab views on homosexuality. It's the unfortunate reality.

http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/

Additionally, of all the countries that backed the UN gay-rights treaty, none are Arab. In fact, most of those countries banned together to fight the declaration and staged a walk out in protest .People in almost all Middle Eastern countries are jailed for being gay. Lebanon is one of the best countries for gays and is still terrible. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25099130