Supporters of German club Mainz have demanded that their pre-season friendly with Newcastle United later this month gets cancelled due to the Magpies’ Saudi ownership.
Newcastle are set to take on the Bundesliga outfit in a pre-season clash on Monday, July 18, in Austria with both sides preparing for the start of their respective seasons beginning in August.
However, Mainz supporters have issued a lengthy statement ahead of the game, demanding that the tie is postponed due to Newcastle being owned by Saudi investment group PIF, with the German club’s supporters citing the club’s owners using “sport washing” to polish the image of Saudi Arabia.
The statement from Mainz supporters read: “ Newcastle United was acquired by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF, which is chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in late 2021. The motive for this was probably less the enthusiasm for football or the identification with the club Newcastle United than the so-called “sport washing” – the attempt to polish the image of Saudi Arabia by entering international football.
“We recall that Saudi Arabia is not only an absolute monarchy in which democratic participation of its citizens has no place, but a country in which basic human rights are systematically disregarded. Suppression of freedom of expression and religion, persecution of homosexuals, oppression of women, use of caning and the death penalty are part of the laws there.
“So Newcastle United is not just a football club, but a vehicle for asserting the interests of a regime that tramples on human rights and whose policies are diametrically opposed to the values and mission statement of Mainz 05.
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“At a time when authoritarian states, large corporations or billionaires are taking over international football in order to assert their interests, it is no longer possible to separate football and politics.
“With the decision to play a friendly against Newcastle United, Mainz 05 is sending a signal, and not a good one at that: This game sends out the signal that the values of the mission statement are not binding when it comes to choosing opponents for friendly or friendlies go. With a game against Newcastle United, Mainz also actively offers the Saudi regime a stage and thus indirectly recognizes it politically.
“We call on Mainz 05: Take a stand! Read your mission statement! Cancel the game against Newcastle United!”
For Newcastle, the game is one of six friendlies the Magpies have this summer before starting their Premier League season on the opening weekend of August against newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies first host Gateshead United before taking on German duo 1860 Munich and Mainz in Austria. They then face Benfica in the Eusebio Cup in Lisbon before ending their pre-season with home ties against Atalanta and Athletic Club.
Already, the club have spent £60m on summer signing this year, acquiring goalkeeper Nick Pope, centre-back Sven Botman and left-back Matt Targett from Burnley, Lille and Aston Villa respectively.
