Sports diplomacy is a "powerful
tool in the hands of governments, capable of conveying positive
values ;;and promoting a vision of global unity, but at the same
time subject to manipulation for less noble ends". This was
stated by the director of the Research Center of the Rome
Business School and expert in sports governance, Valerio
Mancini, during the discussion panel 'The great game - What
purpose is sports diplomacy today?' during the 33rd Karpacz
Economic Forum.
Mancini is co-author together with Narcís Pallarès-Domènech
and Alessio Postiglione of the book Calcio, Politica e Potere
(Mondo Nuovo, 2023), translated this year into Spanish and
Catalan. "Football, with its ability to reach billions of people
- he underlined - is used to strengthen the image of autocratic
states that seek to legitimize themselves through the democratic
and inclusive values ;;of sport. Qatar, for example, uses Paris
Saint -Germain to attract investments from Europe: even China
has undertaken a vast project to create the richest championship
in the world, with the aim of winning the World Cup by 2050, in
parallel with its plan to become the main world power"
"From the major European championships to the World Cup -
concluded Mancini - football is now an integral part of global
political dynamics. Not only does it strengthen national
identity, but it allows countries to project their influence
beyond their borders".
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