Is Football Still Capable of Scandal?

• Football functions as a spectacle that frequently absorbs and neutralizes moral crises, such as sexual misconduct allegations, to protect the entertainment value provided by players and teams.
• Scandals involving players like Thomas Partey, Achraf Hakimi, and others are often treated as temporary talking points that are eventually overshadowed by on-field action.
• The reliance on criminal justice systems as the sole arbiters of truth, despite their limitations, serves to defer ethical responsibility away from football institutions and fans.
• Victim experiences are systematically erased or reduced to legal fodder, mirroring the patterns seen in the broader, spectacle-driven treatment of cases like the Epstein files.

The Mechanism of Spectacle

• Borrowing from Jacques Lacan and Guy Debord, the article argues that football acts as an "image-making factory." Fans derive meaning and identity from the game's "magic," leading them to compartmentalize their moral outrage.
• Narrative framing transforms controversial teams into "fairytales" (e.g., Cape Verde’s underdog run, Japan’s discipline, Norway’s Viking imagery), effectively scrubbing the reality of the players accused of serious crimes within those squads.
• Outrage in the football ecosystem is often ritualized and predictable; fans may express anger, but they quickly return to focusing on tactics, VAR, and match outcomes, preventing sustained pressure for change.

Lessons from #MeToo

• Unlike football’s current reactive cycle, the #MeToo movement prioritized the agency and care of victims over merely awaiting court-mandated punishments.
• Effective accountability, as seen in cases like Megan Ganz’s experience with Dan Harmon, requires shifting the focus away from simple boycotts toward institutional reform, preventative measures, and genuine dialogue.

Future Considerations

• Boycotts are often impractical and can provide an easy "out" for fans without challenging the underlying structures.
• Reform must address the patriarchal and colonial hierarchies embedded in the sport.
• The true challenge lies in interrupting the rituals that make moral contradictions ordinary, asking how to center victims rather than letting their stories fade into the background of a spectacle.