World Cup Mutinies & The Restoration of Order

THE GREAT FOOTBALLING GAMES

This month the Imperial court has followed the great footballing games with interest!

Many nations - great and small - have gathered from around the world to do battle in the magnificent arenas of the exotic African Cape.

Having chosen not to field an imperial team from our own modest domains, the Emperor has found it strangely liberating to observe the games from a truly non-partisan perspective.




UPSETS & SURPRISES

Despite our neutral stance, it has been observed that these games are already producing some surprises to the perceived natural order of the soccer world.

Great footballing empires have seemed to teeter on the brink of sporting, if not even moral, collapse. While so-called weaker nations have emerged successful and have even flourished in the heat and altitude of South Africa.



MUTINY AND THE COLLAPSE OF DISCIPLINE
One clear feature of such upsets - perhaps their cause or their effect - has manifested itself in the ill-discipline and motivational disintegration of supposedly mighty teams such as France and England.

Squads that are rumoured to have turned on themselves: have been reported as arguing with one another; rejecting the authority of their commanders; and approaching something akin to professional mutiny.

THE ROMAN STYLE OF TEAM MANAGEMENT
With this in mind, I have recently addressed myself to the question as to just how my Roman ancestors would react to such ill-discipline and the rejection of authority:

"If it ever happens that a large body of men break and run in this way and whole maniples desert their posts under extreme pressure, the officers reject the idea of beating to death or executing all who are guilty, but the solution that they adopt is as effective as it is terrifying. The tribune calls the legion on parade and brings to the front those who are guilty of having left the ranks. He then reprimands them sharply, and finally chooses by lot some five or eight or twenty of the offenders, the number being calculated so that it represents about a tenth of those that have shown themselves guilty of cowardice. Those on whom the lot has fallen are mercilessly clubbed to death ... [by their comrades in arms]. The danger and the fear of drawing the fatal lot threatens every man equally, and since there is no certainty on whom it may fall ... the Romans have adopted the best possible practice both to inspire terror and to repair the harm done by the weakening of their warlike spirit." *

[Polybius, The Rise of the Roman Empire, VI.38]


Now all men know that I am a liberal Emperor and I am certainly no national team manager.

However, I do run an empire and I cannot help but wonder if - by utilising the wisdom of the ancients - I might not be able to assist such blighted teams with the restoration of discipline and the imposed promotion of stability within their troubled ranks?
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* This well known account of the Greek historian Polybius relates the infamous Roman practice of decimation. A punishment reserved for the most extreme cases of collective military cowardice, desertion and ill-discipline.

For the rumoured squad troubles that have blighted the French and English national sides, See:
http://af.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idAFJOE65K0QL20100621

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iuuC8Grn649B6IMY2xLyFxNGxbKA
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/21/world-cup-2010-england-john-terry-revolt