As the Euro2008 downs its curtains, many Saudis are unhappy with the final line-up in the tournament that will conclude at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna on Sunday. It is not because Saudi football fans were shocked to see an unexpected advance of Germany and Spain in the final; the 22-day tournament's enjoyable moments will be no more to savor and relish. Jassim Al-Harbi, a Saudi coach of Riyadh-based Al-Hilal club, believes that the new generation of the Saudi fans is having a fondness for stars of the European teams, like Ronaldinho of FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo of the Manchester United. “I think their magical performance and their ways to tackle the ball have attracted many young fans not only in Saudi Arabia, but also all over the world,” Al-Harbi told Saudi Gazette. Al-Harbi, who trains some junior footballers in his club, believes that such admiration would badly affect the young generation if they try to imitate the un-Islamic behavior of these players. Al-Harbi added that watching such games has created an awareness of football tactics and plans. “Saudi young men have become aware of tactics; they know who should play and who shouldn't,” he added. According to Al-Harbi, the Saudi youth is unfortunately no longer interested in watching their national team matches while large numbers are watching the matches thousands of miles away. Abdulaziz Al-Asmari, a private sector employee, said that he does not watch Arab league competitions. “When it comes to European matches, I keep following them as I have many subscriptions in a number of television channels that air these matches,” he said. ”I'm unhappy with the performance of both Arab teams and their players. It is not worth watching,” he claimed. Abdul Mon'em Al-Qahtani, 30, said he pays SR30 everyday to watch a match in a cafe. From acquiring unhealthy habits in coffeehouses to spending money for watching the Euro 2008, many Saudi parents are anxious about the negative effects on their children. An aged social worker emphasized that parents should keep their children at home and make everything available to them. “With control and guidance, parents can help their youngsters safely pass their age-related problems,” Abdul Aziz Al-Subai'ee, told Saudi Gazette. “TV satellite channels are available in almost every house today. Parents need to realize how important sports channels are to their children. Going out to watch a match can be seriously dangerous on young men's behaviors,” he said. “Some commentators talk incorrectly and give some players names that attract the young men's attention. They describe a player as “the magician,” “the emperor,” etc. These descriptions deepen admiration of these players in the minds of our new generations,” he added. He believes that when young men think highly of certain players, they start imitating them and there lies the problem. “Many of our young men try to be like Christian Ronaldo, for example. They copy the way he cuts his hair and dream of being a star like him,” he added. Subai'ee highlighted the darkest side of the issue which occurs after some matches. “We see some of our young people take their cars and start annoying people with their careless driving. This can threaten people's lives. Such a thing could be treated by sitting with these young men and trying to persuade them that what they do is quite deadly,” he said. Young people assert that their traditional values will remain untouched although they see some of them immensely copy international players. “We love soccer and that doesn't mean we will forget about our consistent beliefs,” Sami Radwan, a schoolboy told Saudi Gazette. “We can easily control our feelings, but some young people dye their faces with colors of teams and wear their shirts. When their teams win, some of them rejoice in an uncultured manner. They go out and hysterically express their happiness,” he said. __
