What Is The Language of Dissent?

July 3rd, 2006 | by: Tom Barry |

Frequently in the matches we have seen thus far, there have been players exchanging words with each other or with the referee. It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out that they are less than pleased with the goings on, fouls, lack of calls, etc. But I have questions as to how, exactly, they communicate the dissatisfaction that they apparently feel. What is the lingua franca of international football?

Perhaps it is a bit of a non-issue, but it’s something that I have been wondering about for years. So now I open up the question to the masses: how, exactly, do they do it? The first and most logical answer is that they speak each other’s languages. But I don’t really buy that.

Maybe they possess enough of a grasp to speak coherently with a referee, but are these players really fluent enough in the various languages of their opponents that they are able to talk trash? Trash-talking is an art, and given the limited vocabulary, the taunts would probably be fairly simplistic. The clever nuances and demeaning colloquialisms of the language, arguably the most important aspect of goading one’s adversary, would be lost.

Or is it that the whole trash-talking thing is really more psychosomatic and the taunter gets the same emotional benefit, whether the object of their provocation understands what he is saying or not. After all, there are certain unmistakable signs, facial expressions, and hand signals that would indicate that someone is belittling you, even if you don’t know exactly what he is saying. These are probably internationally understood.

I know that, in the great scheme of International competition, the logistics of how players deride one another is not the most pressing question. But, frankly, it’s been a perpetual distraction for me for years, and I hope someone can set me straight.

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http://www.3kilos.co.uk James

I’m a fully qualified ref by the FA though I don’t ref at any high level at all!

On the course we got told (unofficially) if you are offended or if it’s a personal attack then take action.

For example if they say “for f*ck sake!” it’s just frustration, let it slip, maybe warn them that next time you will book them.however, If they perhaps call you a “stupid c*nt” then send them off. You are the ref, your in-charge.

As for the language, it’s just weather you understand them or not!
SumYung Gie

Hmm I think I’m in the same boat as you on this, but having watched closely the players reactions towards the referee after a bad call… I have noticed several times, they do complain to the referee in English, (reading there lips) as a universally understood language, now I don’t want to sound ignorant to state that English is a Superior language than Most others and everyone should speak it (including Spanish) but I do believe most of the Referees in the World cup to a great degree do understand and speak English and Spanish. and even if you look at the player’s arguments to the referee, they are pretty simple enough that do not require sophisticated verbal explanation, for example “I had no choice the kick hit my hand, I didn’t try to stop the ball intentionally with my hand, the ball struck it!” that kind of argument can be sent across with a few simple words in English/Spanish added with some arm and hand gestures from a player to a referee. And as for player vs. opponent arguments, I think lots of times there is a huge language barrier, and if only all players could clearly communicate with there opponents in a certain language, you would never see these small push and shoves and taps on each others necks/heads, that’s basically there frustration reflecting back to there opponents, if they could say something to them just as painful they probably would instead of pushing or a shoving, The Netherlands vs. Portugal game was a good example of this, two different yet very competitive teams from the opposite side of Europe, with different mentalities and language, therefore things naturally get pretty physical and ugly when they cannot verbally insult or even communicate with each other. And to add something further, I never heard of this before, but I would not be surprised ( I think it will only be natural) if the Coach or fellow teammates get together before a game and teach each other how to say great insulting curses in the language of the team they are about to play against….hell if I was a coach I would have an international languages of swear words and curses textbook for my team to study before they go out there and play against lets say ….Italy….Fangool fangool!!…whatever
Alex

Thanks for making this post! I’ve been extremely curious about this all through the World Cup as well, and a few Google searches turned up no answers. It makes sense that a lot of the communication is non-verbal, but no one knows if there’s an official lingua franca?
JUDAS

IT´S ESPERANTO!
steve foser

The Man who buried England.

Firstly, does anyone on the England side know how to take a penalty? With out Becks and Rooney in there to kick a ball properly at the “devil” the English side were going to have some troubles…
The ref made countless mistakes during the game and during the shoot out too!
http://www.easterwood.org/hmmn/ Kurt

given that FIFA required all refs this year to pass not only physical tests but also an English test, I’m assuming that English is the lingua franca on the pitch, and that most players know enough rudimentary soccer talk to say “no foul” or “red card” in English. Slate had a piece about this a couple of weeks ago: http://www.slate.com/id/2143758
http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/ minhoca

no entiendo nada que estos gringos estan deciendo…
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Leif/ Leif (in Romania)

I had a vision while reading this that the night before each game, a trainer puts a boom box in each of the player’s rooms playing a looped tape selection of choice trash-talking phrases in the opposing team’s native language, so when the players wake up they’ve sub-consciously absorbed enough to taunt like champions, leaving their opponents helpless to retaliate with anything but red card-caliber violence.

That’s what I’d do anyway.

Oops, SumYung had the same idea…
Claude

Every time I have gone home to Germany there was no communication problem. People could tell from my clothes that I was from the US and they immediately talk English to you. They are very relieved when you tell them in german that you can speak the language. I know in Germany there is a real push for school kids to learn a foreign language like French and English. There is also the factor that lots of the European leagues have players from all over the world. Take the case of Shrevchenko who speaks Italien with his American born wife. He doesn’t speak English and she doesn’t speak Ukranian. Sometimes even hand guestures convey the message like the signal for a dive. In Germany a lot of the shops have English names like Laser Eye Surgery, Hair Salon etc. and everybody seems to understand the word f*** and even use it.
dirk

The world is becomming a smaller place. Perhaps the politicians will get it some time too
Mageto

African teams displayed alot of european football. it is a high time that teams were narrowed to home grown players. maybe even indigenious ones like “France”.
squiggle

So many basic words are similar in European languages that it probably doesn’t matter too much. Our commentator tried lip-reading and thought someone – I think a Brazilian – was speaking French to a Spanish-speaking referee.
squiggle

I may have missed someone, but I think there are 5 Spanish-speaking and 5 English-speaking countries in the World Cup; 4 French-speaking (plus Tunisia) and 3 Portuguese.
james

It has to be that they all know enough english to make the points they need to make. i just cant imagine that a slovakian ref is going to be able to communicate anything with any team except the czech republic without using some common language. presumable if the ref s argentine and mexico is playing they speak spanish.

i am not a great lip reader but i am pretty confidant i have seen more than few f bombs from players from places like france and italy.
Big D

Let’s be honest, the first words that anyone learns in another language are swear words. There’s some deep-rooted human trait that wants us to be able to swear in thirty different languages – a fact many people are proud of! If you don’t believe me, ask anyone, especially those living in a foreign country. They might not be able to speak the language but i bet you then can call the useless driver in front a C*nt! So, why should footabllers be any different?