Jordan Henderson has not received a penny of wages while he is in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Reuters/Hamad Mohammed
Fresh from his residence in Dammam, where he offered a masterful one-on-one study of how to burn a good name in just 180 days, Jordan Henderson turned to the language of politics. Indeed, his opening press conference at Ajax was filled with so many excuses that even Sir Ed Davey blushed.
While the Lib Dem leader squandered 10 chances in one interview this month to express remorse for his role in the Post Office scandal, Henderson was invited three times to apologize for his hypocrisy in swapping rainbow lanyards and allied awards for blandishments from a Saudi. regime that criminalizes homosexuality. Instead, he took refuge in the classic political technique of “apology without apology.” “If anyone was offended, it’s my fault, I apologize for that,” he said, sticking to the same PR speech he’s used all along.
“My beliefs have never changed and will never change”
🎥 Jordan Henderson apologizes for any offense caused to the LGBTQ+ community due to his move to Saudi Arabia#TelegraphFootball pic.twitter.com/VC8EVH3fMA
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) January 19, 2024
Where exactly does the “if” fit in this equation? The insult caused to a large section of his fans by his move to Al-Ettifaq is not a matter of debate. Many still feel deeply betrayed. English LGBT fan group 3LionsPride criticized his stance as an advocate for his community, promising that the banner they made in his honor would be «consigned to the depths of history.» So why does Henderson struggle to admit that such a reaction even exists?
This is a cynical maneuver, this “fake” story. Henderson's «sorry you feel that way» formulation not only suggests that there is nothing wrong with trading rainbow armband activism for the Saudi Pro League, but also that his critics are being overly sensitive in calling him to account. In any case, his premature departure to Ajax gives him the opportunity to act as if this whole disgusting event never happened. «I dedicate myself to football.» «I'm amazed by this opportunity.» Now he prefers these bromides.
Henderson wore the Rainbow captain's armband while playing for Liverpool — Al Ettifaq did it's grey. Photo: Getty Images
The speed of this reinvention, now that he has swapped the austerity of life in the Gulf for the ultra-liberal Amsterdam, is a little hard to swallow. At one point he's happy to perfect his game in Jordan from Arabia, right down to his disgusting advert for the Saudis' bid for the 2034 World Cup. He then accepts the club's fifth Eredivisie place as his natural calling, ready to be hailed — even if the Ajax number 14 shirt has long been retired — as the next Johan Cruyff.
Reputation meets rarely. so easy to repair. Henderson is so naive that in response to Telegraph Sport revelations that he deferred his salary in Saudi Arabia to avoid taxes, he said: “Don’t believe what you read in the press. This is a little advice.» In general, not the best solution in a room full of journalists. And the Dutch press is unlikely to help him. After the Volkskrant reporter prefaced the question with: “I heard that you didn’t go to the UK because of taxes,” the English colleague added: “And you thought we were talking directly…”
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