In my last post I stated I knew no Portuguese in the beginning and even today, my Portuguese is still limited. Being a full time university student means I don't always have the time to study the language as well as I'd like but I do read news and watch as much tv as I can. With that stated, I don't think I'm less of a fan for not always understand the language. That's why in fact there are places that post news not only in English but as well as various other languages. They know not everyone speaks Portuguese. As fans, we are often cut slack for not knowing the languages of the teams we support. People are impressed if one does understand, often highlighted by the fact that learning a new language is hard and Portuguese is no exception. I'm good at school, but I can tell you learning languages is not my strong point. For some it is much easier and a more natural process and for those like myself, it is a long journey to fully grasp another language.
The Players
So why as fans, do we often times criticize players for failing to speak the language? It was a conversation shared by many who applauded Witsel and Samaris by speaking Portuguese. I myself was incredibly impressed by the fact that Samaris had indeed asked to be spoken to in Portuguese, rather than in English. Yet many were quick to almost condemn the South Americans who chose to speak in Spanish. Both are so similar, so why don't they speak Portuguese many wondered. Yet as similar as languages are, they are not the same. And even if someone understands Portuguese, which they do given they are asked questions in Portuguese, they may not have the best conversational skills or they may feel more comfortable speaking Spanish. Players like Samaris, Witsel, and Matic feel more pressure to learn Portuguese as their languages are nothing similar to Portuguese and I highly doubt JJ speaks English (or speaks it that well). To adapt is to learn the language. For the Spanish speaking players, I'd like to think many know Portuguese but also know getting by in Spanish is acceptable.
Some may disagree with me when I ask, does it really matter what language they speak, so long as the team is winning? Don't get me wrong, I think all should learn given the resources and that they live in Lisbon for many years. Yet at the same time, I don't feel the need to think less of them if they choose to speak Spanish in an interview. You can see clearly how close the players are, even with languages differences. How many times have we seen Instagram photos of players after training and we wonder, what language do they all speak? If the players themselves all get along, the team has unity, and the team gets along, does it genuinely matter whether someone speaks fluent Portuguese?
I'm curious as to why or why not it matters as I don't see it in quite the same way as others. If fans are not treated in the same way as players, is it not a bit hypocritical? Not that we should be shaming each other for language skills, but we forget players are human like us and sometimes all the money in the world can't make them magically adept at another language. As I said, I think it is great when players do learn and can be fluent in Portuguese but I definitely think the idea of being annoyed with Maxi or Salvio for speaking Spanish is something we as fans should work on. I doubt anyone would tell Maxi or Salvio that they should speak Portuguese to their faces and many fans consider Maxi one of the greatest Benfica players of all time. Is that diminished by his lack of Portuguese (that we know of) or should we see that he does his job and does it well. After all that's why we watch this sport, to see the players, not to necessarily worry one way or another about what language they speak. At the end of the day the only language that truly matters is the language of Benfica and that transcends all language barriers.
I think we can applaud players for learning the language, for adapting, and to become almost Portuguese in nature. But we also forget that while playing in Portugal, these players have their own culture, language, and background. While many feel Portugal is their adopted country, they are not Portuguese and in that sense, many do not feel the need to adapt as well to a culture that is not their own. This is just my own take on it and there may be something deeper to it, but I am definitely trying to find various reasons as to why players may not speak Portuguese and how it may affect the team, if it does all. I think for myself, as a non-Portuguese speaker who has struggled with the language, I find myself sympathizing with the players who do not speak Portuguese or speak it well.
I truly appreciate comments, with agreeing or disagreeing and I’d love to see others take on the situation. Or are there other cases in other countries where people feel the same pressure? Anyway, please let me know what you all think and leave a comment here or let me know at Twitter.