The Argentine national soccer team's decision to call off a friendly match with Israel has been a source of much controversy in recent days, with many wondering what precisely led to Argentina's sudden change of heart and whether it had to do with Israel's insistence on holding the match in Jerusalem.
One possible reason is the financial pressure that Qatar and Turkey have reportedly exerted on team captain Lionel Messi. The star player was featured in a promotional campaign for Turkish Airlines, Turkey's national carrier, and Qatar is a sponsor of FC Barcelona, the team where Messi plays as a forward.
A source in contact with Messi's staff told Israel Hayom that Messi's decision to call off the match may have been motivated by his fear of losing future contracts and sponsorships.
"He has been collaborating with various countries, including Qatar and Turkey, primarily in TV advertising and through various sponsorship agreements that have earned him tens of millions of dollars," the source said.
"Those countries may have been against the Argentinian superstar's arrival in Israel and he feared the visit would strain his relationship with them."
A Colombian radio station suggested that the cancellation could be a result of Palestinian officials' explicit promise that if the team arrived in Israel, the Palestinian Football Association and Arab states would try to torpedo Argentina's bid to host the 2030 World Cup with Paraguay and Uruguay.
According to that report, Susan Shalabi Molano, who sits on the Organizing Committee for FIFA Competitions, said: "The Argentine Football Federation must stay out of politics lest it face the consequences of being a fig leaf for Israel's occupation."
Threats by pro-Palestinian activists to physically harm Messi could have also played a part in the cancellation.
According to various reports, players on the national squad presented Messi with an ultimatum insisting that the match be called off.
On Monday, the players expressed concerns over the anti-Israel demonstrators picketing the team's training camp in Spain, saying the protests were a distraction and demoralizing for the team and for Messi.
They said Messi was particularly distraught after he learned that there were calls to attack him if he played in Israel.
"The decision was purely based on concerns for our own personal safety, nothing else," a player said.
The players approached Argentine Football Association President Claudio Fabian Tapia and told him that despite having a binding contract to play in Israel, they did not intend to show up. For Tapia, this was enough to call off the game.
Political sources in Israel agreed Wednesday that the cancellation was a result of security concerns.
"No one on the team, not Messi, not the players and not the coach, has anything against Israel," one source told Israel Hayom, adding that Messi has already visited Israel in the past.
But the source said other factors were involved.
"For such a prominent team, visiting Israel carries a lot of risk," the source said. "On top of that, with the 2018 FIFA World Cup taking place soon, the team wanted to focus on training rather than on other issues."
The sources conceded that Argentinians have been traditionally pro-Palestinian, which could explain the broad support the team has received from the local press.
"There were too many reasons to cancel and too few reasons to hold the match," a source said. "One reason to come to Israel was the hefty sum the team would have received from the Israeli organizers, but the loss of that will be offset by the likely sponsorships and advertisement deals in Arab states."
The sources said the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel was not a contributing factor.
"The campaign to boycott Israel definitely used the event for its purposes, but the cancellation was made because of the personal threats against the players and their families, including the blood-stained shirts that were displayed by protesters, which gave the players second thoughts," a source said.
"In this case, the instigators were the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian Football Association chief Jibril Rajoub, not the BDS movement, which is taking undue credit."
A source close to Rajoub dismissed the accusation, telling Israel Hayom: "This is nothing but lies and vile incitement. The PFA expressed its legitimate protest through the accepted channels over holding the match in Jerusalem. We welcome Argentina's moral and correct decision not to take part in the glorification of the Israeli occupation and the Judification of Jerusalem by infringing the Palestinian rights."
On Tuesday, officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev for her insistence on holding the match in Jerusalem.
"Why did she insist on moving the game to Jerusalem [from the original plan to hold it in Haifa]?" one official wondered.
But other sources said that three months ago Netanyahu asked Argentine President Mauricio Macri to hold the match in the capital.
The Prime Minister's Office declined to comment.
