The cover of the Marka newspaper this week was unusual.
Although this is one of the biggest sports newspapers in Madrid and Spain in general, and the local football league has just started, the front page did not touch Real, or Barcelona or Atletico at all.
An Afghan girl playing football appeared on the gate, under the heading "What will happen to them?".
The subtitle reads: "The Taliban is re-establishing its terrorism over Afghanistan, which violates women's rights including the right to engage in sports."
The renewed takeover of Afghanistan and the capital Kabul by the Taliban is a matter of devastating consequences - socially and politically.
Sport is probably at the bottom of the list of priorities where people pay with their lives, but the choice of the “marca” was important.
Beyond being a sports newspaper that deals with sports, flooding the issue of women’s freedom to engage in sports was a reminder of the power of sports.
Until 2001, when the Americans took over the country, women were not allowed to engage in any sporting activity.
Such an experience would have cost them their lives, even cycling would have ended in shooting in their direction.
With great effort and daring, the Afghan women have over the years managed to earn sporting rights and lead to important social change.
Afghanistan women's captain Captain Halida Popel.
What will happen to them?
Photo: AFP,
The first pioneer was Lina Azimi, who in 2003 participated in the World Athletics Championships in Paris.
Although she ran 100 meters in 18 seconds and with long pants, the message she conveyed was greater than any medal.
Much to her credit, Afghanistan sent at least one woman to each of the Olympic Games from 2004 to Tokyo 2020.
"Every woman and girl who has played sports and been successful has become a symbol," Rola Sorosh, a local journalist, told Marca. "There is no doubt that sport is one of the aspects that has given Afghan women the most power in the last decade."
Threats, violence and harassment
Despite the improvement and data indicating 21% of all women registered athletes in Afghanistan, their path is never easy.
Many men objected to this, there were even threats, and such a story was revealed by a footballer from a club in Harat.
"People who objected to us playing sent letters to our coaches, saying that if we continued - they would carry out suicide bombings against us."
In another case, the women of the football team accused the president, coaches and team members of rape and sexual harassment.
They revealed their stories in the international arena, anonymously, and brought those involved to court.
The harsh stories they told, which included manifestations of violence and abuse, led to a wave of global solidarity and international recognition, including from FIFA, huge steps on the road to normalization that they had dreamed and worked so hard for.
"Their lives are in danger"
The return of Taliban rule is like a death blow to these aspirations.
The dream of engaging in sports has vanished, 20 years of fighting for their rights have come to a dead end.
Now, not only can women not engage in sports, they can not even enter the gym or the field.
For the Paralympic Games in Tokyo Afghanistan will not go out due to the new rule, and that is when a month ago the country sent to the Olympic Games in the same place four athletes and one athlete.
Taekwondo fighter Zakia Hudadadi was scheduled to fly to Japan as the first Paralympic athlete in Afghanistan's history.
This week, hiding from the Taliban and telling her that she and her family have no food, Khodadadi recorded a message in which she said: "On behalf of all the Afghan women, I ask you to help me. I just want to participate in the Paralympic Games, please! I do not want my efforts to end like this, help me!"
In the absence of an active airport and given that the Taliban have announced that they will respect Islamic law - the one that excludes women from sports - there is only a slim chance that Hudadadi will get help.
At the same time, FIFA issued an official statement on the situation last night. Help that we can in the coming weeks and months. "
Meanwhile, the women's team manager, Halida Popal, summed up the situation with a clear recommendation: "I suggested to all the girls to close the social networks, delete photos, run away and hide. It breaks my heart to say such things to them after years of struggle, but their lives are in danger."
Photo: AFP,