Qatar 2022: Moral accountability does not end with sport
As a World Cup mired in controversy draws closer, has football become a handy lightning rod for politicians?
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In this age of polarisation, manipulated outrage and Nigel Farage actually having his own TV show, it is possible to hold different sets of views on the same issue, which might seem contrary to those who struggle with concepts such as nuance and context.
For instance, you might feel that the regime which rules over Qatar is authoritarian and morally-questionable, when it comes to fundamental issues such as human rights.
At the same time, you might also feel that the Middle East is one of the great, football-loving regions of the world and it is high time that a FIFA World Cup was held there.
These two positions are not mutually exclusive.
Similarly you might be a footballer who is looking forward to what is the pinnacle of any career in the game - playing at a FIFA World Cup.
Years of graft and self belief have led you to this moment and nothing will take that away from you.
However, that same footballer might also feel that Qatar’s stance on matters such as LGBTQ+ rights or the treatment of workers go against your own ‘moral code’ and therefore would like to utilise your platform to make some kind of statement.
This is certainly the sentiment of much of the England football team, who have got behind a pan European anti-discrimination campaign.
Harry Kane will join the captains of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales and the Netherlands in wearing rainbow armbands in Qatar in support of the OneLove campaign, as part of a bid to use the power of football to promote inclusion and send a message against discrimination.
A glance at social media sees that the overwhelming response to the campaign has been negative, with many people tagging it as an ‘empty gesture’ or ‘virtue signalling’ when a boycott would be a far more affective course of action.
As the World Cup draws closer, the tension is simmering across football, with various stakeholders in the game working out how to say and do the right thing on Qatar.
After a turbulent two and a half years encompassing Covid19 lockdowns, reinvigorated calls for racial equality following the murder of George Floyd and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amidst rising economic uncertainty and looming recessions, people across the world are more socially-conscious than ever.
It’s no wonder then, that football’s marketeers, who have ramped up investment in purpose-driven marketing to meet the challenges of this new reality, are clamouring to get the right message out there.
For instance, Hummel released monochrome Denmark strips in protest against Qatar's poor human rights record, again to a mixed response.
And some of the game’s most influential voices are taking their positions.
David Beckham has signed a lucrative deal to be an ambassador for the oil-rich nation, while his disgusted former teammate Eric Cantona has said he won’t watch a minute of the World Cup.
Gary Neville, is apparently the ‘biggest hypocrite’ according to talkSPORT presenter Simon Jordan for signing a deal to work with state-owned beIN sport during the tournament, despite criticising the ‘staggering inequality’ when viewing worker accommodation in the country.
Meanwhile, and what has gone largely unnoticed because we are presumably too busy shouting at footballers, the UK government has spent the last decade forging a very special relationship with the World Cup host nation.
This week, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who lamented how the West had previously become too reliant on buying energy from authoritarian regimes, is well and truly cosying up to Qatar, as she seeks an alternative to Russian gas.
In fact, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary, is negotiating with Doha officials to enter into long-term gas contracts for the UK.
Furthermore, Qatar has purchased significant military weapons licensed by the UK government over the past decade, according to the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT).
Forget sports washing, this is a full on strategic and economic alliance between the UK and Qatar.
You may not have voted for Liz Truss to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - that privilege was handed to her by 81,326 Tory party members.
However, 35,507 people in South West Norfolk elected her as their Member of Parliament in 2019 - that’s 35,507 people more than elected Harry Kane as England captain, Gary Neville as an influential football pundit and David Beckham as a national treasure.
We should demand more from football’s governing bodies because they are guardians of the game we love, and - by all means - we should call out hypocrisy when we get a whiff of it.
But as the big World Cup circus rolls into Doha this November, complete with sponsors, teams, governing bodies, media and fans - it’s important to remember that the vast majority of those people didn’t want the event to be held there.
That controversial decision was made by FIFA’s executive committee in 2010- 24 men, at least 10 of whom were subsequently banned or suspended from working in football after years of corruption and vote-rigging.
So here we are 12 years later, with a World Cup mired in controversy from the start, just around the corner.
You may find it morally-repugnant for the world’s most watched international sports tournament to take place in a country ruled by a regime allegedly responsible for the deplorable treatment of workers.
You might also feel that football can play a role in affecting change in Qatar.
The world isn’t black and white. In 2022, it’s increasingly grey.
Sport can’t be immune from the geo-political complexities and the moral ambiguity perpetuated by the very governments we elect.
Demand more from sport, yes.
But don’t let the politicians off the hook.