Qatar World Cup

Jurgen Klopp had a response to that, basically said it's no use journalists asking players to denounce Quatar, when they said f all about it when the world cup was awarded. let the players play, let the managers manage, it's not their fault it's in Qatar

I'll be keeping an eye on Wales, and the later stages.

No team is going to pull out now, so virtue signalling will do nothing

He was basically saying don't be harassing the players with questions when they can do nothing about it, realistically

It'll be interesting though to see how the media handles it,

I'd imagine the media will handle it by enjoying the hospitality on offer.

Everyone over there having a great time saying its not their fault it's happening. Me watching it saying well its not my fault haha.

Piss poor photoshopping…….

The time to make a stand really would have been before the qualifying started or way back when it was announced.

Also the only way a journalist can ask a player at the World Cup about politics is if said journalist is covering the World Cup. Why are the journalists not making a stand.

Kinda not the point....

The photo is real.

But if the addition of a close up of the logo offends you...

The fans could mess it up, the FAs could mess it up, the media, governments, sponsors.

Why is it only the players that have to be perfect.

Sorry bout that but you can see the confusion

"They are the one group that could mess it all up"

Not sure it can go ahead if all the media teams pull out.

Ya the matches could go on but what would be the point.

Is there such a thing as sport journalism?

I mean it's sport.

And it's a nonsensical argument. The players are the group most able to make a stand on this by refusing to play in a shithole like Qatar. It's not like they're impoverished workers with no financial choice in the matter (you know, like those the Qatari's killed to get the stadia built on time for this WC). Most footballers capable of making a national team that's qualified for the WC are multi-millionaires, they can afford to lose an appearance fee or two.

Sure, the football associations of most nations are corrupt (we don't have to look far for that in Ireland) and will probably manage to field a team of up and comings or never-weres who'd be happy to sell part of their soul for the chance to appear on the international stage but it'd be arguably the best way for the message that it's unacceptable to host the World Cup in a country that flagrantly ignores basic human rights. It's not going to be a cure-all, but it might give FIFA pause for thought the next time they're being offered bribes to host the WC in such places if the memory of a disastrous Qatar 2022 beset by player protests is fresh in their memories.

Agreeing to play in Qatar is not only financially supporting that country's economy, it's also sending a message of tacit support for the country and encouraging the fans to come and spend money there too. It's the very definition of allowing awful regimes to abuse international sport to try and cover their crimes.

@One eyed Jack , it's not guilt by association if you visit a country like Qatar and spend money in it's hotels, restaurants and shopping centres. It's guilt by the action of financially supporting the very institutions in that country responsible for committing so many human rights abuses.

Very easy for Irish people to support players dropping out when we're not in it.

The photo I posted after is real....zero difference bar highlighting the logo.

Offend me?...No...wise up.

Does anyone realize that many of the players at the world cup come from cultures just like that of Qatar when it comes to LGBTQIA+ etc rights ?

And that they themselves may not really care for that minority the way many in the west claim they care for it.

So expecting players to take a stand is very naive.

If anyone was to stop this it was the FAs way back in the day, but again many FAs would be in agreement with Qatar in a lot of things and if FAs did decided to do a mass boycott they would just be ignored by FIFA and the fans from those countries would be annoyed that they would no longer have a soccer team.

Can you imagine the backlash against the FAI if they took a principled stand ?

The world is full of hypocrisy and double standards, if it annoys you, just ignore it.

That's missing the whole point tbh.

Qatar aren't spending billions upon billions on this because they're great guys who love the game of football. They're hoping to gain massive positive publicity around the world - the definition of sportswashing.

Anything which helps to counteract that with "bad" (i.e. accurate) publicity - shining a light on the many deeply negative aspects of the country - is a good thing.

Just to clarify a few points:

• It will be around 22-25 deg in November/December - perfect for football;
• There is a strong tradition of playing soccer in Qatar, there is a vibrant professional league and the national side are the current holders of the Asian Cup;
• The sporting calendar nonsense is just that, nonsense. The only leagues affected are European. This is the World Cup, not the European Cup;
• There are no slaves in Qatar; and
• Gay people are more that welcome to come to the games. Homosexuality may be banned on the statute books, but it is not enforced.

"a spokesperson for the firm confirmed to Fortune on Wednesday that BrewDog beers were being sold in Qatar, but said the company did not sell directly into the Qatari market."

So there spokesperson was lying?...

Riiiight

The host nation is expected to lose all their games. Even Stephen Kenny managed to beat them 4-0.

It's 45+C when the world cup is supposed to be on, that's why they had the "air conditioned stadiums" nonsense and now they have the winter world cup nonsense.

There are no slaves in Qatar, where's that comical Ali picture when I need it?

"We can lock you up for who you are, but we probably won't, so you can feel welcome here!" seriously...?

And there it is again.

An embarrassment to Ireland? Awfully good of you to imagine you speak for a whole nation. It’s not much of an argument for anyone who doesn’t already share your views, is the point I’m making. All it amounts to is guilt tripping. It’s effective on people who are seeking your approval, not so much on anyone who isn’t.

Hysterical rubbish.

You can't see any reason for an Irish person to live and work in Qatar? Really? Here's the main reason. Jobs.

I also don't buy that if you work in Qatar you support a homophobic, sexist, absolute monarchy. That's like saying that if you work in West Virginia you support a ban on abortion.

Thats changing the goalposts.

I watched this documentary on the Qatar World Cup Vote to refresh my memory.

France (Zarkosky plus Platini) we’re instrumental in the rigging of the vote.

What I had forgotten was the ambassador for the English bid for 2018 was Mr David Beckham.

2011 - Beckham later said the corruption over the 2018 ‘gave him a sick feeling’

The same David Beckham has been paid 150m to be the Qatar Ambassador for the 2022 WC. A decade later.

The reason I used veganism is because some vegans make similar claims based upon their own personal beliefs and their own moral standards. That’s why they see anyone who doesn’t adhere to their standards as contributing to the things which are issues for them. For me there’s nothing more to it than I like eating meat. In the same way, there’s nothing more to it for people who like football other than they like football.

They don’t see themselves as actively or tacitly supporting all the other issues which you’re choosing to associate with Qatar hosting the World Cup. In the same way - the Irish people I know working in UAE don’t see themselves as actively contributing to the issues in that country. From your perspective they are, from theirs, they’re not, so your passing judgement upon them doesn’t actually mean anything, it’s entirely self-serving in that it allows you to imagine yourself to be morally superior to other people.

And that’s fine btw, I don’t have any issue with that attitude whatsoever, because I’m not directly affected by it and as far as I’m concerned you’re not actually doing any harm to anyone else. Where I would have an issue however, is with corporate entities like that beer company which try to associate their brand with social justice in order to market their products at that demographic, ie - ‘show your support for the people of Qatar by buying our products’. It’s the opposite of guilt by association, it’s virtue by association, as though anyone who doesn’t want to be associated with their brand, doesn’t support the people of Qatar.

You’re not getting anything out of your advocacy, whereas the beer company is - increased revenue from people who are so desperate to signal how morally superior they are to others that they’d go so far as drinking piss and paying for the privilege 😒

To use the vegan analogy again: the question isn't whether animals suffer or die in order for us to consume their eggs/milk/meat or skins. That's a matter of fact. Morality comes into the personal choice as to whether that's okay or not. For most, we're happy to choose to continue consuming animal products and assuage any guilt in that by enshrining animal welfare into the regulations for food production in an attempt to minimise the suffering we cause the animals.

Making the choice to go work in an oppressive regime is the same: by supporting that regime economically, you're contributing to the human rights abuses their governments carry out. The harm is being done and by contributing to those carrying out that harm, you're a part of it. The question of personal beliefs and moral standards is about whether it's okay to do that or not. For me, it's not and honestly I think that not profiting from the misery of others is a fairly low bar to set for morality. For those that make the choice, they clearly see it as okay to enrich themselves at the expense of the fundamental human rights of others.

I suppose I also find it particularly galling when the main motivation to go work in these countries is the lack of tax. To my view, not only are they supporting human rights abuses for personal gain, they're also shirking their responsibilities to the country that's reared and educated them and to which they'll no doubt return when they want their children to enjoy the same benefits.