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30 • Touchline • Issue 17
of the other ramification of the move. “We have the regular
league games going on in the different countries so, for sure
they will have less spectators because they will just watch the
football,” Fasel said. “Football is the No. 1 sport in the world –
this is like it is.”
Blatter has reacted to this push back. In a meeting with Qatari
officials, he clarifies his position
on dates. “It will be November-
December,” said Blatter. “I don’t
know exactly the dates, but it could
be from 10th to 10th whatever.
“In January and February, these are
the Olympic Winter Games. It is
out of the respect to the Olympic
organisation - the Olympic family.
Secondly, we have practically
the same media, television and
marketing partners.”
Meanwhile, the national leagues
around Europe are being lobbied
to agree to the change. England,
the one major competition that
does not have a winter break, could be most affected.
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke has been in discussions
with the Football Association over the impact of the move.
“That was part of the discussion, that we have to protect your
specific period, which is Boxing Day and these very specific 10
days, which are part of the history of English football.”
So while it appears that FIFA will have its way, the whole
solution has the feeling of a round hole, square peg scenario.
A winter world cup will have major impacts on players,
advertisers and supporters.
The Mistreatment of Migrant Workers
In many ways, the furore surrounding the winter world cup is
a minor drama compared with what some are claiming to be
human rights abuses being committed in Qatar.
Almost 80% of Qatar’s population is made up from migrant
workers, and they perform all manual tasks in the country.
They are controlled through the kafala system, which leaves
the granting of exit visas to the discretion of employers. The
system has been likened to modern day slavery.
In a report by The Guardian, The International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC) has been quoted claiming, that “4,000
workers could die before a ball is kicked in 2022, if the
government does not urgently reform the system.”
The resolution registered
concern over issues including
“long working hours, hazardous
working conditions, the workers
being unpaid for months, had
their passports confiscated,
forced to live in overcrowded
labour camps, denied the right to
form unions, and without access
to free drinking water in extreme
heat”.
The report is so damning that
it has swung the European
parliament into action. They
have made a statement to “send
a clear and strong message to
Qatar to avoid the football World Cup 2022 [being] delivered
by the assistance of modern slavery”.
Blatter has sought assurances for the Qatari state, and
seems satisfied with the answers he received. In a statement
released in November, he said that “the state of Qatar are
aware of some problems. They have already started to react.
We went to the Supreme Committee building and we listened
to a presentation. What was presented to us shows that they
are going forward not only today but have already started
months ago with the problems with labour and workers.”
He actually made the point that the changes in the labour
laws that were intimated in the presentation would be of
lasting impact for the Qatari people, as the presence of the
world cup would create a fairer working system.
Judging from the fact that the Qatar World Cup is eight years
away and it has already been in the news to this extent, it
would seem that all the fears of opponents to the decision
had a point.
With no real footballing tradition, plans rather than existing
infrastructure, blistering hot weather and medieval labour
laws, it is hard to imagine a worse choice for a World
Cup venue. Just what persuaded FIFA in the first place is
mystifying.
THE MISTREATMENT OF
MIGRANT WORKERS
The European parliament
have made a statement to
“send a clear and strong
message to Qatar to avoid
the football World Cup
2022 [being] delivered by
the assistance of modern
slavery”.