The soccer World Cup games, which will begin in a month and a week (November 20), have already been hailed as "the most corrupt games in history" and "the most shameful sporting event of our time" - and that's before a single ball has been kicked in the polished stadiums of the host Qatar.
What was supposed to be the biggest soccer celebration in the world, the one that everyone waits for every four years, turned into a controversial event for a variety of reasons that cast a huge shadow over the entire tournament - who even knows what the level of soccer that will be presented will be.
Because for the first time in the history of the modern game, the World Cup will be played in the winter and not in the summer, when the players are in the middle of the season and not at the end.
Will the World Cup in Qatar be able to rise to the heights and let the sport win all the categories?
This is the question that no one is willing to bet on the answer to, in view of the wave of protests that is getting more and more intense as the opening whistle for the big event approaches.
At the beginning of 2021, the British "Guardian" published a shocking investigation, according to which more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it was chosen in 2010 to host the World Cup games.
In other words, 12 migrant workers perished every week for a decade.
The reasons for the deaths are not lacking: heat stroke, falling from heights, harsh slavery conditions, electrocution and more.
Since the publication of the investigation, more workers have been killed who paid the best of their money to come and make a living in the Gulf countries, but in the end paid the heaviest personal price.
From the data obtained by the "Guardian" it emerged that almost 70 percent of the deaths of Indian, Nepalese and Bangladeshi workers were defined as "natural deaths".
Among the Indian workers alone, this rate reached 80 percent.
In other words, the Qatari authorities skimmed the problem under the surface, expecting the world to keep quiet.
The British newspaper came to the conclusion that the heavy heat prevailing in Qatar in the summer was the main cause of the death of many workers, and the definition chosen by the Qataris - according to which most of them died of "cardiac arrest" - was, shall we say, an interesting and distorted formulation of reality.
The newspaper's findings were supported by a study commissioned by the International Labor Organization of the United Nations, from which it emerged that for at least four months each year, migrant workers work in extreme heat conditions and without sufficient protection from the elements in one of the hottest countries in the world.
A report by legal advisers to the government of Qatar recommended in 2014 that an investigation be conducted to find out the circumstances of the death of migrant workers from "cardiac arrest", and that an amendment be introduced to the law that "will allow post-mortems to be conducted in any case of unexpected or sudden death". The Qataris ignored the request. There is a real lack of clarity and transparency around a number of deaths," said May Romanos, a researcher at the human rights organization Amnesty International at the time. But despite all the noise the investigation made in the Western world, the World Cup games were not taken from Qatar's hands.
"Whoever votes in favor - will be rewarded"
The British newspaper's investigation and the shocking discovery that the builders of the green meadows on which the world's best footballers will run this coming winter paid for it with their lives, was just the horrible "icing" on top of the moldy cake.
Will they protest?
A minor chance.
Right: Neymar, Mbappe and Messi in Qatari ownership, photo: REUTERS
The biggest dream of the Qataris was to host the World Cup, but the corruption surrounding the fight to host it began much earlier, when the Gulf state - which won its independence 51 years ago and whose area is about half the territory of the State of Israel - managed to get ahead of larger and more important countries in the pursuit of the most coveted sporting event in the world.
At first, no one believed that a small country of only 1.5 million inhabitants, with a regime that is based on oil export money and oppresses women and other populations in its territory, preceded sports empires such as the USA, Australia, Japan or South Korea, who wanted to see the World Cup games held there.
No one gave the Qataris a chance to win, but in the end the big money allowed them to worry that Sepp Blatter, FIFA president who was accused of corruption in his two campaigns for the position of FIFA president in 1998 and 2002, and also of improper management of funds in his position as president of the organization, will draw the winning envelope with Qatar's name on it.
How did it happen?
The answer is simple.
Just before the vote, the "Sunday Times" of London published an investigation that revealed how easy it is to buy votes in voting for major sporting events in the world.
Two English journalists decided to impersonate managers of an American company that tried to buy, so to speak, in advance the votes of some members of the FIFA executive committee, in favor of hosting the tournament in the USA and Canada.
Two members of the executive committee of the umbrella organization of world football fell easily in the exercise, and were even recorded happily agreeing to take bribes.
Nigerian Amos Adamo asked to receive $800,000 in cash for personal projects in his country, contrary to FIFA rules. When asked in the recording if the payment would affect his vote, he replied: "Of course it will." Raynald Tamarei, who heads the Oceania Football Association, also asked Funds for the establishment of a regional football academy, for cooperation between him and his new alleged partners - who were of course the journalists posing as businessmen.
In the world of football, they immediately understood that something stinks here, and the voices against the choice of the Gulf Empire were heard in every corner of the world.
An employee of the Australian team that submitted a bid to host the 2022 World Cup published a book in which she claimed that "Sepp Blatter already knew before the vote that the World Cup in 2022 would be held in Qatar. He even told this to US President Barack Obama, before the vote."
paid the heaviest price.
Migrant workers in the construction of a stadium in Qatar, photo: AFP
The French newspaper "France Football" revealed how much corruption had reached the local republic as well.
The article claims, among other things, that two of the heads of the associations in Africa received 1.5 million dollars each, to vote for Qatar.
In addition to this, the state committed to finance events for various associations in the world, in order to win the votes of the Africans, one of whom was the Nigerian Adamo who was recorded in the "Sunday Times" investigation.
The name of the president of France at the time, Nicolas Sarkozy, was also mentioned in the investigation as the one who asked the president of UEFA, Michel Platini, formerly the biggest star in French football and today mainly accused of corruption, to vote for Qatar and not for the USA, after the two met with the Qatari crown prince - and he promised Invest in French football and maintain trade relations with the French.
Promises of investment in South American football also appeared there, when the message conveyed was clear: those who vote for the Qataris will be rewarded with huge investments in their country
The published investigations raised questions and doubts among FIFA members that corruption was not their lot, and they demanded an internal investigation. Unsurprisingly, the investigation did not produce a single conclusion that led to those who should be punished being punished, but what was enough for the domestic and problematic investigation was not enough for the law enforcement agencies in the real world .
In May 2015, the Zurich police surprised seven senior FIFA officials, at the behest of the American FBI, and detained them for questioning on suspicion of corruption. Sepp Blatter was also summoned for questioning in the case, and shortly after being re-elected as FIFA president, he announced his retirement - which understandably only strengthened the the suspicions against him.
Blatter still had time to hold a press conference that became a symbol of his time: a British comedian threw money bills over the president's head at the event, expressing a protest in front of the world about the corruption that pervaded the top football organization.
"There is no reason to glorify"
Protests have always been a part of world sports, but in most cases the protesting athletes paid the price for their actions - and didn't really manage to change anything on the field.
One can recall the raised fists of the African-American runners at the Olympic Games in Mexico 1968, or the World Cup Games in Argentina 1978.
No alcohol and street parties.
Qatar is ready for the World Cup, photo: AFP
In Argentina, these were the peak days of the rule of the military junta, and while the football games were held in the territory of the Latin country and were attended by crowds of fans from around the world who watched the live broadcasts from the stadiums - those who were defined as "opponents of the regime" were thrown to their deaths from airplanes, as part of the atrocities of the oppressive regime.
And the world, for the most part, was silent.
In those days, electronic media dominated messaging, and the open internet was still science fiction.
"There is no doubt that sport is an excellent platform for those who want to protest against something, but since then we have seen that football has become commercialized and turned into a show that is supposed to convey sterility in international tournaments," explains historian Dr. Eyal Gertman. Another while shifting the camera, so that football is not perceived as something political.
"For example, in the 1998 World Cup match held in France, between Iran and the USA, the stands agitated against the government in Iran, on the part of Iranian exiles, but the cameras showed us nothing.
On the other hand, for rulers throughout history, including the worst of them, such as Hitler, Mussolini and Franco, sport was the stage where they whitewashed their political position through the field."
Nowadays, the protest against the games in Qatar was quickly ignited with the help of social networks.
It should be remembered: this is the first time that the World Cup games are being held on the soil of a Muslim country with the familiar laws, which many in the Western world consider outdated and even primitive: the punishment for "homosexual activity" in Qatar is seven years in prison, and drinking alcohol brings with it similar punishments.
Protests around the world have led to Qatar allowing alcohol to be consumed in hotels and specific areas of stadiums, but without beer and alcohol bottles washing the streets from the familiar images of international sports competitions.
And what about discrimination based on sexual preference?
In Qatar, they promised not to prevent anyone, regardless of their preferences, from entering the fields.
And what about the rest of the year?
Here the hope arose that the world's footballers would finally react with harsh words against the competition that they are the stars of.
The most prominent speaker against the World Cup in Qatar is the sympathetic coach of the German national team, Hanzi Flick, who does not hesitate to express his opinion in all the media, and honestly arouses a tremendous wave of support throughout the country.
"I have many acquaintances who would like to go to Qatar, but they cannot afford it financially, and some of them cannot go there because of the attitude towards the LGBT community," he recently explained in one of the interviews.
"On top of that, there are serious violations of human rights and discrimination against minorities. The World Cup should be for every fan - and that's not the story this time. It's a shame.
"Our protest does not end only at the friendly games, where we went up with black shirts (on which it was written 'human rights'; AR) and we will think together about what else can be done," added the coach, who, unlike many of his colleagues, does not stop addressing the issue.
The players of the German national team initially spoke about the fact that throughout the days of the matches in Qatar, the ribbon on the arm of the captain and goalkeeper of the national team, Manuel Neuer, will carry the colors of the pride flag.
However, they quickly dropped the idea after the German confederation calmed down on protest matters, settling instead for tweets on social media.
Money is scattered on the former president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, as an act of protest by a British comedian about the corruption in the organization, photo: REUTERS
The Danish team, in contrast to the German team, has already announced how it intends to act in Qatar: its training uniforms in the tournament will be sponsor-free, after all advertisers decided to vacate their place on the clothing in favor of possible messages against the host.
The team's main sponsor, the "Hummel" company, designed a uniform that has already become the talk of the world: Denmark will appear in bright red or white, with the logo of the association and the company intentionally faded and barely visible on the shirt.
Also, the team's third set of clothes will be black, as a sign of sympathy with the death of the workers who were involved in the construction of the fields for the World Cup.
What about the England team?
There they announced that they would sit down with the human rights organization Amnesty International, with the aim of checking how to properly protest.
And also in Australia, opinions are divided on how to act on the days of the games themselves.
And whose silence stands out?
With the two democratic empires in their own eyes: France and the USA. Regarding France, it is already understandable why it is silent - the Qataris control the Paris Saint-Germain team, and if suspicions are to be believed, they have also, apparently, lined the pockets of French football well.
The Americans, for their part, cannot act as a buffer against the anti-women and anti-homosexual laws in Qatar, since as long as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, the main source of oil supply to the US outside of America's borders is Qatar, at least until the Israeli "Shark" rig starts supplying the The gas it is supposed to provide. In short, it has been proven once again that money is more important than anything else - certainly in the world of sports.
But unlike the official soccer bodies that cooperate with the problematic World Cup, other parties show less tolerance.
In France, senior officials of the Paris municipality and other mayors announced that for the first time in the modern era, mass screenings of the games will not be held in the city centers.
The reasoning is that "there is no reason to glorify" the games in Qatar, so the games will not be screened for joint viewing.
Mayors in Germany and the Netherlands also decided in a similar way regarding public funds.
Banks in Belgium announced that they were not interested in using the tickets to the games that were given to them as a gift as sponsors of the team - and returned them in protest.
Many journalists and media persons announced that they would not travel to film or broadcast the games from Qatar.
"It's not right to be in Qatar at this time. I'm not judging anyone, and I've filmed there before. I know people need to make a living, but as a media person I can't stay in a place that doesn't deserve to host the games."
Joshua Leinen,
Joshua Leinen is one of the famous soccer photographers in Germany, and with his big camera he visits every place in the world where German soccer participates.
Leinen visited Qatar several times with the German champion, Bayern Munich, who came to training camps there - funded by the Qataris.
In a conversation with "Shishab" Leinen explains that this time, unlike his custom, he does not intend to go to Qatar: "It is not right to be there at this time. I am not judging anyone, and I have filmed there before. I know that people need to make a living, but as a media person I cannot stay there that he does not deserve to host the games. I don't think Qatar is ready to host games of this magnitude. The place is too small. True, there are many good people there, but also some who are really not good, and for me personally this thing is less suitable.
"I'll tell you a story: this week I sat in a bar in Cologne, which regularly broadcasts all the World Cup games to customers. The owner of the bar told me that this time he does not intend to broadcast the games, because football is played in the summer and not in the winter, and that he does not want to participate in the destruction of our tradition as sports fans . That's why, in my opinion, many Germans won't go to the World Cup in Qatar, because who can afford to take time off from work in the middle of winter? Soccer is something we do in the summer, in our free time. I'd rather stay at home, with my two children, but my friends go to work, because Everyone has to make a living."
Do you have an expectation that the broadcasters will not transfer the games from Qatar?
"No, because in the end it's a lot of money."
One question keeps coming up and keeps coming back: how, after FIFA arranged the games for Russia in 2018, whitewashed Vladimir Putin's oppressive regime and received "in return" an invasion of Ukraine that threatens the world, will it manage to deal with the current boycotts and the negative public opinion.
World Cup logo in Qatar.
Struggling with power in minds, photo: AFP
The answer is: by force.
In Qatar, the laws have been tightened according to which any person who expresses any kind of protest will be immediately punished with imprisonment, and there will be no difference between a player on the field or a fan.
On top of that, the major sponsors of the Games, and in fact the secondary ones as well, announced that they would sue anyone who "slandered them" for cooperating with the Games.
At FIFA, they are silent, of course, and wait to see what will happen one day.
The immigrants protested - and were deported
Will the crowd be bold enough to protest in the stands in Qatar?
Here the question arises as to what kind of protest it will be: against the war in Ukraine?
Against the suppression of the hijab protest?
(Iran will play in Qatar, and according to unconfirmed reports, many Iranian fans intend to protest there against what is happening in their country).
And maybe everyone will really unite in a protest against the Qatari regime?
Here's a hint of what's to come: the foreign migrant workers currently working in Qatar protested their working conditions at the World Cup games - and in Qatar in general.
In response, they were immediately deported from the country, without receiving financial compensation (in fact, their deportation saved them from a much more severe punishment).
In doing so, the Qataris send a clear message to world football: don't mess with us, because we are going to take over global sports in the coming years, with the next big goal being, most likely, the Olympic Games in 2036.
And how does the Arab world react to all this?
"There you will only hear reports about the protest - without anyone daring to express an opinion about them," explains Dr. Yehuda Belanga, an expert on Syria and Egypt who studies the influence of football in the Middle East.
"And there is another thing that is very, very sensitive. Workers from India and Sri Lanka were reported to have died, but it must be remembered that there are Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian workers in Qatar who send a lot of money back home. One word is out of place from someone - and the Qataris will announce that they are reducing the quota of workers from the countries that will express protest.
Manuel Neuer.
Will carry the colors of the pride flag?, photo: GettyImages
"Qatar has a mission to glorify its name through sports - football, tennis, Formula 1, athletics - and it makes every effort to present the World Cup games on its territory as a success for the Arab world in general, and not just for itself."
Indeed, when you look at the Qatari media and the Gulf newspapers, you only find flattering headlines.
And it's not just the broadcasts of the Al Jazeera network, which belongs to the Qataris, but also newspapers and websites that bring quotes from opinion leaders in world football, who say how special the World Cup in Qatar "will be".
The one who was bought with money and received negative reviews is the iconic former English footballer David Beckham, who became Qatar's presenter for the games, for a modest sum of 150 million dollars.
The one who was the first to attack him was his former Manchester United teammate, the legendary soccer star Eric Cantona, who said: "Beckham made a very big mistake. I personally am not going to watch these World Cup games. I understand that sport is business, but soccer used to be the place that everyone had an equal opportunity in it."
"Made a very big mistake."
David Beckham, photo: AP
And of course there is the Israeli aspect.
Nearly 15 thousand Israelis are expected to travel and watch at least part of the 28 days of the World Cup.
They will be able to enter the games in the country with an Israeli passport, as first published in Israel Hayom.
In this situation, it is doubtful whether we will see a protest on the part of the average Israeli fan, who is thirsty for high-level football, for a change, and who comes from a country that itself often suffers from threats and boycotts in the field of sports.
All the World Cup games are expected to be broadcast here 11, and it will be interesting to see how the Israeli and international broadcasters will report on what is happening inside and outside the field.
And what awaits the Israelis who arrive in Qatar anyway?
Stadiums next to each other that do not require flights or long trips, unlike the previous World Cup games in Russia;
Architectural buildings that are the latest architectural word in the field, and that should be air-conditioned at all times;
and a historic visit to a country that, until recent years, Israeli tourists could not set foot in.
Along with these, there is an important tip from the tournament organizers, who clarify: "Qatar is a conservative country, and public displays of affection are frowned upon by the locals, regardless of the sexual orientation or the different culture from which the tourists come. Having sex outside of marriage is prohibited by law in the country, and no booths will be set up A night at the games".
So, are we in for a good World Cup game to the extent that we all forget what happened before the start?
Or will the protest be successful and the games in Qatar will be remembered forever?
Do not rely on the second scenario.
Because maybe on the field the weak manage to beat the strong, but off the field, the big money easily defeats all his competitors.
It is likely that this will happen this time as well.
adirub@gmail.com
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