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Construction workers at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar
Photo: Hassan Ammar / DPA
The Norwegian first division soccer team Tromsø IL has called on the national team around young star Erling Haaland to boycott the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"It's time to say stop," said club boss Øyvind Alapnes in view of the "unworthy working conditions" during the construction of the World Cup arenas in the desert state.
The previous way of the dialogue had "led to nothing", added ex-international Tom Høgli.
In Strømsgodset IF, another first division team has already joined the advance.
Record champions Rosenborg Trondheim, Stabaek IF and Odds BK also want to discuss this step.
However, the association (NFF) does not believe in a boycott as long as Norway is alone, as President Terje Svendsen said last.
National coach Stale Solbakken called the latest reports of several thousand dead World Cup workers in the newspaper "Verdens Gang" "totally unacceptable" and "really terrible".
But he also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of a boycott.
Tromsø's Ruben Yttergard Jenssen argues, “It's the same as saying that strikes won't do anything”.
The former national player believes that the Norwegian example could have a "snowball effect" that would sweep other countries away.
Haaland and Co. meet the Netherlands, Turkey, Montenegro, Latvia and Gibraltar in the World Cup qualification.
The games take place from March to November.
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