That Qatar is the scene of the 2022 World Cup is not proof of its extraordinary and suspicious (bribery accusations, controversial final vote) multimillion-dollar power of persuasion, but of a power much greater than that of any dictatorship and that of any God whom this is submitted, which is the power of football.
A sport that not only supports corruption, dirty money, moral anachronisms, imbecile or criminal behavior of its stars, public and private affection for governments that range from the indecent to those that unceremoniously crush human rights, but also maintains as beloved idols and untouchable to those who have whitewashed vomiting regimens (Guardiola, Zidane, Xavi), and who is capable, in ninety minutes, of making a fan forget the misfortunes of his own life,
It is a power so inconsiderately great and stupid, and that gives so much joy and happiness to the people, that the people prefer not to ask much.
If you ask, I would come to this fantastic conclusion, for example: five democracies aspired to the 2020 World Cup (United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan) in which their laws demand respect for human rights, and a rich dictatorship of the worst kind and subject to to the sharia (Qatar), and if the dictatorship won it, it was precisely for that reason: because it was, because of the urgent need for such a competition in such a country.
That is the gigantic power of football.
The journalist Natalia Junquera published this Sunday from Doha a long and useful report in which several Spanish residents there speak.
It is quite an experience to read your impressions.
In many of them there is a well-known discourse: Qatar is not perfect, but it makes up for the salary difference in Spain.
It is the main reason why a foreigner is there;
it is, in fact, the main reason why anyone leaves home.
“Here the salary of a primary school teacher is between 3,000 and 6,000 euros and in Spain he would be earning about 1,500 (…) he lives very well in Doha.
We have more freedom than people think in Europe.
If you flirt and take someone to your house, nobody knows.
A neighbor can hear you, but he doesn't know if you're married or not, he's not going to report you.
There are a lot of young singles here and we try to make our life.
Qatar follows the
sharia law
, but it is not strictly enforced.
And it is a very safe country: the doors of houses and cars are always open because there are cameras everywhere”, says one of the interviewees.
It is estimated that for about 2,000 euros a month it is worth taking someone to your house to have sex and be worried that your neighbor will not find out.
That is if you are straight.
If you are homosexual, for 2,000 euros more per month you risk your life if you want to get laid or have the misfortune to fall in love or behave as you are.
Those figures in the life of a normal citizen, and his little deliberations and private concerns (whenever someone says of a city "it is very safe, there are cameras everywhere", I wonder if he knows that they are set up by him) must be multiplied by many millions to know how far it pays FIFA to break the season in winter and submit to the impressive Qatari power in football, owner of branches (PSG) and wills.
They know, and we know, that when the referee blows the whistle to start the game, an offside will matter more than the crushed and persecuted population based on taste, creed or sex.
At least we will live with the suspense of not knowing if the VAR, in a particularly dramatic moment, stays behind the Cup to know if those little hands rub or squeeze, if there is intention or not,
if the touch is enough to consider it erotic.
For cameras it will not be.
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