48 hours before the start of the World Cup, Qatar has backtracked and has finally banned the sale of alcohol in the vicinity of the stadiums where the matches will be held.
This last-minute decision breaks the previous agreement with the authorities of the emirate and fully affects the millionaire agreement -72 million euros- between Budweiser, sponsor of the tournament, and FIFA, according to
The New York Times
.
FIFA seems to have lost control over its own tournament, although it tries to put down the fire.
In a statement, he explained that after successive "debates" with the host country, they have finally decided to "focus" the sale of alcoholic beverages at the Festival for fans and not in the vicinity of the stadiums, as they had previously agreed.
The agreement, as the executive director of communications for the Qatar organizing committee explained to EL PAÍS in Doha a month ago, consisted of allowing alcohol consumption in some areas for fans around the stadiums from three hours before and one after the games. .
There would even be a specific area for drunkards to get drunk without hurting themselves or others, according to the Qatari organizers themselves, who are now backing down.
As the opening date of the World Cup approached, the authorities of the emirate have been getting nervous about alcohol consumption.
Last week they forced Budweiser to move their stalls further away, where they were less visible, and this Friday they decided that only Zero (without) drinks will be sold around the stadiums.
Statement on beer sales at #WorldCup stadiums 🏟️ on behalf of FIFA and Host Country 🇶🇦: pic.twitter.com/o4IEhboXks
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) November 18, 2022
The FIFA statement ensures that, despite everything, they continue to guarantee "a fun, respectful and pleasant experience for all fans" and "thank" AB InBev, the group that owns Budweiser, for their "understanding".
The beer brand posted a tweet expressing its discomfort with Qatar's decision, but later deleted it.
A spokesperson for AB InBev explains that as FIFA partners for three decades, they hope to be able to celebrate the World Cup with their consumers in the rest of the world and that in the case of the emirate, where the competition is held, the circumstances are "out there". out of your control.
In Qatar
, sharia rules (
Islamic law), which restricts the consumption of alcohol.
It is only served to foreigners in some hotels and restaurants where a beer costs about 12 euros.
In the entire country there is only one place to buy it, on the outskirts of the capital, Doha, and not everyone can do it.
The buyer must bring a letter from the company he works for authorizing him to drink alcohol and his payroll, because he can only purchase drinks according to a percentage of his salary.
Several people consulted by EL PAÍS who have bought in that place explain that it is very "sordid" - "I had the feeling that I was buying crack", recalls a former diplomat in the area - and that there is a certain picaresque, because from time to time you see to poor-looking immigrant workers with full pallets -for their bosses-.
Once the purchase is made and placed in black bags,
customers should go home immediately because if they are stopped by the police, they check the time of purchase on the ticket to make sure there is no one in the country driving around with alcohol in the trunk of a car - so they can sell it to others.
The Qatari Penal Code punishes being drunk in the street with sentences of six months and fines of up to 800 euros.
Subscribe here
to our special newsletter about the World Cup in Qatar