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Lionel Messi became world champion with Argentina
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IMAGO/Michael Kienzler / IMAGO/Ulmer/Team photo
Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi has received a hefty offer from Oman for the bischt he received after triumphing in the final of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The interested party's name is Ahmed Al Barwani, the lawyer and member of parliament wrote on Twitter: »The bischt is a symbol of chivalry and wisdom.
I'm offering a million dollars for this bischt."
A bischt is a traditional cloak worn by men in the Gulf States and Iran on special occasions.
Qatar's head of state Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had put the black and transparent noble robe on Messi for the award ceremony.
Especially in the West, the action was criticized as a PR coup and an extreme form of sports washing.
"You take away a big moment from the player," said Bastian Schweinsteiger, world champion in 2014 and now a TV expert on ARD.
Former England international Gary Lineker became clearer.
He told the BBC he found it "in a way shameful that they covered Messi in his Argentinian jersey".
In the Arab world, users of social networks have reacted with astonishment to the criticism.
The bischt is intended to commemorate the »Moment of Pride«
"I was in the stadium and witnessed the moment live when the Emir of Qatar Messi presented the bischt," Al Barwani told the Abu Dhabi-based daily The National: "This moment showed the world that we are here and that this is our culture.” The bischt is a symbol of many things, including “wisdom, bravery, integrity, generosity and authenticity.
And, most importantly, it shows who we are,” said Al Barwani.
If he is successful with his offer, he does not want to wear the bischt himself, but rather exhibit it "to commemorate this moment of pride and to help us relive it".
In Germany in particular, the award of the World Cup to Qatar was extremely controversial.
The Gulf state is regularly criticized for human rights violations, among other things.
The country is accused of wanting to polish up its image with sporting events such as the World Cup.
mrk/dpa
