Boycott of Qatar: time for the second wave – SO FOOT

Less than two months before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, more and more football fans tend to disagree with the organization of this event for which FIFA has been careful not to lift a finger despite the many scandals. From then on, it was no longer a question of canceling the tournament, but of zapping it from one’s mind for reasons of personal ethics, even if it meant putting a stop to the habits of consuming football from one’s television. The floor is with the boycotters. The World Cup in Qatar is now only a matter of weeks away. Despite an ounce of revolt initiated by Norway, but quickly thwarted by the FFF, nothing can stop FIFA and Qatar in their collaboration, not even the NGOs most reluctant to this planetary event. On the other hand, these can still inform the plebs of the fact that the event is still cheerfully disputed. In this regard, Amnesty International published a poll last Thursday in which 48% of French people consider it “improbable” to watch at least one match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup scheduled for Qatar. Popular indignation represented by a few football figures like Éric Cantona, ready to skip the competition without turning off his TV. “In life, there are things much more important than football, explained the King in writing last week. Instead, I’ll rewatch all the episodes of Columbo, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. »
Ecological aberration, cemeteries and the PSG paradox
Without necessarily going through the facies of the late Peter Falk, other football consumers in normal times intend to go through the boycott. Founder of the Irresistibles Français, Fabien Bonnel belongs to this category. “It’s my personal decision, explains the 38-year-old man. It is therefore not representative of the association, even if several of us boycott this World Cup. We left each member the option of going or not via a general meeting. Some of the members go there and do all the competition. “As a symbol, the question divides even within the main group of supporters of the Blues. “With the climate there, I suspected that it would be complicated to go to the stadiums in classic conditions, continues Fabien. From then on, the problem of air-conditioned stadiums weighed in the fact that I endorse this organization less and less. The final shift was the publication of the number of deaths among workers and the extreme working conditions of foreign employees. All this has stirred things up among supporters on an international scale to condemn this World Cup in Qatar. Obviously, these revelations will not be enough to empty the stadiums built in the desert, the Argentines are the best proof of this. But that doesn’t stop you from being outraged. “In fact, there are all the faults of the previous Worlds in much worse, believes Franck *, 36 years old and business manager. They’ve even managed to create new ones with a “we’ve got money and we’ll fuck you” attitude. All major sporting events have had their dark side, but this is precisely what is called a dark side. There, everything is done in broad daylight without it seeming to be a problem for anyone! I will do a total boycott, I don’t want any object that can remind me of this World Cup which soils my sport at heart. With at least 6,500 deaths on its World Cup sites since 2010 according to the Amnesty International report, Qatar is walking with its face uncovered. “I am shocked by the conditions for the construction of the stadiums, sums up Maurice*, sales manager. Usually, I’m all excited to go buy the Panini album to collect the cards. This time I will not buy it for the first time. I won’t watch the matches, so I’ll also forget the bars for a month, and I won’t buy the France team jersey. “At Fabien, yet accustomed to travel to support the Blues, the reasoning is similar. “I couldn’t innocently party on cemeteries, where people left their lives to lay the stones on which I was going to jump to support my team,” he says. As a supporter who actively participates in these competitions in normal times, not going to see this event is already an action. That said, I also said to myself: “If I don’t go, isn’t watching the event on TV also an acceptance of the event?” Today, TV rights are probably stronger than the presence of a supporter in a stadium, because it drains even more money thanks to the audience and the visibility of the sponsors. TV is the machinery of football business. So I decided not to watch the World Cup, because human rights and environmental rights are stronger than my passion for football. “Alright, but in this case, shouldn’t we also boycott PSG matches since the arrival of QSI? “I no longer watch their matches,” says Maurice, 38. I liked Paris Saint-Germain of Weah, Ginola, Valdo. But there, it is no longer PSG. To summarize, I have a growing dislike for this football. I watch OM out of passion, but the values ​​transmitted appeal to me less and less. Qatar is the paroxysm. Money, bling-bling, excess, that’s enough! For Franck, the answer is more sarcastic. “When I watch PSG matches, it’s only for the pleasure of seeing them lose. I only watch them from the final stages of the Champions League, it gives me nice slices of marrade every year, thanks to them! »
“If France wins, I will never buy their shirt again”
Favorable to the idea of ​​organizing a World Cup in Qatar, France is finally caught in its own trap, and the most hypocritical behavior has come to light in recent seasons. “When Idrissa Gueye refused to wear the jersey in LGBT colors (on May 14, editor’s note), leaders and ministers in search of popularity were indignant, playing the great white knights by imposing themselves as paragons of virtue and defenders of human rights, recalls Franck. But when two weeks later World Cup organizers said LGBT flags would be banned from stadiums, total radio silence! From knighthood, they became Jacquouille la Fripouille. It was “Yes sir, of course, sir!”, when it was precisely the opportunity to make a move. The FFF could have made the jerseys in LGBT colors, then I would have been proud and I would have watched the matches of France with a smile on my face. “It now remains to be seen whether the promises will be followed by action, and especially whether France’s Homeric journey to the World Cup final will encourage Fabien, Maurice and Franck to backpedal. “I remain in the spirit of not watching a single match of this competition, confides the first city. I wish the best to the French team, that they are world champions for a third time and that they put me in real trouble if they go to the final. At that time, I will see where my moral lies. “The temptation of the beer-peanut-raclette combo before a historic match for the Blues with Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema aligned in attack, impossible to resist? “It will be hard, but I will not watch France in the final, supports Maurice. Anyway, I don’t like this team. The closer the deadline approaches, the more the pressure from friends will be felt and the tenacity of each opponent in the Qatari World Cup will undoubtedly be put to the test. “For the moment, I proudly say around me that I will not watch, admits Franck. But like every hangover, I say to myself “never again!”, then arrives the following Saturday evening… In any case, I am sure of one thing: if France wins, I will never buy again their shirt. I could not wear this third star which will probably be embroidered by the widows of the “workers”. » Whatever the national championships or the prestigious Champions League, the World Cup will take place for the first time in history in the middle of European winter. “Friday evening, I was at the Stade de France to see the Blues play against Austria, concludes Fabien. The discussions around the World Cup in Qatar have come to the table, some have asked me why I take this position… Personally, I don’t push people not to go or not to watch, but I just encourage them to reflect on their feelings about it all. Watching is probably condoning. How far do we decide not to condemn these actions? » By Antoine Donnarieix *Names have been changed for confidentiality reasons.