International Football
Pub owners in Germany to boycott telecast of Qatar World Cup games
Some pub owners in Germany will not be showing matches of the upcoming Qatar World Cup, saying they took the decision from “an ethical standpoint” given the Gulf state’s record on human rights.
Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, has come under intense international pressure for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws.
Disquiet over the country’s human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the games at the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament.
“Too many human rights were violated and from an ethical standpoint, I can’t justify it,” Fanny Delaune, owner of “Babel” sports bar in Bonn, told Reuters.
“Some understand it and others will watch anyway but ultimately, it’s my bar and my decision.”
Tobias Epping, who owns “Die Wache” bar, will also do the same.
“Not just me but also my regular customers who I asked to vote on Facebook and Instagram decided not to show the World Cup because there was a point when we said ‘enough’,” he said.
“The number of workers killed went beyond 15,000, stadiums are air conditioned during times like these and you can’t even drink a beer which for me as a bar owner obviously is a part of it: no. We can no longer support that.
“From an economic point of view: was this a smart decision? Probably not. But at least you can go to a bar with a clean conscience…”
A Guardian newspaper analysis in Feb. 2021 concluded 6,500 South Asian migrants had died in Qatar since 2010 and the International Labour Organisation has said Qatar is not adequately reporting worker deaths.
Qatar’s World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), have disputed claims that thousands of people have died during the preparations for the tournament.
Qatar’s government has said its labour system is a work in progress, but denied a 2021 Amnesty report that thousands of migrant workers were still being exploited.
A female fan, who did not share her name, said she would support the boycott by the bars.
“Even if Qatar had great stadiums and fantastically paid workers, in any case a World Cup during the winter is stupid,” she said.
“But in this case, it’s totally unacceptable. I don’t feel like watching and I fully support a boycott. I won’t be watching.”
The SC, which has promised a carbon neutral World Cup, says the stadium cooling systems require about a fifth of the energy typical to cool spaces of the same size, such as airport terminals or closed baseball fields.
The World Cup will be held in late autumn, when Qatar’s summer heat has subsided and temperatures usually fall to mid-20 degrees Celsius (75 Fahrenheit).
-Reuters
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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