If money can get you the World Cup, you can also get your own fan group.
Qatar, the host of the FIFA World Cup, was disappointed when its team lost all three of its opening group matches. During them, many could wonder and maybe even admire the host country’s lively fan base, which showed no signs of fatigue even in the moment of defeat.
However, an energetic and passionate group of Qatari supporters is fighting against one preconceived notion. Qatar has not played in the World Cup before and was believed to have a weak football culture. That’s why it was strange that the national team has such a loyal and united group of fans.
of the New York Times by, there is no passion for Qatari football. The newspaper found out that Qatari fans are mainly men hired from elsewhere, who have been attracted to Qatar with a free World Cup trip and money.
The Qatari supporters kept up the noise throughout the match. PDO
A group of around 1,500 men was flown to Qatar already in mid-October to practice choreography and support songs. The national anthem of Qatar also had to be learned. Fake fans arrived from Algeria, Syria and Egypt, among others.
Money was not the only motivator for everyone.
– It is our duty to support Arab culture. We share the same language and culture. We want to show the world something special, one of the hired fans told the magazine.
Qatar, which pumped a lot of money into the Games, has tried to influence the supporters of other teams as well. Earlier it was reported that Qatar tried to bribe Dutch fans, among others, to post positive things about the Games on social media.