Qatar is polishing its image with the World Cup and building its security policy on attention. In addition to the World Cup, FC Bayern Munich is also part of this strategy.
Qatar Airways has been a sponsor of Bayern Munich since 2018. The warnings to Bayern not to be part of a sports washing campaign were very clear in advance, says former Human Rights Watch employee Nicholas McGeehan. At the end of 2016, the Federal Chancellery contacted the human rights organization and asked the organization for an assessment of possible economic cooperation between Qatar and the German record champions.
“Development in Qatar by FC Bayern? There is no evidence of that”
“If Bayern did not want to be part of an image campaign for Qatar, then the club should publish what they expect from Qatar in terms of labor reforms,” reports McGeehan. “And above all, FC Bayern should carry out checks on site: from the hotel they are staying in. The organization that sponsors them. The place where they train. What is happening on site? Are you satisfied with the human rights situation? Do they agree with the measures? And if not, then they must demand change.”
Bayern’s former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claims in 2019: “Since Bayern Munich has been a partner of Qatar, there has been a demonstrable positive development in terms of human and labor rights.” McGeehan retorts: “In my opinion this borders on a kind of delusion and shows a rather arrogant attitude towards their own role. The club repeats the Qataris’ PR statements that things have developed. And how football is responsible for it and that FC Bayern played a role in that. There is no evidence of that.”
The “Qatar Airways” logo on the sleeve of FC Bayern Munich’s jersey
Qatar with big money in European football
Not only Bayern are part of Qatar’s sponsorship network. In 2013, the state-owned airline also became a shirt sponsor for FC Barcelona. Qatar paid around 100 million euros for the three-year contract. AS Roma and UEFA at the EM 2021 were also partners.
Qatar’s business relationships, and not just with football clubs, are part of a complex strategy: Thanks to the immense oil and gas reserves, there are billions in investments in the economy, culture and politics worldwide. The Qatari sovereign wealth fund has invested more than 25 billion euros in Germany alone. For example, the country has stakes in Hapag Lloyd, Siemens, Deutsche Bank and Volkswagen.
“Qatar is a very small country and surrounded by two very powerful countries: Saudi Arabia and Iran. They are partners and friends, but at the same time a threat. The fear is based on Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990,” says James Dorsey. “Qatar knows that when the country is relevant to the international community, its security increases.” Sporting events mean attention and relevance.
It all started with Boris Becker
International sporting events kicked off in 1993 with the ATP tennis tournament in Doha. The main attraction of the Qatar Open is Boris Becker. Back then, Becker received a six-figure sum for his extensive PR program in Qatar. The tournament exists to this day. Other major sporting events such as the Handball World Championships, a Gymnastics World Championships or an Athletics World Championships followed. In total, Qatar has now hosted over 500 international sporting events.
All of this is part of a 30-year project, says French journalist Philippe Auclair. “It’s a defense project. Qatar wants to ensure its security and status in the concert of nations by having a massive presence in sport.”
The World Cup is a crucial part of that. The journalist Jens Weinreich has this to say about Qatar’s bid: “It was with absolute certainty the most expensive bid in the history of sports, not only for the World Cup but also for the Olympic Games. It was most likely also the most sophisticated bid. To this extent and as a result, at this high level, something like this has never happened again.”
What role did the meeting at the Elysee Palace play?
In November 2010, just before the vote, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, then heir to the Qatari throne Tamim al Thani and Michel Platini, then UEFA President and FIFA executive member, met for lunch. The suspicion to this day: A deal is said to have been negotiated over lunch in return for Platini’s vote in the vote only ten days later. The fact is: Platini voted for Qatar, which he publicly acknowledged. Another suspicion: Platini is said to have persuaded three other European Fifa officials to vote for the emirate. Platini has said in the past that he has nothing to blame himself for. Qatar’s entry into Sarkozy’s favorite club Paris Staint-Germain is said to have been part of the bargaining chip.
Michel Platini (l.) greets French politician Nicolas Sarkozy (r.)
In 2011, the Qatari investment fund “Qatar Sports Invest” actually bought the top French club Paris Saint-Germain for 130 million euros. The meeting in the Elysee Palace has occupied French criminal investigators for years. They are investigating whether there was also haggling at the French state level when the contract was awarded to Qatar.
The purchase of Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, has significantly changed football in Europe. Lionel Messi’s team is a collection of the most prominent players in the world. There are no financial limits for Paris: Qatar has so far spent over one billion euros on players. And with the sports broadcaster beIN Sports, Qatar is supplying money to the system. “If you own the TV rights for the big competitions, for example the Champions League, they are the ones who keep football alive. Football needs them,” says journalist Auclair.
The PSG stars Lionel Messi (l.) And Kylian Mbappé high five
FIFA partner Qatar with the World Cup
FIFA is now Qatar’s partner – with the soccer World Cup, one of the most important sporting events in the world. “The relationship between FIFA and the World Cup Organizing Committee was to coordinate on public relations,” says FourSquare’s McGeehan. “Especially when it came to the exploitation of workers. It’s shocking to think about. Looking back at how FIFA has responded to criticism of Qatar for a very long time, it’s naïve of us to think it turned out any differently.”
Four-part documentary series in the WDR background magazine “Sport inside”
Thousands of dead guest workers, opaque procurement procedures, boycott discussions: the soccer World Cup in Qatar is one of the most controversial sporting events of our time. The WDR investigative format “Sport inside” has been researching the background of this World Cup since 2010. The four-part documentary series “Qatar – World Cup of Shame” and the podcast “The World Cup Slaves – Qatar and the History of Guest Workers” show the results of this long-term research. The series will be available from October 7th in the ARD Mediathek and the podcast from November 4th in the ARD Audiothek.
The broadcast dates on WDR television:
- Part 3: The Plan – 10/22/2022, 1:55 p.m
- Part 4: The bill – 10/29/2022, 1:55 p.m