Although he himself does not believe that the football tournament will be moved, comedian Freek de Jonge, 44 years after the World Cup in Argentina in 1978, tries to start a national discussion again.
“I have seen that with great regularity over the past 44 years, people do not want to learn,” says De Jonge in the Olympic Stadium where he handed over 20,000 signatures to the KNVB together with the Cancel Qatar Committee today.
According to sports historian Jurryt van de Vooren, the World Cup in Qatar is unique in a negative sense: “Just name me another event anywhere in the run-up 6,500 people have died. It is literally football on a mass grave, on a massacre.”
“Actually we all agree”
Professional football director of the KNVB and former chairman of Zeeburgia Marianne van Leeuwen is concerned about the problem: “Actually, we all agree. We want improvement in Qatar on subjects such as human rights, conditions for migrant workers, women, equality, freedom. – Freek and I agree on that.”
And by participating in that in November, the KNVB wants to make a difference. “I actually don’t know a single example where that has been successful,” responds historian Van de Vooren. “How much has changed in China since the 2008 Summer Games? It’s not an argument, it’s an excuse.”
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