Free flights and accommodation with pocket money on top: 20 Belgian supporters said no to that, just like their fellow lucky people from other participating countries. However, the initiative was criticized harshly: that the fans sold their souls to the devil and that they were bribed to portray Qatar in a positive light on social media. And although it was denied in all languages that there were considerations for the free trip, that echo continued to reverberate.
“Due to recent developments in the media, we would like to protect our visiting fans from the misinformation that they would receive payment for the trip,” read the email that the invited supporters received on Tuesday. “That is why the daily allowance is unfortunately no longer provided. The allowance was intended as a small increase in your own personal resources during your stay.”
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At the bottom of the email is also a warning: that the content is strictly confidential and may not be copied or shared. But the news leaked anyway and was also confirmed by Belgian fans. After the videos with fake supporters earlier this week, the late decision to scrap alcohol in and around the stadiums and the fan villages that turned out to be far from ready, Qatar is once again not doing too well with this incident.