Gary Neville has criticised the hosting of the World Cup in Qatar in the past, but seemed less keen to do so on Qatari channel BeINSports.
The former Valencia manager has spoken out against the human rights abuses in Qatar, but has also accepted the chance to work for Qatari sports network BeINSports. No doubt his salary will not be cheap either.
Ahead of the opening game at the World Cup he was keen to come out against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Yesterday he claimed he knew what it like to feel like a migrant worker, a disabled person, homosexual, because he was ginger and bullied as a child. He also equated being Qatari to the same feeling after some of the criticism of the country for human rights abuses.
Neville believes Infantino is embarrassing football.
🗣️ "FIFA is a poor representation of what football is, a beautiful game… I think FIFA needs to clean up its act."
👀 @GNev2 reacts to Gianni Infantino's press conference!#Qatar2022 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/UGGuGVlgLs
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) November 20, 2022
He went on to advocate for Qatar hosting the World Cup though, even if he believed the migrant workers who died while building the stadiums should be ‘honoured’.
"There should be a World Cup in an Arab country, there should be a World Cup in a Muslim country, there should be a World Cup in the Middle East that is a fact!"@GNev2 has his say on the @FIFAWorldCup in Qatar. #FIFAWorldCup #qatar2022 #beINWC pic.twitter.com/dXHqVMHC1y
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) November 20, 2022
As has happened in the United Kingdom before he left, Neville has been criticised himself for working to promote Qatar, in spite of the issues he has brought up. His argument was that he would rather go to the World Cup and engage in the debate.
