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September 20 – The Danish FA (DBU) has said it is not concerned by Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 World Cup, citing the abolishment of the kafala system in the Arab Kingdom and the assurance of beer sales during the tournament.
Following a meeting between Nordic football associations and the Saudi Arabian bidders for the 2034 World Cup to cover human rights, workers’ legal position, women’s legal position, women’s football and sustainability earlier this week on the sidelines of the UEFA executive meeting in Cannes, DBU chairman Jesper Moller and secretary general Erik Brogger Rasmussen were unabashedly optimistic about the Saudi bid.
After emphasising there were no major concerns, Moller said: “They have talked about the vision towards the WC, which they have been working with since 2016 with massive reforms, so I feel that they are in a different place than if we were to compare with Qatar.”
“It’s a football nation. I experienced the excitement when they won over Argentina at the World Cup 2022. They have relatively large stadiums. They must not build new airports and subways. They are a completely different place than Qatar was ten years before the World Cup.”
In their bid book, Saudi bidders however highlighted the need to build several new stadiums, including in a new city in Neom, a project that would outstrip any infrastructure work undertaken by Qatar in the leadup to the 2022 World Cup. The DBU was among the more critical voices of Qatar’s human rights record and treatment of migrant workers under the kafala system, but, as the tournament neared, the Danish softened their criticism.
Rasmussen claimed that the kafala system has been abolished in Qatar. The kafala system is dominant in the labour market in Saudi Arabia and ties workers to sponsors and companies.
He said: “They have abolished the kafala system, and no, not everything works perfectly with the migrant workers. They say so themselves. But because they have a…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/09/20/danes-back-saudi-arabia-organise-inclusive-2034-world-cup-changed-country/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-09-20 12:31:03
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