Kroos has called the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar ‘wrong’
Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has spoken out about the conditions for migrant workers in Qatar, calling the situation “unacceptable.” His comments come in the aftermath of the Norway, Germany and Netherlands national teams all making powerful statements before World Cup qualifiers in the last fortnight.
However, Kroos has said he does not believe that a boycott of the tournament would help the workers.
Speaking on his podcast, Kroos said: “You have to call a spade a spade when it comes to working conditions. It’s about many workers from Qatar, but also migrant workers, having to work non-stop in sometimes 50 degree heat.
“At the same time, they also suffer from malnutrition, a lack of drinking water is insane, especially at these temperatures. As a result, safety at work is absolutely not guaranteed, medical care is not there and sometimes some violence is carried out on the workers.
“All those points are absolutely unacceptable. There can be no two opinions on that.”
When discussing the idea of teams boycotting the tournament in the Middle East though, the 30-year-old World Cup winner thinks that there would be little point. He explained that because the conditions at the World Cup sites do not differ from those at other construction sites in the country, a boycott would do little to help working conditions across Qatar.
He did add that “to award the tournament to them [Qatar], I think it’s wrong’ and that football can play role in drawing attention to problems but is not “solely responsible for making everything better.”
The conversation surrounding working conditions for migrant workers in Qatar has finally received widespread attention since the European qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup got underway. After a report from the Guardian revealed that 6,500 migrant workers had died since work got under way in Qatar to prepare for the tournament, Norway became the first team openly voice their opposition to conditions facing workers there.
Norway’s players aren’t backing down with their protests about World Cup 2022 host Qatar’s human rights records 🖐 pic.twitter.com/W4rTml6qVi
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) March 27, 2021
Both Germany and the Netherlands followed suit, and more major footballing nations are being urged to join the protests, with the England team rumoured to be considering it.
Germany join Norway in protesting Qatar's human rights record before their World Cup qualifier. pic.twitter.com/p6t7Tg5eUG
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 25, 2021
"Football Supports Change”
The Netherlands join Norway and Germany in speaking out about Qatar's human rights record during the WC qualifiers pic.twitter.com/950bQdTM2t
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 27, 2021
