'Stained': Roy Keane lambasts Qatar World Cup human rights issues
ITV pundit Roy Keane has poured more scorn on the Qatar World Cup, claiming that the tournament is ‘stained’ over the country's human rights issues.
Qatar, where foreigners make up a majority of the emirate’s 2.9 million population, has faced scrutiny over its treatment of migrant workers, while the emirate has also been hit by controversy over laws banning same-sex relationships.
During the build-up to Sunday’s final, Keane said: "For human rights, this World Cup is stained, that’s the bottom line.
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“The football’s been great, but the football was always going be great because you’ve got world-class players, but it is stained.”
Earlier in the tournament, Keane said that the World Cup 'shouldn't be here'.
He said: “You've got a country and the way they treat migrant workers, gay people. We're on about spreading the game but dismissing human rights, it's not right. It shouldn't be here."
Fellow pundit Ian Wright carried on the theme when he gave his view on the issue of compensation for migrant workers who have suffered during World Cup construction in Doha.
Wright said: "The workers support and insurance fund is there, they have paid some people but there are a lot of people who still haven’t been paid and I know that Fifpro and the federation have set up a programme where the workers can claim and get legal aid in expense of their claims.
“You’re hoping they can all get it done together because we’re leaving soon and we hope they can be paid."
On the eve of the final, Qatar 2022’s chief said that the World Cup has “changed perceptions” of the region.
In an interview with Sky News, Hassan Al Thawadi said that compensation would be in place for workers’ support after previously “unacceptable” conditions.
"There is a workers' support insurance fund that will be looking into any matters relating to unfortunate deaths," Al Thawadi said. "And that will continue beyond the World Cup."
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"We must remember the blood sweat and tears of everyone that's made it happen," Alan Shearer said in his capacity as a BBC pundit ahead of Sunday's final.
"It's only right that Fifa compensate the migrant workers and their families."
Watch: Migrant workers arrive to watch World Cup final