Array
Imagine that. People who bribe and cheat to get what they want aren’t to be trusted.
FIFA got what it so richly deserved Friday, stabbed in the back by the same folks whose indifference to human rights the sport’s governing body has spent the last 12 years ignoring and excusing simply because the price was right. Now FIFA’s reputation – or whatever was left of it after all its other greed and corruption – is worth less than Twitter, and its relationship with one of its oldest and most lucrative sponsors has been trashed.
And for what? A World Cup that feels slapped together despite more than a decade of planning and has all the authenticity of a Kardashian. Great job, FIFA executives, I hope those extra riches in your bank accounts were worth cheapening the world’s biggest sporting event, your crown jewel.
FIFA announced Friday afternoon, a mere two days before the World Cup is to begin, that alcoholic beer won’t be sold at any of the eight stadiums in Qatar as originally planned. No explanation, no apologies to fans who spent thousands on tickets and travel under the assumption that Qatari organizers would live up to their promise that local customs wouldn’t be imposed on a global event.
Just … no beer.
“The tournament organizers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone,” FIFA said in a statement confirming it was shelving AB InBev’s Budweiser products.
