The Premier League has been advised to urgently tighten up its possession guidelines amid speak Qatar Sports Investments are focused on buying a minority stake in Tottenham Hotspur.
Human rights group Amnesty International insist this week’s studies concerning a gathering between Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and QSI chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi ought to act as a “wake-up call” for the Premier League following the controversial Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle in 2021.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund maintain a majority stake in Newcastle by way of Amanda Staveley’s consortium after it will definitely handed the league’s homeowners’ and administrators’ check to finish its buy of the membership.
Criticism adopted given Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights document and its therapy of LGBTQ+ residents. Premier League chief govt Richard Masters admitted months after the takeover {that a} overview of the possession check was happening.
Amnesty met with the Premier League final yr concerning implementing a human rights part into the homeowners’ and administrators’ check, however any adjustments usually are not but at a stage the place they might be able to be voted by way of by its 20 members, the PA information company understands.
It opens the door for QSI to probably put money into Tottenham or every other Premier League membership.
QSI chairman Al-Khelaifi, who can be president of Paris Saint-Germain, met with Levy in London final week however Tottenham deny any discussions over fairness of the membership occurred.
Nevertheless, Amnesty has warned any attainable Qatari funding in Spurs can be extra potential sportswashing.
Amnesty International UK’s financial affairs director Peter Frankental mentioned in an announcement to the PA information company: “Whether or not these talks are confirmed and actually lead to anything, this is another wake-up call to the Premier League to get its house in order when it comes to the ownership of our top clubs.
“We said before, during and after the hugely controversial Saudi buy-out of Newcastle United that the Premier League needed to significantly tighten up its ownership rules so that those implicated in human right violations couldn’t buy into English football as an exercise in sportswashing.
“As we know from the World Cup, Qatar is intensely involved in the use of sport to refashion its image on the international stage, and Qatar’s possible involvement with Tottenham should be seen in this context – as more potential sportswashing.
“With the Qatari authorities basking in the glory of the ‘best ever’ World Cup, there’s a danger that limited reforms on migrant workers’ rights will quickly unravel and the repression of LGBTQ+ people and women will be overlooked as Qatar’s involvement in sport helps it avoid scrutiny on its lamentable human rights record.
“We’re not necessarily opposing the further involvement of state-linked overseas financial consortia in English football, whether at Tottenham or anywhere else, but the Premier League must urgently update its ownership rules to ensure they’re human rights-compliant and not an open invitation for more sportswashing.”
Spurs chairman Levy and Al-Khelaifi have a long-standing friendship and repeatedly meet when in the identical metropolis, PA understands.
Both are a part of the European Club Association board, the place Al-Khelaifi is chair, and obtained collectively final month in Doha after an ECA assembly.
Given QSI’s majority stake in PSG, any funding in Tottenham or one other Premier League membership would solely be a minority buy.
QSI accomplished a 22 per cent stake in Portuguese outfit Braga in October and seem eager to spice up their portfolio of golf equipment following the World Cup in Qatar.
As we all know from the World Cup, Qatar is extremely concerned in the usage of sport to refashion its picture on the worldwide stage and Qatar’s attainable involvement with Tottenham needs to be seen on this context – as extra potential sportswashing.
Amnesty International
While Fifa president Gianni Infantino declared the primary ever winter version of the match the “best ever” final month, it was mired in controversy from the deaths of migrant employees constructing stadiums to the therapy of LGBTQ+ supporters who have been repeatedly prevented from sporting rainbow-coloured clothes or displaying rainbow flags.
Fifa was additionally criticised within the first week of the competitors after it threatened sporting sanctions in opposition to the seven European nations who needed their captains, together with Tottenham and England ahead Harry Kane, to put on a rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armband as an anti-discrimination image.
Spurs’ LGBTQ+ followers group Proud Lilywhites urged the membership to recollect its values amid speak it may grow to be concerned with a rustic the place same-sex relationships are criminalised.
“We’ve been assured by the club that there’s nothing in the rumours and we’re pleased to hear it as QSI don’t align to the club’s values of inclusion for everyone,” an announcement learn.
“Our members would be criminalised in Qatar and our Qatari siblings aren’t safe so until this changes, we would urge the club to ensure that this rumour remains a rumour.”
