The film gives an insight into how Qatar, in the person of Qatar’s Emir Tamin bin Hamad al-Thani (right), managed to keep the World Cup in the country. Here he is with Fifa President Gianni Infantino (left).Image: imago images / Laci Perenyi
football column
In his weekly column, fan researcher Harald Lange writes exclusively on watson about the things that are currently moving football in Germany.
harald long
Sports journalists Jochen Breyer and Julia Friedrichs have created a documentary that is well worth seeing and is available in the ZDF media library: “Geheimsache Qatar”. In this 45-minute contribution, the two explore the question of how those in power in the emirate were able to bring the World Cup to their desert state.
The core message of the film is clearly worked out: In the run-up to the awarding of the World Cup in 2010, the offices in Qatar responsible for acquiring the World Cup pulled off a brilliant coup. In the years that followed, this was only surpassed by the achievement of moving the World Cup from the summer to the pre-Christmas period and keeping the controversial World Cup in the country.
Sports scientist and watson columnist Harald Lange.picture: University of Würzburg
About the author
Harald Lange has been a professor of sports science at the University of Würzburg since 2009. He heads the “Fan and Football Research” project and is considered one of the best-known sports researchers in Germany. The 53-year-old writes and talks about football every day, including in his seminar “Which football do we want?”
How could that happen? Quite simply, Qatar understood what professional football is all about first and foremost: They took advantage of the unbridled greed of the sport’s powers that be and got loyalty for this World Cup in return for their money. So anyone who wants to be outraged about the fact that this World Cup is taking place in Qatar must direct their criticism first and foremost to Fifa, but also to the powerful football bosses from Europe and Germany.
The film shows that we know far too little about Qatar
The research and interpretations of the ZDF team stung deep into a wasp’s nest at one point. They managed to establish a connection between the Rolex watches belonging to Bayern boss and Uefa official Karlheinz Rummenigge, which were discovered by German customs after a trip to Qatar, the Qatar sponsorship for FC Bayern and the World Cup in Qatar. If these results can be confirmed and deepened, then another scandal in the style of the “summer fairy tale” disenchanted in 2015 by research by “Spiegel” threatens German football in its executive suite. In my opinion, a great sports journalistic achievement.
“But after watching this film, it is clear to every viewer that there is a deficit of ideal values in the circles of the powerful football bosses.”
The film is as long as half a football game and I don’t want to miss a second. Background knowledge on Qatar’s sports strategy is clearly integrated into a common thread. The result is a plausible story that shows us from Jochen Breyer’s perspective how the people in Qatar live and how interested the men in Qatar are in football. With a view of the gigantic skyline of the capital Doha, the country is aptly characterized as a facade society and the viewer realizes: We know far too little about the people of Qatar, their worldview, tradition, likes, dislikes and way of life.
The capital of Qatar, Doha, is located on the seafront.Image: AP / Darko Bandic
In the circles of football bosses there is a deficit of ideal values
But the film is not only highly informative – the dramaturgy picks up every viewer and gives us an exemplary impression of the World Cup host: Jochen Breyer shows us the sweaty heat, the air-conditioned subway stops, which hardly anyone uses so far because you drives a car in Qatar. But he also lets us take part in the conversations in the circle of friends of his host, the World Cup ambassador and former Qatar international Khalid Salman and marvels.
Women are compared to sweets and homosexuality is classified as a mental illness. Terrifying but authentic. If such attitudes actually guide social life in Qatar, there will be no significant reforms there in the foreseeable future. In any case, girls will not be allowed to play football in this country.
However, that would have been a binding criterion for Fifa for awarding the tournament at this World Cup. But after watching this film, it is clear to every viewer that there is a deficit of ideal values in the circles of powerful football bosses. They don’t even follow their own rules.
In view of this pessimistic insight, the appearances of national player Leon Goretzka in this film act as a beneficial highlight. This footballer shows attitude in the critical questions about this World Cup and gives hope. The fans will love him for it.
