David Beckham has repertedly left the organisers of the Qatar World Cup ‘exasperated’ and ‘angered’ over his lack of engagement in his role as ambassador.
Beckham signed up to represent Qatar before and during its hosting of the World Cup two years ago and has reportedly been paid £120m for his input.
But according to The New York Times, the Qatari bosses aren’t happy with his reluctance to face questions on awkward issues and feel they haven’t received a good return on their investment.
Beckham’s employers were reportedly hoping the former Manchester United star would speak out on their behalf on LGBTQ+ issues and the country’s human rights record during the tournament.
His bosses apparently saw the interview with Gary Neville as the perfect opportunity to address the awkward issues surrounding the World Cup as they thought Beckham’s former teammate was unlikely to grill the ex-England captain as much as a hard-hitting journalist, particularly as Neville would be working for Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports.
But Beckham and his entourage reportedly ‘balked’ at the idea of talking about those tough subjects.
The report also claims that other ambassadors like Xavi and Cafu have been ‘riled up’ by the special treatment they deem Beckham to have received, as well as the huge sum he’s been paid in comparison to them.
Despite claims of unhappiness on Qatar’s end, Beckham’s publicist responded to The New York Times and played down notions that the former England captain had made himself unavailable.
“David has been involved in a number of World Cups and other major international tournaments both as a player and an ambassador and he has always believed that sport has the power to be a force for good in the world,” the brief statement read.
“We understand that there are different and strongly held views about engagement in the Middle East but see it as positive that debate about the key issues has been stimulated directly by the first World Cup being held in the region. We hope that these conversations will lead to greater understanding and empathy toward all people and that progress will be achieved.”
MAILBOX: Why do Man Utd want Vlahovic when Mitrovic is there for the taking?
