GILLIAN DUNCAN Saudi Arabia complains to Fifa over beIN insults
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has lodged an official complaint with Fifa over beIN Sports’ World Cup coverage, which has included insulting political messages about the kingdom and its leadership.
The Qatari-funded network, which holds sole broadcasting rights in the region to the tournament, has used its coverage to spread “hatred among fans and people in the region”, the Saudi federation says.
The complaint follows the channel’s coverage of the opening match between Saudi Arabia and Russia, which the Saudi team lost 0-5. Presenters and analysts made comments about politics in the kingdom.
In its complaint the federation said offensive remarks were made repeatedly and on “previous occasions”.
The complaint said beIN’s commentary was contrary to Fifa rules, which stress the exclusion of politics from sport.
Coverage by beIN’s sister news network, Al Jazeera, is one of the factors behind the crisis in the Gulf, with Qatar’s neighbours demanding it be shut down for providing a platform to extremist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.
The move follows the launch of a petition on the sports4everyone.org website against the “politicisation” of the Qatari broadcaster’s coverage.
Addressed to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, the petition urges the world body to take immediate action against the channel. It has already drawn more than 102,000 signatures.
In its complaint, the Saudi federation called on Fifa “to take the necessary and severe sanctions” against beIN, including removal of its broadcast rights for the World Cup.
The beIN network has been blocked in the kingdom since the boycott of Qatar was initiated by the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in June last year.