Matildas coach dodges questions on Saudi Women’s World Cup sponsorship
Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has sidestepped the issue of Saudi Arabia’s potential sponsorship of the Women’s World Cup but suggested his side’s values do not align with those of the Middle Eastern kingdom.
Visit Saudi – the tourism arm of a country with a human rights record described by Amnesty International as “appalling” – has been linked with becoming the headline sponsor of this year’s tournament.
Women were not able to enter sport stadiums in Saudi Arabia until 2018 and homosexuality remains illegal. The Saudis won hosting rights to the 2027 Men’s Asian Cup on Wednesday and were given a spot on Fifa’s council.
Football Australia (FA) chair Chris Nikou and his counterpart at New Zealand Football Joanna Wood have written to Fifa to express their concern about the potential sponsorship deal for the
World Cup, which kicks off on 20 July.
“We cannot express strongly enough the potential repercussions and fallout that could result of this decision,” the letter said, adding the two countries had “placed the utmost importance on gender equality”.
At Thursday’s unveiling of the Matildas squad for the upcoming Cup of Nations tournament, FA asked media to refrain from questioning players about the Saudi sponsorship.
Gustavsson’s response could be seen by some to suggest he doesn’t believe his team’s values match those of Saudi Arabia.
“It’s too early to comment right, but I know what these women stand for and what the team stands for,” he said.
“That’s from way before my time, I’ve had the privilege to meet the Matildas alumni and everyone knows the core values of this team. The federation is seeking more information and the