Iran and other Arab nations have been criticized by the west for refusing to play against teams representing Israel. Sputnik spoke with John Sugden; Professor Of Sports sociology at the University Of Brighton to find out more on the topic.
Sputnik: Is football and sport in general becoming increasingly politicised?
John Sugden: It’s always been politicised and it would be nonsense to say it is not. With regards to the stuff that’s been going on in Iran and Jerusalem, it’s becoming much more the case. According to FIFA’s rulebook, Iran should be banned for their actions, which would be detrimental to the Iranians because they crave the legitimacy of having a team playing at the 2018 World Cup.
Sputnik: What potential problems could there be regarding hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?
John Sugden: There will be huge problems. Qatar essentially owns PSG, which is now a state owned football team playing at the top level of the European game, so what nonsense is it that a state owns a football club, which is then used to parade their prowess on the world stage, which is ridiculous.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.