Courier company GLS, department store chain Carrefour and now chocolate manufacturer Côte d’Or, all three sponsors of the Red Devils, will not take customers and guests to the World Cup in Qatar this autumn. The reason is the lousy human rights situation in the host country.
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As a sponsor of the national team, GLS, Carrefour and Côte d’Or can get tickets to the World Cup in Qatar, but now they have decided to forego that opportunity to network in the Middle East. “We believe that this World Cup should not be used for commercial purposes,” says GLS. The parcel service with headquarters in Amsterdam will also not conduct World Cup campaigns in our country. Supermarket chain Carrefour has announced that it is still planning an action around the Red Devils. “But it has nothing to do with the World Cup.”
GLS, Carrefour and Côte d’Or are thus following in the footsteps of ING Netherlands, the Dutch Lottery, Albert Heijn, KPN and Bitvavo. Those five sponsors of the Dutch national team already announced last week that they would not travel to Qatar. Even then, ING Belgium, main sponsor of the Red Devils, was asked what their plans were. “Too early to say that,” he said.
At GLS they emphasize that they can understand that the Red Devils will descend to Qatar. “It seems that international pressure has already led to reforms. The focus on Qatar as a country during the World Cup can contribute to further reforms. We expect that the approach of the Belgian federation will help the country move forward.’
The Football Association has previously entered into a dialogue with its sponsors about Qatar and only wants to work locally with companies that have signed a charter for human rights and working conditions.
Interests in Qatar
Six other sponsors of the Red Devils are unanimously against the human rights situation in Qatar, but for the time being have not gone further than expressing their support and confidence in the union’s plan. The Belgian branch of bank ING, car brand BMW, telecom operator Proximus and consultancy company PwC say they have not yet made a decision about their presence in Qatar. Clothing sponsor Adidas and nutritional supplement company Herbalife leave the question open for the time being. Beer brand Jupiler, the National Lottery, soft drink giant Coca-Cola and construction company Besix did not answer yet.
For some of them it is more difficult than others to distance themselves from the World Cup. Adidas is also the official sponsor of organizer Fifa at the World Cup and Besix itself has interests in Qatar, where it built the concrete structure of the Doha Exhibition & Convention Center. That is the place where the World Cup draw took place two weeks ago.
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