Ikram Saab wrote on “Sky News”:
The Lebanese prepare to attend the matches of the 2022 World Cup, while the atmosphere of the World Cup and the competition between the fans of the national teams have started to pervade the streets for a few days.
So far, negotiations are still underway between the information minister in the interim government, engineer Ziad Al-Makari, and the authorities in charge of ensuring the broadcast of matches through Lebanon’s official television screen in the country, without reaching a tangible result.
On Thursday evening, the information minister’s press office released a statement explaining that “negotiations with the Qatari team to guarantee the broadcasting of the 2022 World Cup matches on Lebanese TV are still ongoing and the matter is not has been fixed up to then. “
Sources told Sky News Arabia that “there are many complications and difficulties in the negotiations, and limited time is an unnecessary factor.”
Till now the waiting is still mistress of the situation, as the possibility to follow the World Cup leads to incurring an amount of money that many Lebanese cannot afford even during the previous matches of the World Cup i.e. 4 years ago, so like now in the light of the economic crisis and the high poverty rate?
The cafeterias are ready
The captain of the owners of restaurants, cafes and pastry shops in Lebanon, Tony Al-Rami, told “Sky News Arabia” that “the cost of season tickets for the transfer of matches in cafes ranges from 3 thousand to 15 thousand US dollars, depending on the capacity of the bar and that the bar that can seat 50, for example, will be paid”. Instead of allowing direct transfer, an amount starting at at least $3,000.
Al-Rami expected that “cafes would be crowded with visitors, especially after the difficulty of securing free broadcasting of matches via official television, announcing that the atmosphere would be ensured at reasonable and considered prices, taking into account the economic situation of the citizen.”
The absence of electricity
The owner of a bar in the Hamra district of the capital, Beirut, said: ‘Most of the football fans will go to the bars to watch the matches because it costs more to watch at home, and there is also a problem with a lack of electricity. “.
He added: “In the cafes the atmosphere is different. Decorations and flags of the participating teams have been prepared and most of the cafes have turned into large halls so that the fans feel like they are on a runway. There are loudspeakers, horns ( sounds blowing air) and people who will paint slogans on faces. The atmosphere is more enthusiastic.”
And the owner of a bar and restaurant in Ashrafieh, east of Beirut, indicates that “despite all the bad conditions that the Lebanese are going through, they are waiting for this opportunity … and after that previously they were about 85 percent of restaurant goers, only after the October 17 revolution and the port explosion and the spread of the Corona epidemic and the social, financial and health collapses changed the situation, and most of those who go to restaurants are now those who receive their salaries in dollars.
And near the Arab University of Beirut, west of the capital, the owner of a café underlined that “this year the atmosphere is different and more crowds are expected than before due to the absence of electricity from a side, and because of the impossibility of guaranteeing transport to homes on the other.
He added: “The atmosphere will be enthusiastic, and we will take into account the difficult economic conditions, and set a token amount for admission not to exceed 60,000 Lebanese pounds for each person per game (one and a half dollars), but of course this will not it has nothing to do with requests, food and refreshments”.
And he continued: “We could cancel the entry fee for some matches and keep it for those that attract large crowds.”
Lean subscriptions
“Until now, there is still little demand from Lebanese for season tickets to watch matches through authorized agents of transport companies, especially in Beirut,” says Jad, one of the employees of an authorized transfer agent company. World Cup.
He stresses that “the situation is no better outside the capital”, underlining that “the percentage of subscribers in Beirut does not exceed 30 percent, when it reached 90 percent four years ago”.
He explains that “the indemnity resulting from the subscription is about 90 dollars, while before the crisis Lebanon is going through it was 135,000 pounds, and the price of the indemnity increases as the quality of the selected packages increases, and can reach $200 a month.”
For his part, Tony (a mechanical engineer) says, “Perhaps the seizure of our money by the banks has prevented us from participating in the match transfer packages.”
And he adds: “In light of the economic collapse, most of the Lebanese people will not be able to participate.. From here, they will have no choice but to go to the cafes and pay their bills there”.
