That beIN Sports has been the biggest obstacle to the Saudi takeover demonstrates the extent to which toxic geopolitics now infest the English game
Finally. Someone with actual power and clout prepared to stand up to the despotic thugs of Saudi Arabia, and lobby the Premier League to block the proposed takeover of the cherished community institution Newcastle United. But wait. Who are these mysterious philanthropists, these heroic knights of human rights? Angels of justice, reveal yourselves at once! Oh. Hello there, Qatar. Right. That’s a bit awkward.
Still: any port in a storm, as they say. And the news that the most significant opposition to the purchase of Newcastle comes not from the Premier League or from Newcastle fans but from beIN Sports, the home of Richard Keys and Andy Gray and in effect the media arm of the Qatari government, should at the very least offer us pause for thought. These are disorienting times, and so perhaps it’s only to be expected that a few unholy alliances are going to be formed along the way.
Written by Jonathan Liew
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/22/broadcast-rights-trump-human-rights-in-premier-leagues-newcastle-battleground under the title “
“. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
