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The former President of the Republic was the guest of the Demain le Sport festival this Thursday. François Hollande explains his position on the 2022 World Cup due to “the conditions in which this competition takes place, the climate and the construction of the stadiums.”
“I wouldn’t go to Qatar if I were head of state”, reacted François Hollande, on Thursday, September 22, at the Demain le Sport festival organized by franceinfo, with France Télévisions and L’Equipe, at the Maison de la Radio et de la Musique. Former President of the Republic explains his position “given what we know about the conditions of this competition, weather and construction” particular stadiums. “It would not necessarily be useful for the heads of state and government to rush to Qatar”adds the former President of the Republic.
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“About the boycott, I cannot ask the footballers not to go to a competition for which they have been preparing for years. The position of not going seems untenable to me”specifies the former head of state.
“We cannot ask players to take a position that is not theirs.”
François Hollande, former President of the Republicat the Demain le Sport festival
François Hollande also spoke about the delicate position of the Paris Saint-Germain players regarding the World Cup in Qatar. “For a PSG player, talking about Qatar is not necessarily easy. stresses François Hollande. Some players are linked to Qatar professionally like the Paris Saint-Germain players, with, I imagine, a reserve obligation falling on them. They cannot challenge their employer.”
François Hollande also returned to awarding the World Cup to Qatar, which at the time had no “has not created any particular controversy”according to him. “If not on a climatological level, there had been no protest movement. And France, then presided over by Nicolas Sarkozy, had not remained indifferent to Qatar’s election at that time, in particular in relation to PSG’s inauguration.”.