They arrived in Doha backwards, and they will leave the same way. The French supporters who flew to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar with some doubts, even frank apprehensions, because of the countless criticisms of which the Gulf emirate was then the object, are full of praise today. today, on the organization of the event and on the atmosphere that reigns in the city-state.
“We were ashamed to say around us that we were going to Qatar, we even thought of canceling our tickets, tells a group of Breton friends. But in the end, we will return delighted. In everything that is said about this country, there is a lot of nonsense. » This Thursday 1er December, the three couples from Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d’Armor) stroll around the Palais des Congrès in the Qatari capital, in the West Bay business district, on the lookout for tickets for the Morocco-Canada match of the evening. The place hosts the ticket office of the International Federation (FIFA) and a parallel resale market, where the ticket in category 1 does not sell for less than 400 euros.
It’s on a whim, “after a drunken dinner”that the supporters of Brittany, fifty-somethings working in construction, the drug trade and catering, have decided to attend the World Cup, their first. “The instructions from the travel agency put us off a bittestifies Nathalie. We were told about a very strict dress code, nothing tight and nothing above the knee. In the end, it is much more flexible than we thought »adds this chef, in shorts and black tank top.
Safety and walks by the line
The precise logistics of the competition, with security guards every 30 meters, metro trains every minute and an armada of agents responsible for guiding the slightest step of foreign visitors, also contributes to the enthusiasm of the six friends. “We never queue, there are no fights. If you forget your wallet on a table, you are sure to find it., says Michael.
It is true that under the flamboyant skyscrapers of West Bay, a concentration of hypermodernity, next to which the towers of La Défense, in the west of Paris, have a pleasantly old-fashioned air, one is soon dazzled. And to minimize or forget the subjects which fueled the controversies before the tournament, such as the many deaths on the construction sites and the very high carbon footprint of this planetary event.
“We are plagued by the ecological spirit, we should flagellate ourselves all the time”grumbles Michel. “This metro is super pleasant, it’s not the type to go on strike”, Nathalie dares. The latter does not know that in Qatar, workers do not have the right to stop work and that those who risk it, even to denounce the non-payment of their wages, can be deported.
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