The Australian National Team urged Qatar on Thursday to implement reforms in favor of human rights, including the decriminalization of same-sex relations, ahead of the World Cup that will open next month.
In a collective video of about three and a half minutes published on the social networks of the ‘socceroos’, several of the players of the national team express their concern about the treatment given to migrant workers, after complaints about the death of thousands of them who have worked on the construction of infrastructure for Qatar 2022.
Universal values
“There are universal values that should define football: values such as respect, dignity, trust and courage. When we represent our nation, we aspire to embody these values,” says soccer captain goalkeeper Mat Ryan.
For his part, midfielder Denis Genreau stresses that the ‘socceroos’, which is one of the 32 teams participating in the tournament that takes place between November 20 and December 18, fully support “the rights of people LGTBI +”.
“But in Qatar people are not free to love the person they choose. Addressing these issues is not easy and we do not have all the answers,” added the young man born in France, in the video that has already been seen by more than 170,000 people on Twitter.
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