Fans are resigned to the lack of beer in Qatar

Camels can survive without water in the desert for up to two weeks. Football fans at the World Cup also have to go without their favorite drink after the first ten days of the tournament. “MK” tells how they do it and what tricks the sufferers use.

The “driest” championship

Before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, one of the most discussed topics in the media and among the fans was the lack of beer. It just so happened that this drink, along with hot dogs, has become a traditional attribute of watching football matches in the stands of stadiums. The authorities of the emirate immediately after winning their bid to host an international tournament in 2010 promised to resolve this issue, since Qatar is one of the most traditional Muslim states in the world. And the use of any alcohol in this country, let’s face it, is not welcome. But FIFA has sponsors – beer companies, whose presence at the World Cup is mandatory.

By the way, in Russia in 2018, the legislation also had to be changed to allow the consumption of beer during matches. In Qatar, things turned out to be much more complicated. When it seemed that everything had already been agreed and decided, the authorities of the emirate at the last moment, a couple of days before the start of the tournament, “backed off” and banned alcoholic beer even in those places where its sale was originally agreed. Because of this, FIFA has had problems with its beer sponsor, and it is likely that at the next 2026 World Cup, the International Football Federation may miss several tens of millions of dollars in sponsorship money.

Among the fans who had already arrived in Qatar, there was a stir, because of which, as MK already wrote, there was even a slight collapse in the main fan zone in Doha.

And now, after ten days of the tournament, it turns out that not everything is so bad. And fans are gradually getting used to watching football “dry”. Accepting the fact that the consumption of alcohol is prohibited in the first ever tournament held in a Muslim country. There were also those who are willing to pay a fairly high price for the opportunity to enjoy a foamy drink while watching the matches of their teams.

Those who do not have much money go to various tricks, trying to smuggle alcohol into the stands of stadiums. Yes, beer is available in designated fan areas and some hotels. But the hassle and expense of finding alcohol – half a liter is sold in fan zones for 50 Qatari riyals, which is almost 14 US dollars – is simply too much for many fans from countries where beer and football are almost inseparable.

“It’s a tradition for me: drinking beer and watching football, enjoying the game with friends. And I miss this tradition, because the non-alcoholic beer sold in Qatar cannot compensate for it. I first tasted beer at football when my father took me to a match as a teenager. But, on the other hand, we came to the championship, Qatar has beautiful weather and a great atmosphere,” Belgian doctor Stefan Pakkiv shares his impressions in an interview with Reuters reporters.

However, the ban on alcohol in football is periodically practiced even in European countries. For example, German fan Christian Kopacz says alcohol was often banned at matches in his home country because it poses a risk of violence among fans, so the Qatari “dry” World Cup was not a big adjustment for him.

“I can go a week without alcohol. And everything is very peaceful here. Unlike other international tournaments, there are almost no fights between fans. Especially compared to the riots that took place in Belgium after the victory of the Moroccan national team, or the news about the fights between English and Welsh fans in Tenerife in Spain, ”Kopach expressed his opinion.

Little tricks

And what about those who suffer? They have their own tricks. One video shared on social media showed security seizing what appeared to be a pair of binoculars from a Mexican fan who turned the item into a secret bottle of alcohol in an attempt to get into his national team’s match against Argentina. In this video, one of the security personnel can be seen unscrewing one of the eyecups and simulating a sip to show a colleague what he has found, while a fan in a green-white-red wig appears to be gesturing that the contents are in fact is a sanitary gel for hand disinfection.

And yet, most fans seem to have finally accepted and resigned themselves to the fact that this tournament will have to give up old habits.

“It’s a fact that we always celebrate national team victories with drinks before or after the game, so I think it can make a difference, but it’s not critical. You can celebrate in some other way. In the end, you can get drunk with joy or grief when you return home and have a big party there, ”said Raimundo Ujo, a Spanish fan from A Coruña, in an interview with reporters, expressing his opinion and the opinion of his friends who came to Qatar.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 28923 dated December 1, 2022

Newspaper headline:
“Let’s go home and get drunk”