Peter Moore says Liverpool won’t force values on Qatar during Club World Cup despite fan concerns

Moore insists the club are keen to stop short of ‘forcing [their] values and beliefs on others’
Liverpool FC via Getty Images
David Lynch4 November 2019

Peter Moore has rejected suggestions that Liverpool should look to use their participation in the Club World Cup next month as a vehicle to campaign for cultural change in Qatar.

The Reds are scheduled to head to the Gulf state in mid-December to take part in a seven-team tournament that could see them crowned world champions for the first time.

However, the host country’s record on human rights, LGBT issues, and workers’ rights has led to concerns being expressed by fan groups ahead of the trip.

Last month, supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly called on Qatari authorities to “investigate and address the deeply troubling pattern of deaths of migrant workers”, reports of which have plagued the build-up to its hosting of the 2022 World Cup.

Fan group Kop Outs have also sought assurances that LGBT+ members of the Reds’ supporter base will be able to make the trip “without hindrance and fear from the authorities”, despite homosexuality still being illegal in Qatar.

But, while Liverpool have released extensive travel advice and vowed to ensure that the best interests of supporters are protected during their stay, chief executive Moore insists the club are keen to stop short of ‘forcing [their] values and beliefs on others’ by throwing their weight behind wider discussions on their hosts’ suitability.

He said: “I think that’s an important question and I respect and understand why it’s being asked but I also think it’s important that we have to have the humility as a football club.

“We’re a football club first, second, and last, we’re not a political organisation, and it’s neither our place nor our ambition to go from country to country forcing our values and our beliefs on others.

“We have our own standards and our responsibility is to ensure we live up to them and that anybody we work with at whatever level is aware of them, but anything beyond that would be misplaced.

“If the involvement of our football club, or any other football club for that matter, helps prompt positive change, then I would be the first to welcome that. But that shouldn’t be the measurement of our involvement.

“As with every other country we visit, we’ll be respectful to our hosts, we’ll endeavour to conduct ourselves and perform in a manner keeping with ‘The Liverpool Way’.

“We’ll act in the best interests of our supporters and we’ll do our very best on each and every one of those fronts, but in that respect I’m confident that the prep work we have done gives us the best chance possible of achieving all these objectives.”

Moore went on to assure supporters that the club have left ‘no stone unturned’ in their preparations for the trip to Qatar, taking advice from a variety of organisations ahead of next month’s tournament.

He added: “It goes without saying that, along with the team itself, supporters are at the forefront of our thinking.

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“One of the priorities for Qatar has been to speak to our supporters, to listen to their concerns, and to address them wherever possible.

“We’ve sought and received assurances that our LGBT supporters will be welcome in Qatar, something that was vital to us as a club given our longstanding commitment to both equality and diversity.

“We’ve sought and received information on hotel provision, match tickets, stadium readiness, safety issues, cultural matters, and a whole host of other issues. In fact, no stone has been left unturned.

“We’ve engaged with a range of organisations, including supporter bodies, LGBT pressure groups, trade unions, the UK foreign office, NGOs, human rights experts, Fifa - wherever there’s a knowledge, experience and an understanding, we’ve looked to tap into it.

“All of this work has been done with the aim of giving our supporters and ourselves the best possible understanding for Qatar, and I’d like to thank all of those who have contributed during this process because their input has been invaluable.”

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