"Qatar's World Cup organization will of course buy everything and everyone - and virtually everything and everyone will let themselves be bought." Johan Croneman calls for more critical issues on Dagens Nyheter.
It is just over the month since the national team's January tour ended and was rounded off with Kim Källström's hair-raising statement that peace and joy prevailed in Qatar - and that we probably would not believe everything we read about the country in overly angled Swedish media.
He got a hefty scoop of criticism, powdered immediately, had to mumble and crown himself quite well to explain that what he really meant was that the working conditions had actually become a little better down there, he had, for example, the Swedish embassy and the International Labor Organization's words on. What he saw with his own eyes never appeared.
We are approaching Qatar World Cup 2022, and the organizers are now entering the next phase: Now they will buy themselves free from all debt and make their World Cup a propaganda success for the country, region and politics. The Swedish Embassy is one of the first to invite sports and businessmen (many in one addition) to wash the village. Now here is the heel.
I would probably like to see someone go down and put both a little light and some pressure on the Swedish ambassador Ewa Polano. What role does she think Sweden will play in the future - and how has she and Sweden so far relied on the massive storm of criticism that the people in Qatar have received internationally. Both for the more than sick costs and for the occasionally slave-like working conditions prevailing in the country. What direction has Ewa Polano been watching? Over the sea? She must get questions.
Qatar's World Cup organization will of course buy everything and everyone - and virtually everything and everyone will let themselves be bought. That's how it works.