🔴 EOTK Insider Opinion: The Manchester United Qatari takeover apologists have sunk to new depths as Liverpool dodge a bullet

Qatar appears to have moved on from Liverpool after talks broke down but now the soul of another footballing institution is up for grabs

Qatar. Liverpool.

A match made in heaven? Or two entities with completely opposing values?

As recent Twitter debates have proved to a certain extent, there’s a surprising lack of unity on the matter when it comes to the prospect of Liverpool being owned, for all intents and purposes, by a state.

The financial gap between ourselves and the likes of Newcastle United and Manchester City has been used, by some, to justify the Reds completely discarding their socialist roots and humanitarian values in the name of levelling the playing field.

I’m not suggesting for one moment that Fenway Sports Group shouldn’t consider inviting investments (or handing over the reins altogether) from an individual or group originating from the Middle East, or anywhere else for that matter. However, there’s a big difference between being owned by an entity separate to a state and being owned by an entity with connections to a regime blemished by a poor human rights record.

It shouldn’t be controversial to say that Liverpool should never be owned by a state either - especially those that fail to respect the sanctity of human life. That doesn’t just go for Qatar and should be a blanket response even if offers came from those intrinsically intertwined with the USA’s government, or France’s, or Monaco’s, and so on and so forth.

If that isn’t enough to convince fans that Fenway made the right call, one Qatari journalist’s (@Qatari) response to the harrowing tale of Abdullah Ibhais, as was investigated by the Independent’s Miguel Delaney, should act as further compelling evidence.

محمد الكعبي @Qatari

@MiguelDelaney My friend, don't talk about things you don't know. I note that you are one of the strongest opponents of the Qatari takeover of Manchester United. But I'd like to assure you, we'll be doing a total acquisition soon

“Don’t talk about things you don’t know.”

Whilst @Qatari shouldn’t be considered a spokesperson for the Qatari government, the lack of willingness to engage in a rational discussion over what is certainly not the sole troubling case in Qatar is more than a little worrying. The additional responses from some Manchester United fans online - mirroring a handful of Liverpool supporters on social media - perhaps even more so.

Miguel Delaney @MiguelDelaney

If anyone wants to see sportswashing in real time, have a look at my mentions or DMs. You’d absolutely despair Even how certain lines are parroted

Cries of xenophobia have become the norm in an attempt to defend the World Cup hosts against accusations of human rights abuses, maltreatment of migrant workers and a lack of tolerance for the LGBTQI+ community.

How exactly it’s xenophobic to criticise a state that imprisons individuals after coercing a confession as part of an unfair trial is beyond me.

“But I’d like to assure you, we’ll be doing a total acquisition.”

Empire of the Kop is of the understanding that the Qatari government is hoping to use the World Cup as a launchpad for investment opportunities abroad, with the Premier League viewed as the ideal opportunity to expand the national brand.

There’s a certain level of arrogance attached to a potential takeover in England, as exemplified by @Qatari, that many should find a little perverse, particularly in the context of an unwillingness to address the human rights abuses still occurring in the nation.

In some quarters the conversation appears to have moved away from outright denial or silence to the ambiguous, but no less disturbing, “there’s nothing you can do about it!”

Cue sadistic laughter accompanied by a round of thunder and lightning.

Liverpool and FSG have made the right call on the matter but that sadly doesn’t mean the fight is over whilst the soul of another great footballing institution remains up for grabs.

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