Gary Neville is facing criticism after he filmed the latest episode of The Overlap in Qatar, alongside former Manchester United team mate David Beckham.
Beckham received criticism after it was announced that he has become an ambassador for Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup which will get underway in November. Beckham was chosen for the ambassadorial role after playing for Qatar owned Paris Saint Germain towards the end of his career.
Amnesty International, the world’s leading human rights organisation has urged Beckham to use his role to raise awareness about the country’s human rights record.
Ahead of the tournament, Qatar has been marred with unwanted headlines about the country’s treatment of migrant workers and LGBTQ+ people.
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And now, Neville is the subject of backlash after filming in the country.
People took to social media to show their disapproval of the choice of location.
iPaper’s Oliver Young-Myles tweeted: “Gary Neville’s Overlap with David Beckham was a PR exercise for Qatar & the World Cup. Brazen sportswashing. Not a single mention of the 6,500+ migrants who’ve died building stadiums or women’s/LGBTQ+ rights.”
“Just waffle about the nice facilities & ‘spreading the game.”
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Football writer Grace Robertson shared similar feelings, she tweeted: “Normally they do these in some place that's important to the guest. This one is in Qatar because... Qatar paid Beckham a lot of money to be an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup.”
SBS News’ Tom Canetti said: “Garry Neville @Gnev2 has always championed rights for the working class in England against the elite. Would love to see him start doing the same thing in Qatar, instead of promoting an event built on modern slavery.”
Tariq Panja of the New York Times was surprised that Beckham was not asked about his role with Qatar and the reasoning behind the former England captain choosing to accept the role.
He said: “See David Beckham has given a long interview, discussed England’s chances at the World Cup in Qatar. But not asked about his role as an ambassador for that tournament in return for an eye watering sum of money.”
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“More than 18 months since he agreed the deal and never once said why.”
What was meant to be an interesting interview with one of England’s finest players has been overshadowed by the filming location.
During the interview, Beckham touched on the reasoning behind why England’s ‘Golden Generation’ failed to deliver any success, stating the team was just not good enough on the day.
Topics: Football, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Football World Cup, Qatar
Marcus Chan