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Human Rights Groups Blast Qatar With A Silver Lining
Human rights group again this week blasted future World Cup host Qatar for its treatment of migrant workers. Yet, amid the criticism was an implicit recognition that the Gulf state rather than stonewalling its critics has in recent years engaged with the likes of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. It now has to demonstrate that it is serious about enforcing change.
Amnesty Secretary General Salil Shetty said Qatar could “signal that the government really means what it says about protecting workers’ rights” by intervening with Lee Trading and Contracting (LTC), a company that the human rights group said had failed to pay its 80 mostly Asian workers for the past year. As a result, the group said the workers were running low on food and living in legal limbo because LTC as their sponsor had failed to acquire residence permits for them without which they cannot seek alternative employment.
“I spent six months in Qatar but did not receive a single rupee. I was reluctant to come back home as I didn’t earn any money … When I got home my wife was weeping and even I did not feel good. I still feel very guilty. I have not done anything since I got back. I just sit at home looking after my children … When I was abroad, my wife took out more loans as my children were ill, so our debt grew to this huge amount. The only way I can pay it off is by going back abroad … If people asked for my advice, I would say Qatar is not a good place, so don’t go to Qatar. I had a very hard time there,” said Ravi Kumar, a Nepalese worker who worked in Qatar for a different company than LTC, in an interview with The Guardian.
Mr. Kumar said he would at times go for 24 hours without food – “12 hours’ work and then no food all night. When I complained, my manager assaulted me, kicked me out of the labor camp I lived in and refused to pay me anything. I had to beg for food from other workers.”
Mr. Kumar’s experience notwithstanding, Mr. Shetty’s remarks reflected the fact that Qatar has worked with human rights groups since winning in late 2010 its bid to host the 2010 World Cup and has taken a number of steps to improve the living and working conditions of migrant workers who constitute a majority of the Gulf state’s population. In contrast to countries like the United Arab Emirates that recently won a bid to host the 2020 World Expo, Qatar has allowed human rights groups to conduct research and announce their mostly damning findings at news conferences in the Gulf state, an occurrence that would have been unthinkable prior to its winning of its World Cup bid. By comparison, the UAE has in the same time period forced critical research centers to close down and is barring an increasing number of foreign scholars, including Qatari nationals, from entering the country.
Human Rights Watch this week, in another indication of a perception of Qatari willingness to engage and acknowledgement of the need to maintain pressure, called on Gulf states to do more to guarantee workers’ rights and urged the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to use its member states’ collective bargaining power to ensure better protection for their citizens in the Gulf.
Beyond the issuance of charters of workers’ rights by the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee and the Qatar Foundation that if implemented would radically alter the cycle of workers’ migration, Qatari officials have promised to improve lax implementation and enforcement of labor laws and regulations that would prevent cases like LTC. Qatar, by the same token however, earlier this year detained and deported a German television crew that was undercover filming workers in the Gulf state.
In an interview with The Guardian earlier this month, an unidentified Nepalese worker acknowledged change.
“That is partly because of the winter, which makes it much easier. But it’s also because the bosses are worried. They feel the eyes of the Qataris for the first time. Our bosses are not from here. They are Indians, or Arabs from Jordan, and Lebanon. They are the middle-men. They have been out of control, but now they are scared,” the worker said.
Speaking during a sports conference in Doha earlier this month, 2022 committee secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi noted that “we have awarded our first contracts for early work on the al-Wakrah Stadium and I am very proud to say that it contains in it provisions for our workers welfare standards and addresses issues from accommodation to remuneration.”
Qatar’s strategy of engagement, amid a wave of condemnatory media reporting, is intended to ensure that its sports policy and diplomacy succeeds in projecting soft power. It also is designed to use the improvement of migrant workers’ living and working conditions as a tool to fend off sensitive political demands by international trade unions, including granting workers the right to freely form unions and engage in collective bargaining.
Implicit in the human rights groups’ acknowledgement of Qatari engagement is a message: the success of Qatar’s soft power approach that builds on its sports, arts and investment policies has focused attention on the dark side of the Gulf state’s oil wealth-fuelled defense, security, development and modernization. To successfully project soft power, Qatar will have to take the lead with bold labor reforms. While Qatari officials embrace the principle of reform, Qatar has however so far stumbled in its efforts to avoid further reputational damage and turn the tide of negative reporting around. It’s a lesson other Gulf states like the UAE’s Dubai with its hosting of the World Expo can learn from.
That may be easier said than done. Labor reforms go the core of a far more delicate and existential issue in Qatar and other smaller Gulf states: many of the smaller Gulf states like Qatar host migrant and expatriate communities that outnumber locals by a factor of up to 10:1. Many locals fear that any change, including a revision or abolition of the kafala or sponsorship system, would endanger the nature of as well as their grip on society and threaten their culture.
That fear is reflected in a refusal among some Qataris in contrast to the government to entertain legitimate criticism that they reject as racially biased and anti-Qatari. Aani Khathon, an associate editor of Qatari news website Qatar Chronicle that features a commentator who takes controversial positions charged in an email that this blog’s reporting and analysis was part of “the minority in the Western media’s current anti-Qatar agenda” and reflected “racial bias against our people.”
The commentator who publishes under the name, Jassim bin Sosibo Al Thani, and whose analysis at times transcends conventional Qatari thinking and suggests a more Islamic than Arab nationalist approach, this week extolled Qatar’s massive foreign buying and investment spree, including its acquisition of French soccer team Paris Saint Germaine and the launch of sports television channel beIN Sport as well as what he saw as Qatar’s foreign policy achievements. “Qatar reaffirms that she is awaking from her sleep, Qatar is digging herself out of the Bermuda Triangle dug by Arab nationalism,” Mr. Al Thani wrote.
Earlier, the writer defined Qatar as an Islamic rather than an Arab state and in a break with mainstream Qatari thinking suggested that anyone born in Qatar should be considered Qatari. Qatar has no naturalization law, but has granted citizenship to those with only one Qatari parent.
Members of the extended ruling Al Thani family and others knowledgeable about Qatari affairs have questioned Mr. Al Thani’s identity. They note that he is not listed in a family tree, is unknown to other Al Thanis who have been unable to ascertain his identity, writes his name in a way that deviates from family norms and that his online presence on social media dates back only to September. Fuelling speculation, Ms. Khathon, the Chronicle’s associate editor, refused to entertain questions on whether Mr. Al Thani was a member of the ruling family.
Published in permission with James M Dorsey
Memphis Depay is one of the most popular footballers in Europe right now, and here we find out about his net worth, salary, contract, tattoos, girlfriend, and more.
Memphis Depay Net Worth and Salary
Memphis Depay has a net worth of approximately £45 million which is largely down to his football career. However, some of it could be attributed to his hobby of producing hip-hop music as well. At 32, he would only expect that amount to increase in the future.
Depay signed for FC Barcelona in the summer of 2021. While he was initially offered a contract worth €7million plus add-ons per year, Depay agreed to a 30% salary cut to help the Catalan club register him for the season. He is believed to be earning a yearly salary of £4,680,000 now at Corinthians in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.
Memphis Depay Club Career
Depay started out his club career at Moordrecht as a 6-year-old. After moves to the youth teams of Sparta and PSV Eindhoven, he was promoted to the latter’s first team in the 2011-12 season. After scoring 50 goals in 124 appearances for them, he caught the eye of Manchester United in 2015.
The Red Devils signed the then 21-year-old forward, but things did not work out well for him there. Even though he won the FA Cup, the League Cup and the UEFA Europa League during his time at Old Trafford, Depay largely struggled under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, managing just 7 goals in 53 games for the club. His career received a lifeline when Olympique Lyon finally gave him an escape route in 2017.
He then became the main man in Lyon’s attack and his best season came in 2020/21, where he made the Ligue 1 Team of the Year. In his three and a half years at the club, Memphis managed 63 goals in 139 appearances. His dream move then came in the summer of 2021, when he was signed by Barcelona – who had just lost Lionel Messi to PSG – as a free agent.
Memphis Depay’s football journey continued with his move to Atletico Madrid in a significant transfer announcement on January 20, 2023. He inked a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club, marking a new chapter in his career. The initial transfer fee for this move was reported to exceed €4 million, underlining Atlético’s investment in the talented Dutchman.
Depay made an immediate impact in his new team, showcasing his goal-scoring abilities. On February 12, 2023, he netted his first goal for Atlético Madrid in a crucial 1-0 victory against Celta de Vigo.
Memphis Depay International Career
Depay has been a regular for the Netherlands and has represented them at the U15, U16, U17, U19, and U21 levels before making his bow for the senior team in his debut against Turkey in October 2013. He starred for the U17 Netherlands side that won the UEFA European Championship in 2011 and scored in the final.
He has also represented the U17 team in the U17 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Depay has a decent record for the national team so far and is one of their star players. He was particularly impressive for the senior team during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and has been a permanent fixture in the squad since then.
Depay also featured for Oranje in the 2020 UEFA Euros. He scored three times during the tournament but could not help his team progress further than the last-16 stage.
Memphis Depay Music Career and Rap Albums
Depay has another talent up his sleeves. The Dutch superstar has used the fame and wealth acquired from football towards furthering a career in Music on the sides. He started out by releasing non-Album freestyles, with his debut track ‘LA Vibes’ also featuring Netherlands teammate, Quincy Promes.
He has also combined on hit tracks with Dutch hip-hop stars Winnie as well as Broederliefde. Depay released several singles including ‘No Love’, which came after he broke off his engagement with his then-fiancee, Lori Harvey. The former Lyon superstar’s debut album dropped in 2020, which was titled ‘Heavy Stepper EP’, and did fairly well on the Dutch charts.
Memphis Depay Family, Girlfriend, and Personal Life
Memphis Depay was born in 1994 to his Ghanaian father, Dennis Depay, and Dutch mother, Cora Schensema. His father supposedly walked out on his family when he was 4, which is why Memphis prefers if people address him just by his first name.
Depay famously dated model Lori Harvey, the daughter of American TV star Steve Harvey, and the couple were even engaged up until 2018, when they announced their break-up. He is believed to have also dated actress Karrueche Tran in 2015, and most recently dated American singer Chloe Bailey (2020-21).
Memphis Depay Tattoos and Cars
The star forward has numerous tattoos on his body. One of them is a tattoo on his left arm that is a tribute to his grandfather, who passed away just before Memphis’ 15th birthday. He has a tattoo that states ‘succesvol’ on the inside of his lips, which translates to ‘successful in English and a big lion inked on his back.
Memphis also has the words ‘Dream Chaser’ tattooed on his upper torso. The Dutch international also has a Christ the Redeemer tattoo on his left torso with the date ‘18.06.14’. That goal came against Australia in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Depay has a large collection of cars. Some of his prized assets include a Mercedes Maybach S650 – $350,000, Rolls Royce Wraith – $600,000+, Mercedes AMG G63 – $150,000, and an Audi RS6 – $100,000. He also owned a Mercedes G-Wagon as of 2016 and is also believed to have owned a Ferrari.
Memphis Depay Sponsorships and Endorsements
Memphis Depay was sponsored by Under Armour for a while up until a supposed split in early 2021. He has sported Adidas boots heavily and even featured in a 2014 advertisement for them. Apart from them, Memphis Depay’s endorsements and sponsorships aren’t known.
Memphis Depay Social Media
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It will be a game of fine margins when Spain take on France in the first Euro 2024 semifinal on Tuesday night
A mere victory away from this summer’s showpiece event in Berlin, continental heavyweights Spain and France are set to clash in the Euro 2024 semi-finals on Tuesday. Both teams have been pragmatic rather than spectacular this summer and the clash on Tuesday will be a proper tactical matchup between Didier Deschamps and Luis de La Fuente.
Spain, boasting a flawless record so far, reached Munich by eliminating the hosts, Germany in a dramatic quarter-final. La Roja struck in the dying minutes of extra time to claim a 2-1 win in Stuttgart. Dani Olmo, brought on for the injured Pedri, opened the scoring, but Germany equalized through Florian Wirtz. Just as the game seemed destined for penalties, Mikel Merino’s powerful header secured Spain’s place in the semis.
Under the guidance of Luis de la Fuente, Spain have been a formidable force. They are the only team to have won all five of their matches in the tournament. No nation in European Championship history has won six times in a single finals or posted six consecutive wins. De la Fuente, who took over from Luis Enrique, has implemented a tactical shift that has paid dividends. Spain have recorded lower possession than their opponents twice this summer, a significant departure from their ball-heavy traditional style of football.
This new approach, featuring quick passing and pace out wide, has been highly effective. Since the start of 2023, Spain has the best win percentage of any European nation, winning 15 of their 19 games under De la Fuente. Their victory in the most recent UEFA Nations League means they are now on their best winning run since the glory days of June 2010.
Spain have advanced from four of their five European Championship semi-finals, with their only defeat coming in a penalty shootout against eventual winners Italy three years ago. They now aim to reach their fifth continental final and their first since their dominant run culminated in victory at Euro 2012.
Meanwhile, France are aiming to reach their fourth European Championship final, but only their second outside of French soil. Didier Deschamps, who oversaw their 2016 final defeat to Portugal in Paris, is determined to go one better this time. Having fallen at the final hurdle in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Les Bleus will hope to make amends on the continental stage.
Since their loss in the 2022 World Cup final, France’s progress has been less smooth compared to Spain’s. They were uninspired in their last-16 win over Belgium and narrowly edged past Portugal in the quarter-finals. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan made crucial saves to take the tie into extra time, and Theo Hernandez scored the decisive penalty in Hamburg.
Concerns over the form and fitness of captain Kylian Mbappe have persisted, as Real Madrid’s newest ‘galactico’ was forced off before the shootout. Despite Mbappe’s struggles, France has managed to find a way to advance. They have scored only four goals in their five Euro 2024 matches, three of which came from penalties or own goals. The inability to find the back of the net remains a major concern in the business end of the competition.
France’s style may not be as aesthetically pleasing as Spain’s, but they have been effective. They beat Spain 2-1 in their most recent meeting, the 2021 Nations League final, and few would bet against them in this semi-final clash. SoccerSouls predicts a close clash with little to separate them on the night. We take a look at how both sides could line up on the night and what tactics they might employ.
Team News and Predicted XI
Spain
Spain’s close win over Germany in the last eight came with a cost. Daniel Carvajal and Robin Le Normand are both suspended for the game while midfield maestro Pedri will miss the rest of the tournament thanks to a medial collateral ligament sprain. De La Fuente will hope that his squad can make up for the three absences.
La Roja are expected to line up in their traditional 4-3-3 formation with the excellent Unai Simon in goal. Real Madrid skipper Nacho and Aymeric Laporte should hold firm at centre-back with Jesus Navas and Marc Cucurella pushing forward at wing-back.
Rodri should once again form the pivot in the midfield, with Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz pushing forward. Skipper Alvaro Morata should lead the line with the electric duo of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams providing support.
Predicted Playing XI (4-3-3): Simon: Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Morata, Williams
France
With the slate wiped clean regarding bookings, France have no disciplinary issues to worry about. However, Kylian Mbappe’s nose injury remains a source of concern for Didier Deschamps and his team.
The former Paris Saint-Germain striker has scored only one goal from 20 shots at Euro 2024 thus far and will need to discover his shooting boots to give France a good chance of making the final.
Deschamps is likely to continue with the 4-3-1-2 formation with the excellent Mike Maignan in goal. The AC Milan stopper should be protected by the back four of Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and Theo Hernandez.
N’Golo Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni should form the double pivot in the midfield, freeing up Adrien Rabiot to push forward and help Antoine Griezmann in the number 10 role. Kylian Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani will lead the line and hope to end their nation’s poor goalscoring form in the tournament.
Predicted Playing XI (4-3-1-2): Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Griezmann; Kolo Muani, Mbappe
Key Stats
- Spain have advanced from four of their five European Championship semi-finals in history.
- A win on the night will see Spain become the first side to win six consecutive games in the same finals of the European Championships.
- Mike Maignan can boast a save ratio of 94%, the best ratio of any shot-stopper in the tournament.
- Both teams have faced off 36 times so far, with Spain coming out on top 16 times and France winning 13 games.
- Spain have won just one their six clashes against France at the European Championships.
Match Deciding Duel
Lamine Yamal (Spain) vs Theo Hernandez (France)
Lamal has certainly brought his A game to the tournament and will once again be Spain’s electric creator down their right flank. With Theo Hernandez and Adrien Rabiot likely to provide the thrust on the flanks for France, there will be space for Spain and Yamal to run into on the night.
This should work in the Iberian giants’ favour should Dani Olmo and Nico Williams stretch France, bringing Upamecano out of position. This should open up space for Morata to run into and cause havoc. Yamal’s eye for the audacious and his ability to get past players will certainly keep France on their toes.
Prediction
Spain 1-1 France (France to Progress on Penalties)
Given the stakes, the game is likely to be tightly contested. France have more match-winners in their squad and coupled with the absentees for Spain should give Les Bleus the advantage. The match is likely to go right down to the wire with Mike Maignan likely to come up trumps for his side in the penalty shootout.
Lionel Messi 2023 – Net Worth, Salary, Endorsements, Wife, Tattoos, Cars and More
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer to ever step foot on the green grass, and here we learn more about the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner’s net worth, salary, contract, and more.
Lionel Messi Facts
Lionel Messi Net Worth and Salary
Lionel Messi has a net worth of about $ 600 million. That figure does not come as a shock considering he is arguably the best player the world has ever seen during an age where players are paid handsomely by their clubs. This figure is largely down to his career at FC Barcelona.
The Argentine superstar left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after 21 years at the club. He signed an astonishing deal at PSG that sees him early with a weekly salary of £500,000.
According to Jorge Mas, Messi will earn approximately $60 million per year, which includes his salary, ownership stake in Inter Miami, and signing bonus. The contract is effective from July 1, 2023, until late December 2025.
Lionel Messi Club Career
Anyone who has heard about football knows Lionel Messi. The Argentine sensation arrived in Spain in 2000 from Newell’s Old Boys. At 16 years, 4 months, and 23 days, Messi finally made his much-awaited senior team debut for Barcelona in a friendly against Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto in November 2003.
Since then, Messi has won almost everything in sight. The 9-time La Liga player of the year has also won the league title 10 times in his career and 15 other domestic cup trophies. Lionel Messi is also a record six-time Ballon d’Or winner, which is one more than that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
He has also been awarded the UEFA Player of the Year Award thrice along with a Best FIFA Men’s Player title in 2019. His record at Barcelona makes for astonishing reading. Messi scored 672 goals and provided 306 assists during his 778 games for the Catalan giants. He made his debut for PSG against Reims in a Ligue 1 match on 29th August 2021.
Messi’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire on June 30, and he will leave the club this summer. He is set to join MLS Team Inter Miami as a free agent on July 1 2023.
Lionel Messi’s International Career
Lionel Messi is probably the only player to have been called Diego Maradona’s successor and actually go on to live up to that title. In fact, Messi actually bettered Maradona in every way when it came to stats and trophies at the club level. But what made Barrilete Cosmico a divine figure in Argentina was his role in Argentina’s 1986 FIFA World Cup win on home soil.
That was the argument used by many to state that Maradona’s legacy was greater than that of Messi because of international trophies. Once Cristiano Ronaldo won the UEFA Euro 2016 with Portugal, the pressure was on the mesmeric Argentine to win something with La Abiceleste.
Messi led Argentina to the 2014 FIFA World Cup final but failed at the last hurdle against Germany. He also lost in the Copa America finals in 2007, 2015, and 2016. But his golden moment finally came in 2021, when Messi captained Argentina to a 1-0 win against Brazil in the Copa America final. That was his second major accomplishment after a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
The post covid time has been working well for the Argentine, as he led Argentina to three major trophies including Copa America in 2021, CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions and World Cup in 2022.
Lionel Messi’s Family, Girlfriend, and Personal Life
Lionel Messi was born on 24th June 1987 in Rosaria, Argentina to Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini. His father was a steel factory manager while his mother worked in a magnet manufacturing company. Lionel was the third of their four children.
He has two brothers – Matias and Rodrigo Messi, and a sister named Maria Sol Messi. Lionel Messi met Antonella Roccuzzo as a five-year-old, who was the cousin of a childhood best friend. The two entered into a relationship in 2008 and made it public in 2009.
Messi and Roccuzzo married each other in 2017, and have three sons together. Their first child, Thiago Messi, was born in 2012. Mateo, their second son, entered the world in 2015, while Ciro Messi arrived in 2018.
Lionel Messi Sponsorships, Endorsements
Messi is Adidas’ biggest client, earning $ 25 million yearly from his deal. He also has sponsorships and endorsements from Gatorade, Pepsi, Budweiser, Lays, Konami, Dubai Auto Expo, Jacob and Co. He earns a significant amount of wealth from numerous sponsorship deals which is understandable considering his reach and popularity.
The Argentine according to a report from Reuters has entered the world of NFTs and Fan Tokens with his recent $20 million deal with Socios.com, an all-in-one fan influence & rewards app. Messi even received a large number of fan tokens when he moved from Barcelona to PSG. He will be the brand’s global ambassador and promote Socios.com.
“Fans deserve to be recognized for their support,” Messi said in a statement. “I’m proud to join Socios.com’s mission to create a more connected and rewarding future for fans around the world.”
Messi has his own brand, which is branded with his last name that has become synonymous with the sport over the years. It is unclear how much money he rakes in through this avenue but given his popularity, it won’t be a small amount.
Lionel Messi has signed a contract with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS). The deal includes profit sharing with MLS partners Apple and Adidas, in addition to his playing contract. Messi also has the option to purchase a minority stake in the club, similar to David Beckham’s arrangement when he joined MLS in 2007.
Lionel Messi Tattoos and Cars
Messi is heavily inked and all his tattoos hold some personal meaning. The Argentine striker has the birthdates of his wife and three children inked on his right shin and calf. The bottom portion of his left leg features a football and the number 10, and he also has a crown on his right arm- the same as Antonela.
His left leg also features Thiago’s handprints and his name, and he also has a tattoo of his wife’s lips on his hips. His right arm features a prominent rosary, as an ode to his hometown of Rosario. Messi also has a portrait of his mother on his back and a large tattoo of Jesus on his right arm.
The legendary forward also boasts of some really fast and expensive cars. He is believed to have a Pagani Zonda Tricolore, several Audi Cars (Q7, R8, A7), a Mercedes SLS AMG, Ferrari F430 Spyder, Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale, an Escalade and a Range Rover Vogue.
Lionel Messi’s Social Media
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