England captain reveals discussions on potential Qatar protests
England captain Harry Kane says that he has spoken to his current and former Tottenham teammates Hugo Lloris and Christian Eriksen about their respective countries adopting a uniform objection to the alleged human rights abuses which take place in Qatar.
The trio are set to star in this year's World Cup which kicks off in late November, though the Gulf state destination for the world's most prestigious international football tournament has been pilloried by a range of critics owing to reports of abuses of migrant workers who helped build the stadium infrastructure in Qatar - as well as for the country's treatment of women and homosexuals.
Homosexuality remains illegal in Qatar, with a recent report by a Scandinavian publication detailing that same-sex couples were refused bookings in some hotels listed on FIFA's approved accommodation list.
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has also detailed its belief that thousands of migrant workers were exploited by the Qatari authorities amid claims that thousands have perished throughout the various construction of infrastructure.
However, these reports have been rubbished by Qatar authorities who say that they have ushered in progressive worker rights, such as a minimum wage and the removal of exit permits - wherein an employer had a say in a worker's ability to leave the country.
Kane said earlier this year that he had held talks with his England squad to determine what action - if any - they should take, and has now also revealed talks with close friends Lloris of France and Denmark's Eriksen.
“Christian Eriksen got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago now,” Kane said Monday ahead of England's Nations League clash with Hungary.
“Obviously there is Hugo Lloris, who I am in touch with a lot anyway. So the discussion was there to maybe do something as a collective.
“When we come to a decision of something we want to do, for sure we will share it.
“I think it will be important to do it collectively. I feel like it will be a bit more of a stance, a bit more power.”
It remains to be seen exactly what Kane has planned but football has seen a spate of social protests in recent times - such as the extended 'Black Lives Matter' pre-game ritual of kneeling and, more recently, various acts of solidarity on behalf of Ukraine since the onset of the Russian military campaign.
