Doha / Stockholm. Danilo Antonello from Argentina was first in line and cheered when he was accepted into serving a beer.
But Qatar’s decision on the drink still sparked outrage.
– I think they should have said that six months ago, says English pro Chris Martin.
There has been talk of relaxing strict alcohol laws in connection with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
But two days before the premiere of the World Cup, a ban was imposed on beer sales in the arenas. In addition, no beer is sold near the yards, but those who wish to drink alcoholic beverages should seek special areas some distance from the yards.
Beer is sold there between 19:00 and 1 am.
Mess at the entrance
Sportbladet waited outside one of the few areas while a long line of fans waited to storm inside.
“I’m glad I get my first beer,” says Danilo Antonello, who raises his fists to the sky when he’s first admitted.
Then there were the slightly chaotic scenes when more fans came and Danilo Antonello wasn’t satisfied with FIFA’s announcement that beer would not be sold in and near stadiums.
– Bad, bad. It’s too bad, says the Argentina fan.
“It was too late.”
England supporter Chris Martin didn’t want to stand in the long line. He was not keen on being part of the chaos and was also frustrated with FIFA and Qatar.
– I think it’s too late. I think they should have said that six months ago. Now a lot of people are disappointed, because it’s part of the World Cup and we all love a few beers, right? Martin says it’s too late.
– We like to have a few beers before and after games, so that takes away some of the experience.
The decision of the royal family
According to many different media outlets, it was the royal family of Qatar who asked FIFA to move the areas where beer could be sold.
Sportbladet asked Sweden captain Jan Andersson how he sees the beer ban in stadiums on Friday.
– I can say this: if I were in favor, I would be crazy. Anderson says you should obviously be able to grab a beer if you’re going to watch a soccer game.
– It’s absolutely incredible.