LONDON: Liverpool have sought assurances from Qatar that Mohamed Salah’s appearance at the Club World Cup tournament in the country will not be used for “propaganda purposes.”
The Premier League club feared Qatar would use Salah’s selection for the Merseyside club would be utilized by the regime in Doha, following Egypt and Gulf allies cutting off diplomatic relations with Qatar in 2017.
Liverpool’s concerns were lessened after being told that Mohamed Salah would be “treated in the exact same way” as his teammates.
As Champions League winners, Liverpool will play against other continental champion clubs in December to be crowned club champions of the world.
It is not the first time the Egyptian superstar has been embroiled in a political storm.
In September, Salah clashed with Egyptian FA after it was revealed the organization had not voted in the FIFA Best awards. It followed another saga involving the country’s authorities and Salah over his image rights.
Egyptian media are describing the latest dispute between Salah and his country’s FA as a “crisis,” with many in the country fearful of the talisman severing all ties and refusing to play for Egypt in the future.
Liverpool demand Mohamed Salah not used by Qatar for propaganda purposes at FIFA CWC
Liverpool demand Mohamed Salah not used by Qatar for propaganda purposes at FIFA CWC
- Egyptian media describing latest dispute between Salah and country’s FA as “crisis”
- Not first time Egyptian superstar has been embroiled in political storm
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.
The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.
The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports.
“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.
The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
