Planning on Qatar 2022?

The guys over at Big Soccer have a great article about why the stands were virtually empty for the Asian Cup finals this year. Seems that when the Qatari Royal family shows up for sporting events, the gates are locked and guarded by heavily armed patrolmen.

So when some of the Royal family showed up 30mins prior to game time, some 8000 fans with tickets, were left outside holding their tickets in one hand and their junk in the other and told to make use of both because they wouldn't be getting in.

Now I'm not one to say this appears to be a big problem for FIFA in light of the whole shenanigans with South Africa, but wtf?

One video culled from Big Soccer:



Video: baldtrev