The most unusual world championship started in Qatar. All its originality was supposed to add some gloss, charm, anticipation to the largest football event. However, now we have to state that it has not yet been possible to feel the holiday. And indeed, does he exist? And for whom?
No, do not think that in Qatar everything is fine with hospitality. There will be no dissatisfied exclamations about the uselessness of the tournament and about the “come in large numbers”. Instead, you will be offered a decent level of service. After all, initially the host country was chosen with the expectation that it would make good money and expand FIFA's sphere of influence.
It was difficult to find a better place. Qatar knows a lot about smart investments and huge sales. In addition, the country is interested in giving impetus to the development of football as a whole cultural phenomenon.All this shows through in the huge, even excessive diligence of the organizers. It gives the process some kind of artificiality, falsity, which is the main problem so far. There is a beautiful picture, a feeling of celebration too, but there is no holiday itself. No wonder they say that football is for fans, but the World Cup is for FIFA and local authorities.For example, we can cite the most famous case – a ban on the sale of beer in stadiums. It's safe to say that FIFA has long excluded the “beer” share from the profits, knowing everything in advance. A kind of deal with the host country, whose traditions do not accept the use of alcohol.
Of course, this is sacred here, but it is possible to offer some adequate alternative. And just to notify the fans in advance. Football officials did not have enough time or desire for such matters. As the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, said, you can live without beer for three hours. Thanks for taking care of the fans, mister! By the way, the first “hello” to him has already arrived from the fans of the national team of Ecuador. They celebrated the victory over the Qatar team by chanting “We want beer!”.
There is no festival “movement” on the streets of Doha either. Of course, not the whole city and not the whole country should go crazy waiting for the appearance of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. While the capital continues to live in its rhythm, thinking about completely different problems. It is worth noting that the vast majority of the local population are migrants, nothing has changed for them since the start of the World Cup, because the constant construction does not stop for a second. The picture has already become familiar, when small groups of fans are looking in vain for the opportunity to cross a busy highway. On all sides, the path is fenced with metal fences with the symbols of the tournament, behind which an excavator is working zealously.Yes, there is the Souq Waqif, the old market where modern Doha was born. The foreign public walks here, but there are still very few of them, and they behave very calmly. Often these are people of mature age who sedately wait for an order at a local cafe. Next to them, in the evenings, small groups of fans from Morocco, Algeria and Argentina light up in the square. However, these local hangouts do not develop into festivities, but only become the subject of idle interest of the local public. Which, by the way, in her rich age has seen not so much. Just think, World Cup!
Probably forced to plunge into melancholy and the opening match. And not a rather easy victory for the Ecuadorians, who practically did not notice the resistance of the hosts, but the entourage itself. A small transport collapse, problems with catering, in many respects the negligent attitude of volunteers and security services, the massive departure of local fans from the stands long before the final whistle. All this should be inherent in a match of some of the lower leagues, but not a game of the level of the World Cup. Yes, the first pancake can be lumpy, but if the services at the most important game for Qatar worked like that, then what will happen next?
In the end, I would like to debunk the main myth: the legendary Qatari heat is not felt here at all. Thanks to the organizers, the air conditioning system works powerfully. So much so that you always want to go out and bask in the sun. Therefore, the first news about the players who caught a cold appeared. It remains to be hoped that in the future football will distract the media and fans from all organizational shortcomings. Big tournaments always create big problems. However, such large-scale events are usually driven by their sports and competitive component.