It is now a crime to wear this Messi or Barcelona shirt in Saudi Arabia because of Qatar
Saudi Arabia war against Qatar has
deepened with the latest being criminalising wearing a Barcelona shirt
in the country. It means that fans wearing a Lionel Messi or Neymar
shirt will go to jail in the Saudi Kingdom.
Qatar Airways has been a sponsor of the Catalan team for four seasons, with its name emblazoned on the club’s jersey.
Now, the Saudis have decreed that wearing the shirt could earn one a fine of up to £120,000 and a 15-year prison sentence.
The new decree came after the Kingdom also
banned hotels from watching Al Jazeera channels, a global TV network
supported by Qatar.
Tensions in the Gulf region have seen
countries such as Saudi Arabia boycott Qatari entities – and their
measures could impact football fans who wish to wear Neymar and Lionel
Messi replica shirts.
Qatar’s Arab neighbours have blacklisted
entities such as Qatar Airways over their alleged extremist connection,
with Barca shirts sporting the airline’s logo said to be outlawed. Qatar
have rejected the claims.
The ban comes amid a diplomatic row as
Saudi Arabia blacklisted entities and individuals that they perceive as
connecting Qatar to extremist groups, with the United Arab Emirates,
Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain included.
Barcelona have been sponsored by Qatar
Airways for the past four seasons, but they have agreed a new four-year
deal with Japanese online retailer Rakuten from the start of the 2017-18
campaign.
Last summer, Barca’s own fan base called
for the club to cut ties with Gulf state Qatar, which included a
petition signed by over 60,000 people.
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