– I am prepared for reactions, and I accept that. That’s the way it is. People are passionately engaged, says Kristoffer Løkberg to news. In a VG article in March 2021, Løkberg was clear that he supported a Norwegian no to the Qatar WC. He asked the question “if you were to play a WC in Qatar, how big would it have been and how proud would you really have been?”. He still asks himself these questions, he says. – I made many phone calls to those around me to hear what they thought about me taking on such a role. I have discussed with people I know and who know me, and I have concluded that it is better for me to be involved in influencing and informing than boycotting, he believes. – But let it be clear: I have great respect for those who choose to boycott. It is important for me to say that we are on a team – it is only the path to the goal that is different. There is barely a month left until the most debated and controversial football World Cup of all time kicks off. Qatar, which has never qualified for a World Cup, was awarded the championship in 2010. Since then, serious human rights violations, lack of freedom of expression and freedom of the press have been repeatedly documented. – I would have liked to see my championship debut rather in connection with the EC in Germany in 2024. But I am looking forward to it, and stand by the choice I have made and both understand and respect those who disagree. Because it is allowed to be, he emphasizes. Løkberg will be part of news’s WC team together with, among others, former national team coach Åge Hareide and Heia Fotball presenter Tete Lidbom. The authorities in Qatar have made it clear in a leaked internal memo that “non-essential labour” must leave the country from September to mid-January. Now thousands of migrant workers who have loans over their heads must return to their poor homelands. Sparred with famous people The debate about a boycott of the Qatar World Cup is as relevant now, a month before the championship, as it was after the award in 2010 or when Norwegian football voted no to a Norwegian boycott of the Qatar World Cup last summer. All this means that Løkberg approaches his new role with mixed feelings. – I know that many people become skeptical and negative when they hear “Qatar World Cup”. And you become one too. I thought early on that I had two choices: To stand with those who believe that a boycott is the best means of expressing their displeasure, or to use the opportunity to have influence, and help ensure that the coverage is as balanced as possible, says Viking- the player, and emphasizes: – I want to bring out the dark sides – and at the same time give the athletes the attention they deserve. Will be useful Løkberg believes it is fine to watch the WC in Qatar with a clear conscience and at the same time take a clear stand against sports laundering. That is precisely one of the reasons why he no longer wants to boycott. – It is difficult, but personally I am able to separate the football aspect from everything that Qatar stands for, all the violations of basic human rights and how they will use this opportunity to appear as a great, strong and great nation, he says, and adds : – I have reflected quite a bit on boycotts, and I asked myself: If I am sitting at home on the sofa on a cold December evening and there is a quarter-final between two good soccer nations, am I strong enough not to turn on the TV to watch on? I’m not sure about that. I have to be so honest. I think my voice is more useful if I’m part of a team trying to make an impact both before, during and after the championship than if I just turned off the TV and didn’t watch. The 30-year-old has a call for those who have planned to boycott the upcoming championship in Qatar: – Do not attack those who are helping to cover it. They have the same feelings and thoughts as those who choose to boycott. It will be a derailment, and we will lose focus on the important thing: That the sports laundering Qatar is doing does not gain a foothold, and that everyone is aware of the background to the championship. The WC in Qatar lasts from 20 November to 18 December and is broadcast on news and TV 2. The opening match on 20 November between the host nation Qatar and Ecuador is broadcast on TV 2 Direkte and TV 2 Play, while the WC final is broadcast on news 1 and news TV December 18.
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– Prepared for reactions – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
