Football chiefs say human rights abuses

Some Tartan Army members are planning to boycott Friday's game at Easter Road over revelations that 1200 workers have died in Qatar building stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup.

A statement, released on Monday, read: "The Scottish FA wishes to clarify its position in respect of the forthcoming international match against Qatar this month and the separate concern of the human rights issues experienced by migrant workers in Qatar.

"As noted recently by Amnesty International, it is important that universal reach of football can be used in a positive manner to highlight inequalities and be a force for good.

"It is with this in mind that we welcome Qatar to Easter Road in June as part of their tour of the United Kingdom, having used The FA's St George's Park training facility as a base before playing Northern Ireland on Sunday and Scotland this Friday.

"It is important to separate this sporting fixture from the serious human rights issues emanating from Qatar: the game was agreed with the national coach's wish for a competitive fixture as part of preparations for the forthcoming European Qualifier against Republic of Ireland as of paramount importance.

"As outlined above, Qatar's availability in the United Kingdom represented an opportunity preferable to the few available alternatives on a date that is not on the official FIFA international calendar.

"We are grateful to the Qatar FA for their flexibility during their UK tour and to Qatar Airways for sponsoring the match.

"None the less, we are also cognisant of disturbing reports on the conditions experienced by migrant workers involved in the building of stadia for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in 2022.

"For the avoidance of doubt, the Scottish FA condemns any behaviour that compromises human rights and, in conjunction with the Scottish Government, we have already stated our joint offer to provide practical support.

"This was offered after a hugely successful Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow which reiterated Scotland's ability to host world-class events in a safe and sustainable manner. That offer remains open and we have reiterated our position to the Scottish Government in that regard."

Anger over the Scotland-Qatar game comes as Fifa, the sports governing body, is embroiled in a series of scandals over alleged corruption and bribery.

The statement concluded: "The Scottish FA has also demonstrated its commitment to humanitarian aid by helping to raise £1.5m for UNICEF's Ebola Appeal during the recent Scotland v England international match.

"We have been in contact with Amnesty International to outline our position and to ensure positive and productive dialogue in the lead-up to the Qatar match and beyond."

Meanwhile, Labour MSP Neil Findlay has put forward a motion at Holyrood calling for Friday's game to be called off.

Mr Findlay, who has become one of the most high profile politicians on Labour's Holyrood benches, wrote of "grave concerns" over the plight of World Cup construction workers in Qatar. He has also written to the SFA spelling out his position.

Other MSPs will now have the chance to back the motion, potentially increasing pressure on the SFA.

Mr Findlay said: "The conditions that these building workers have to endure in Qatar, when building new stadiums, are nothing more than a modern day scandal.  As seen this past week, FIFA is an organisation that is corrupt.

"But I believe that its biggest scandal is ignoring the plight of building workers in Qatar. 40 workers are month are being killed and for every game that will take place during the 2022 World Cup it is predicted 62 will have lost their lives. Until such times as things improve it's time we gave the Red Card to FIFA and to the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

"In Scotland we can register our concerns starting this week by postponing the friendly game taking between Scotland and Qatar. Failing to do so sends the wrong message, whilst postponing it shows that we in Scotland will not tolerate the scandalous treatment of building workers in Qatar. I hope that common sense and decency prevails and that Scotland doesn't play this game."

Momentum is building against Mr Blatter and sponsors should "think long and hard" about whether they want to be associated with "discredited and disgraced" Fifa, Tory MP John Whittingdale said, reiterating his call for Mr Blatter to stand down for the good of the game.

The Government and the Football Association (FA) have agreed not to rule out any options in the battle against alleged corruption in Fifa, the Culture Secretary has said.

Mr Whittingdale said he had spoken to FA chairman Greg Dyke and they had agreed to keep all options on the table in an effort to end the "culture of kickbacks and corruption that risk ruining international football for a generation".

Amid calls for a boycott of the World Cup, he assured MPs the Government would do anything in its power to bring about change in world football's governing body.

His comments came after under-fire Fifa president Sepp Blatter was re-elected on Friday, despite the arrests of football officials on suspicion of decades of bribe taking.

Mr Whittingdale said Britain will offer full co-operation with investigations by United States and Swiss authorities and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will pursue any evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the UK.

Mr Whittingdale, answering an urgent question in the Commons, said: "Fifa needs to change and to change now, and I can assure the House that the Government will do all in its power to help bring change about.

"I have just spoken to Football Association chairman Greg Dyke and assured him that we stand behind the English FA's efforts to end the culture of kickbacks and corruption that risk ruining international football for a generation.

"I agreed with him that no options should be ruled out at this stage."

Momentum is building against Mr Blatter and sponsors should "think long and hard" about whether they want to be associated with "discredited and disgraced" Fifa, Mr Whittingdale said, reiterating his call for Mr Blatter to stand down for the good of the game.

Shadow culture secretary Chris Bryant said Mr Blatter survived due to his "Mafioso cronyism" but is a "tainted leader of a corrupt organisation".

He said: "By clinging on, he is merely dragging Fifa further and further into the mud."

Meanwhile, Fifa last night announced it has suspended three senior officials as the bribes scandal affecting football's world governing body deepened. Enrique Sanz, the general secretary of Concacaf, the body representing North and Central America and the Caribbean, has been provisionally banned from any football-related activities following his arrest last week. Congo FA's vice-president Jean Guy Blaise Mayolas and general secretary Badji Mombo Wantete have also been provisionally banned. Fifa said they had been suspended "based on the fact that various breaches of the Fifa code of ethics appear to have been committed by said officials". US officials had raided a hotel in Switzerland last week, but also the headquarters of Concacaf in Miami. The organisation's president Jeffrey Webb had also been held in the US Justice Department-led raids charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.