The BBC has refuted a Richard Keys’ claim that the broadcaster’s bosses blocked their World Cup pundits from praising Qatar during their coverage.
The beIN Sports host has been a vocal supporter of the tournament, given the channel he works for is funded by the host nation, and he’s clearly not all that happy with BBC’s coverage, which has been critical of Qatar from start to finish.
Keys wrote in his always entertaining, often inaccurate, blog: “A mate, who I had staying with me, bumped into a friend now working for the BBC. He told him they weren’t allowed to express their real opinions about the tournament on air.
“They weren’t allowed to compliment the atmosphere, stadia or Qatar itself. What a sad state of affairs. For the record – he said he thought it had been brilliant.”
He added: “As for the tournament in general. It was as promised. No-one was left out. Everyone was welcome – whatever their colour, gender or allegiance. Arrests were a record low.
“There were no drug-fuelled drunken rampages like we saw in London before the Euro 2000 final. The streets were safe and enjoyable. The organisers deserve great credit for pulling it off.”
Mirror claim to have contacted the BBC who ‘strongly refute Keys’ suggestions and instruct no such guidance was given to any of their pundits or presenters’.
BBC opted not to air the opening or closing ceremony from the Lusail Stadium, though it was available to viewers via the red button.
Instead, pundit Alan Shearer delivered his critical take on the tournament as it came to an end.
He said: “I think the reality of the World Cup is even more stark when you’ve been living in what feels like a football theme park for the last month.
“If Disney did football tournaments… But we must remember the blood, sweat and tears of everyone that’s made it happen. And it’s only right, I think, that FIFA compensates the migrant workers and their families.”
Not finished criticising the critics of Qatar, Keys questioned the morals of a ‘former colleague’ who didn’t want to be in Qatar but had no problem ‘sleeping with most of the women he hired to work for him’.
Keys added: ‘And I saw a former colleague complaining on Facebook about having to be in Qatar because it ‘mixed‘ his morals. I wondered what morals they were. Were they the same morals that led to him being eased out of his last job for sleeping with most of the women he hired to work for him in the Mayfair…
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