Manchester United could be used as an exercise in sportswashing should Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani take over the club, according to a leading academic expert.
Throughout the takeover process, Sheikh Jassim has vehemently denied links to the Qatari government and has made efforts to distance himself from similarities being drawn between his bid and PSG's ownership. The Parisians are owned by the Qatar Sports Investment group which is overseen by the emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
But concerns over sportswashing would persist, just as they did with the winter World Cup in Qatar. For many, the December tournament won by Argentina was an example of sportswashing as the drama on the pitch washed over human rights abuses concerning the migrant workers who helped build the stadiums.
Associate professor at Rhode Island College and author of Changing Qatar: Culture, Citizenship, and Rapid Modernization Geoff Harkness explained the sportswashing concept amid a potential takeover of United by Sheikh Jassim.
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"Sportswashing occurs when nations, corporations, or other entities use the posited sheen of mega-sporting events to whitewash human rights abuses, crimes, and other reputational ills," he said, speaking to MEN Sport.
"Qatar has faced global criticism for its sponsorship labour system, the low wages it pays to blue-collar migrant workers, and treatment of women and members of the LGBTQ community. Qatar has used its immense wealth to bring in mega-sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, and bolster its image.
"People associate sports with esteemed values such as fairness, democracy, and equality — all of which are in short supply for most of the millions of resident-workers in Qatar. United fans should be concerned [by Sheikh Jassim's bid] if sportswashing is important to them.
"That said, sportswashing is a common practice that is hardly limited to Qatar [and they should] beware of selective outrage."
The Premier League saw sportswashing front and centre when Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) bought Newcastle United, who secured Champions League football in the first full season of the ownership.
United fans will hope for increased success under new owners, and while that may come sportswashing concerns will not disappear with Harkness saying Sheikh Jassim's links to the Qatar regime are deep rooted.
He said: "The Al Thani family and the Qatari government are largely synonymous. Qatar has been ruled by the Al Thanis for more than 150 years, so any move made by the Qatari government has an Al Thani hand behind it.
"The Al Thani's have a history of hiding their involvement in various commercial and political enterprises, both domestically and abroad."
He added: "The Al Thani family tends to use its money strategically, looking to enhance its wealth and boost its profile through careful and deliberate investment.
"Sports are merely one component of a larger global strategy intended to grow Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund to the point where it is no longer reliant on petrodollars. Boosting Qatar’s reputation through sportswashing is absolutely part of that plan."
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
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