Toni Kroos has become the latest footballer to speak out against the human rights issues associated with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The German midfielder is one of many stars throughout world football to take vocalise his concerns with the setting for the 2022 competition, joining a growing number of high-profile names in doing so.
Toni Kroos joins teammates in expressing concerns
Concerns stem back to numerous reported cases of abuse including slavery accusations, poor working conditions and the deaths of many migrant workers.
Germany players wore shirts that spelt out “Human rights” before their win over Iceland with the Netherlands, joining Norway in pre-match demonstrations.
When discussing the matter, Kroos explained:
“Immigrant workers are subjected to days without rest under torrid 50 degrees, they suffer from insufficient nutrition, without drinking water and at crazy temperatures,” said Kroos during a podcast with his brother.
Kroos also highlighted the country’s persecution of the LGBT community.
“Homosexuality is also illegal in Qatar and is persecuted. These are issues which are simply unacceptable, there can be no two ways of looking at it.”
Fellow German, Leon Goretzka had previously voiced his own opinions on the matter: “We have the World Cup coming up and there will be discussions about it. We wanted to show we are not ignoring that. We wrote the letters ourselves. We have a large reach and we can use it to set an example for the values we want to stand for. That was clear.”
Speaking to BBC’s Newsnight, Thierry Henry called on football’s governing bodies to take action: “Those players need to realise that they have a voice and they can change a lot of stuff. Now, is it right that the World Cup is there (in Qatar)? I want to know from the big guns. Come out and explain what’s happening.
“And also I don’t know if you saw, they say they will not take action against those teams that did that because you can’t take action.”
Featured image credit: Getty