58 Days To The 2022 World Cup: Concerned About Safety, Henderson Family May Refuse To Watch Live In Qatar
JAKARTA - England's Jordan Henderson has revealed that his family will likely refuse to watch the Three Lions live at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They are worried about security issues.
The prestigious four-year competition will be held on 20 November. However, there is a feeling of wariness that has arisen in the minds of supporters due to the strict regulations and human rights concerns surrounding the tournament.
Henderson said his family and some of his friends had had an unpleasant security experience in recent years. Therefore, it was quite reasonable that they should think twice about watching it live.
"I think as a fan, if you go to a game and you don't feel comfortable and you feel threatened by any situation, you don't want to go again," said Henderson, quoted by Sportskeeda.
"It's that simple actually. My family and friends have had some experiences over the last few years that have really taken them by surprise. It might (will) delay their attendance at the upcoming games," he added.
Henderson is the second player to speak about the safety of his family in Qatar. Previously, Eric Dier had even banned his family from going to the first World Cup which took place in the Middle East.
Henderson hopes there will be significant changes to the safety of supporters in less than two months. The hope is that the family can go to Qatar without feeling afraid.
"But when you see scenes like you had in the Euro final and the Champions League final, then they don't really want to go and put themselves in that situation again. My dad said that after the Champions League final he was done," Henderson said.
"When you have that experience, sometimes you think whether it's worth the gamble. If it was me, I wouldn't want to put myself in that situation."
England were drawn in Group B along with Wales, Iran and the United States. They will face Iran in the first match on November 21, followed by a meeting with the United States on November 26, followed by a match against Wales four days later.