Qatar: Political images before football match draw fine

By Fatih Erel

GENEVA (AA) - Qatar's football federation is being fined after national team players wore political T-shirts ahead of a World Cup qualifier in June.

Football’s world governing body FIFA fined the Qatar federation after its players wore T-shirts bearing the image of Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, violating rules against displaying political images.

The incident, which took place in Doha on June 13 during warmups before a World Cup qualifying match against South Korea, was meant to support Al Thani amid a dispute with regional rivals Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

FIFA’s disciplinary panel imposed a fine of 50,000 Swiss francs ($52,000) and a reprimand on Qatar, which is due to host the 2022 World Cup.