It’s Grenoble’s turn to join the major cities that have decided to boycott the broadcast of the World Cup
football tournament in Qatar, scheduled from November 20 to December 18. Like Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Rennes, Bordeaux, Marseille, or Toulouse, Grenoble will not broadcast any World Cup matches
men’s football: “not one euro of Grenoble public money for Qatar!” tweeted Éric Piolle, the EELV mayor of the capital of the Alps, this Wednesday.
“It’s all totally crazy” – Éric Piolle, the mayor of Grenoble
“In 2021, I was one of the few elected to request the relocation of the World Cup elsewhere” he explained to France Bleu Isère. “We had already had the Winter Games in Beijing with 100% artificial snow. We are going to play in Qatar in air-conditioned stadiums, as there were the World Athletics Championships in Qatar in 2019, with a start marathon at midnight because of the temperature. It’s all totally crazy” he protested.
In addition to the environmental arguments put forward by many mayors, including Éric Piolle, the municipality of Grenoble also puts forward humanitarian reasons, pointing out the “600 deaths deplored on the construction of football stadiums”. “We have the levers to bring the Cup back to its senses and we will go further for a popular, eco-friendly and feminist sport” finally adds Éric Piolle.