In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the culmination of the Asian Football Championship is approaching - the final of this tournament will be played on Friday, wrote alfa.lt.
However, the world press is currently talking more about the recently completed semi-final stage, where success followed Japan and Qatar teams.
If the Japanese and Iranian match, which ended in a recent 0:3 defeat, passed without incidents, then Qatar's stunning 4:0 victory against the tournament hosts UAE players was accompanied not only by disappointment in the stands but also by objects thrown at them.
Having gained a two-goal advantage in the first half, the Qataris faced the wrath of the local crowd and received a reaction after each touch of the ball - various objects were thrown at them, including sandals. In the Muslim world, such a gesture can be taken very sensitively, as throwing a shoe at someone is considered one of the greatest insults.
39 thousand fans, expressing their attitudes towards their opponents, showed their dissatisfaction even before the match when they booed the Qatar anthem. Political tension between these countries, known for their natural resources, has been ongoing since 2017 when the UAE joined Saudi Arabia in declaring an economic and diplomatic embargo on Doha due to the increasingly close relations between Qataris and Iran.
The Qatari footballers reached the final of the Asian Cup for the first time in their country's history. Until then, they had not even reached the semi-finals, and their highest ranking was fifth.
The state hosting the 2022 World Cup is currently preparing for the upcoming most important football event on the planet.
alfa.lt
