Fans who are attending the 2022 World Cup as part of a controversial Fan Leader Network Scheme have reportedly had their daily allowance cancelled by Qatari officials.
The scheme, which is described as a paid-for supporters programme, is run by the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Agency and pays fans to attend matches and cheer teams on.
Fans from each country that are taking part in the tournament are involved, with The Times claiming that they'll be instructed to convey positive messages about their time in the Middle East and report critical posts on social media.
In return for staying in Qatar for a minimum of a fortnight, it's understood that the fans would receive free flights and accommodation, as well as £60-a-day spending money on a pre-loaded card.
However, The Guardian claims the latter's been cut just as fans were bracing themselves for the long flight to the Gulf State.
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In a message that's been seen by the newspaper, fans were told that: "Due to the recent developments in the media, we are keen to protect our visiting fans from the erroneous misinformed statements regarding 'fans receiving payment for the trip'.
"Accordingly, the daily allowance will unfortunately no longer be issued. The allowance was intended as a small uplift on your own personal funds to assist with refreshments during your stay."
This has prompted plenty of comment from football fans across the globe, including the executive director of Football Supporters Europe Ronan Evain.
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"Who would have thought that an authoritarian regime with an appalling workers' rights record was not to be trusted?" he said, as quoted by Daily Mail.
"I suppose that’s what you get for accepting to be paid the equivalent of a Qatari monthly minimum wage every four days for the pleasure of doing absolutely nothing."
LADbible Group has contacted a representative of FIFA and the Fan Leader Network for a comment.
Topics: Qatar, Football World Cup
James Aldred