Qatar warned of World Cup 2022 boycott unless beer is made freely available - BPL boss

Fans may boycott the Qatar 2022 World Cup unless beer is made freely available, Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards warned.

The sale of alcohol is severely restricted in the Middle Eastern country and Richards said that needed to be relaxed.

Speaking at the International Sport Security Conference in Doha, Richards said: "In our country and in Germany, we have a culture. We call it, 'We would like to go for a pint', and that pint is a pint of beer. "It is our culture as much as your culture [in Qatar] is not drinking. There has to be a happy medium... a World Cup without England, Germany, the Dutch, Danes and Scandinavians. It's unthinkable."

Hassan Al Thawadi, general secretary of Qatar 2022, has always insisted that alcohol will be available for visiting fans at special zones but he said on Wednesday he did not see the need for beer to be sold in stadiums.

Richards apologised later on Wednesday for any offence by the remarks which he had intended to be "lighthearted" and said he would be writing to UEFA and FIFA to make that clear.

Richards said in a statement: "Further to the comments I made earlier today at a conference in Doha I would like to apologise for any offence caused.

"It is important to clarify that I was expressing my personal views and not those of any organisation I represent.

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