Bayern Munich’s Qatar Ties Under Scrutiny as Executives Heckled

(Bloomberg) -- Bayern Munich faces growing criticism over a sponsorship deal with Qatar’s national airline after fans heckled the German soccer club’s executives at its annual general meeting.

Hundreds of fans booed President Herbert Hainer and Chief Executive Officer Oliver Kahn at the meeting, which ended early Friday, after they refused to accept a motion that would have put ending the deal with Qatar Airways to a vote.

There’s vocal opposition among Bayern fans to the uniform sleeve sponsorship deal, which runs through 2023, amid criticism over the Gulf state’s human-rights record. Amnesty International said in a report earlier this month that reforms in Qatar have stagnated, threatening to leave thousands of migrant workers building stadiums for the World Cup there next year abused and exploited.

“Bayern Munich can’t simply look away when it comes to Qatar and human rights,” club member Gregor Weinreich said at the five-hour meeting, according to a video of the event. 

A Bavarian court on Thursday had ruled that the club doesn’t need to accept the motion and executives have said they’d rather engage in a dialog with Qatari officials to bring about change. Hainer said at the event no decision has been made if the contract will be extended. Bayern Munich didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

Qatar, the world’s largest LNG producer and a key U.S. ally, is trying to use the World Cup to showcase its rapid expansion from a small pearl-diving enclave to Gulf metropolis and transit hub. 

The Gulf state rejected the Amnesty report when it came out last week, saying in a statement that it has enacted reforms to raise salaries, protect a growing number of workers from abuse and bolster efforts to hold companies that violate workplace laws accountable.

A Qatar Airways spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment sent out of office hours.

A majority of Bayern Munich members present backed a separate motion stipulating that the club identify itself with “internationally-acknowledged human rights.” 

Bayern executives including Hainer and Kahn voted against the motion.

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