'Rummenigge defends Bayern's Qatar training camp', 4 Jan 2019

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge defended his club’s ties with Qatar on Friday as the squad headed for a training camp in the Gulf state for the ninth year in a row.

Bayern faced protests from their own fans at a home match last year when supporters displayed banners which read “money (over) human rights”, “capital (over) morals” and “open your eyes when it comes to sponsor choice.”

Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, has faced several allegations of migrant worker abuse from human rights organisations including Amnesty International. [...]

Rummenigge said Bayern were one of many German companies involved in business with Qatar, which he said had been responsive to criticism. [...]

Rummenigge said Bayern had regular exchanges with their partners in Qatar “including the issue of human rights and the rights of workers.”

He added: “International trade unions and NGOs have agreed that Qatar has responded to public criticism and made changes, including the positive development of the legal status of migrant workers and improvements in Qatar’s labour rights.” [...]