Qatar World Cup: Souness makes Newcastle

Graeme Souness has said on ITV (9:32am, November 22, 2022) that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) should not be owning Newcastle United.

The former Newcastle manager believes that it is wrong that PIF are in control of the Premier League club now.

Souness made the comments about Newcastle and PIF while discussing the topic of ‘sportswashing’.

The 2022 World Cup is being held in Qatar, and the host country’s societal issues have come to the fore.

Qatar has come under scrutiny and criticism over issues related to migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community among others.

Human rights record in the Middle-Eastern country has been topic of discussion for a while now.

Saudi Arabia is another Middle-Eastern country whose human rights record has been criticised by many.

Newcastle are owned by a consortium of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), PCP Capital Partners, and the Reuben Brothers.

The takeover was completed in October 2021.

While there have been criticisms of PIF’s takeover of Newcastle, a large number of the fans of the Premier League club have welcomed them.

Graeme Souness on Newcastle United and PIF

Souness said: “Football is such a vehicle for good and bad, the sportswashing that’s going on in our own country.

“Newcastle, there’s no way that the Saudis should have Newcastle, shouldn’t be anywhere near it, but it’s not an ideal world we are operating in.”