Player protests likely if Saudi sponsorship deal goes ahead, says former Fern

Players are likely to protest if FIFA goes ahead with a deal to include Visit Saudi as a sponsor at this year’s Women’s World Cup, says former Football Fern Rebecca Sowden.

“I definitely think we’ll see a lot of protests,” Sowden told Newshub.

“The women’s sports community and the players are some of the fiercest opponents and activists.”

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Newshub’s report detailed the opposition to the reported sponsorship plan in its primetime news story.

Chairman of the NZ Professional Footballers’ Association Harry Ngata said his organisation’s female members found the potential sponsorship “distressing” and players had views on the topic.

“We will work in the background with the girls and provide them with some information just to make sure they’re informed around any comment they make,” Ngata said.

Newshub story

Click on the image below to watch the television story broadcast by Newshub:

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