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United Arab Emirates footballer Abdullah Qassem will have a lot of time to think about what he said about his national team coach while he's stewing in prison.
the 29-year-old UAE international reportedly criticised UAE coach Mahdi Ali and used "indecent gestures" in a video that ended up being seen by the Abu Dhabi Court of Misdemeanors, which handed Qasem and the unnamed person who filmed the video three-month jail sentences for their insubordination.
According to The Guardian:
The duo were found guilty of using telecommunications services to offend and hurt the feelings of others, and displaying a recording that breached public ethics through the internet.
Both players were also suspended by their club, Al-Dhafra of the UAE Arabian Gulf League. The criticism was said to have happened because Ali left Qassem out of the team recently, according to the local newspaper in the UAE.
Have we mentioned that UAE is located next to, and run by basically the same rules as, the country in line to host the 2022 World Cup? Fun times! Qatar! Censorship! Feel the magic! For real though, this is probably not the social climate in which we should hold a World Cup, but we knew that already, and the next one is in Russia, which is not exactly a bastion of social progress. So it goes.
Sure, you probably shouldn't make videos in which you criticize your coach and make inappropriate gestures in regards to him, and if you do you should immediately destroy the video/ensure it never sees the light of day, but a jail sentence seems a bit harsh. If Abdullah Qassem was pissed about not being in the team before, he'll be really mad now. Although he will definitely will be the star of his prison team, should his prison have one.
(H/T FOX Soccer)
Contact THe18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
