Gary Neville insists Newcastle United's owners should be held to 'account' when pressed on the human rights concerns surrounding Saudi Arabia. The Sky Sports pundit debated the topic of sportswashing at length in an interview ahead of the release of his book 'The People's Game: A View from a Front Seat in Football'.
Neville and fellow pundit Jamie Carragher have previously discussed the controversial subject of club ownership in the Premier League in the wake of the sanctions placed upon Chelsea as a result of former owner Roman Abramovich. The pair believe managers such as Eddie Howe and Pep Guardiola will have to face up to tough questions going forwards due to the identity of their respective club's owners.
Newcastle United's takeover last October provoked a wave of controversy due to the majority stake of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). Amnesty International were among many to denounce the move as 'sportswashing', and later called upon the Premier League to revise their owners' and directors' test.
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Discussing 'sportwashing' in football more widely with the World Cup in Qatar due to kick-off in two months' time, Neville outlined his view that he would work with countries or organisations rather than 'sit on the other side of the fence and throw stones at each other'. The former Manchester United defender was then asked how the ownership of Newcastle will help LGBT rights in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to Nihal Arthanayake on BBC Radio 5 Live, Neville said: "To be honest with you, I'm hoping now because we're having sporting events in Saudi Arabia, and because we now have Saudi Arabian ownership of a Premier League club, we've talked more and highlighted more the issue of human rights in that country since that ownership took place. I would easily have also backed the idea of Saudi Arabia or Abu Dhabi not coming in [to the Premier League], but then we would never have spoken out for the women or the people who are suffering in the Middle East.
"I believe by them being here, they can be held accountable. In my book, I suggest the ultimate owners of football clubs, that's Sheikh Mansour, Mohammad bin Salman, should have to come over and be held to account, almost like a Commons Select Committee style panel.
"If you own a football club in this country, you should be held to account. That means you should be able to be addressed by the media, by journalists, by people, by fans, and I believe that is the way forward."
Neville went on to add: "We're in the territory here of making these moral decisions in our lives as to whether we sit on one side of the fence and highlight people's problems from not around the table. Or we get around the table with them, allow them into our country, try to collaborate with them and say this is not good enough, and face them on directly.
"We're sending our arms to Saudi Arabia all of the time. I think that's a bigger problem than letting them come into our country and play football."
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