Gareth Southgate says it will be 'horrible' if some England fans cannot travel to the World Cup in Qatar

England manager Gareth Southgate says it will be a «great shame» if his country's fans don't feel safe to travel to the World Cup in Qatar later this year. Due to Qatar's controversial inclusivity stance — including on issues such as human rights, homosexuality and women — their hosting of the showpiece event has provoked significant debate, and with kick-off just months away those concerns continue to grow.

Ad/> A report in the Guardian last year estimated that 6,500 migrant workers had died during the construction of infrastructure for the tournament. Premier LeagueKlopp seethes at Newcastle takeover, Brazil and Southgate in angry Liverpool press conference15/10/2021 AT 10:51 And Southgate, who will be in Doha for April's World Cup draw, revealed he had already consulted with a number of his national side's supporter groups and that some have decided they may be better staying away.

The 51-year-old said: «We stand for inclusivity as a team — that's been the big driver of a lot of the stances we've taken in the last couple of years. »It would be horrible to think some of our fans feel they can't go because they feel threatened or they're worried about their safety.

My Milan players were racially abused during Cagliari win — Pioli 'My players and staff are privileged but we are concerned' — Tuchel «There are the issues that potentially threaten our fans when they travel — the rights of women and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in particular. »Sadly, through discussions that I've had, I don't think some of those communities are going to go and that's a great shame." Along with his staff and squad, Southgate has sought to make the England team something that all players and fans can identify with, with perhaps their