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The Saudi Football Federation has filed a formal complaint with FIFA over the exploitation of Qatar-owned BeIN SPORTS channel’s exclusive rights to the 2018 World Cup to broadcast politicized messages aimed at Saudi Arabia and its leaders.

The federation said that the channel, formally known as Al Jazeera Sports, broadcasted messages aimed at inciting hatred among the masses and people while mixing sports with politics.

The Saudi Football Federation said in its complaint sent to FIFA that the channel abused the ethics of sports after the opening match between Saudi Arabia and host nation Russia through its presenters and analysts contrary to the laws of the International Federation which stresses the need to exclude sport from politics.

The complaint urges FIFA take the necessary and severe sanctions against the Qatari channel and the abolition of the rights of transport protection of the system, and to avoid the exploitation of sport in the objectives of political bias distorting the game and hit the ethics.