Australia

Tim Cahill’s silence in Qatar leaves uneasy feeling amid Socceroos World Cup celebrations | Emma Kemp

07-Dec-2022 00:01:22 | Guardian

Australia’s head of delegation was instrumental in the team’s run but his refusal to front up over human rights questions made for an uncomfortable situation

Tim Cahill has done a lot of talking these past few weeks. He has pumped up Socceroos players, pressed the flesh at Fifa events and maintained his relationship with Qatar’s World Cup officials.

Seemingly, the only people to whom he has not spoken is the media. When Cahill was named as Australia’s “head of delegation” on 15 November, the not-unreasonable assumption was that he would have something to say. The caveat, of course, is that making yourself available to say things also opens you up to squirmy questions about who you work for and why.