FC Barcelona drew the ire of many in 2011 when its board of directors agreed to a partnership with Qatar Airways for $232 million over five years. The club had long been renowned for its resistance against the trend in professional soccer to sell advertisement space on player kits themselves. In the five years prior to the deal, Barca was even paying UNICEF $2 million annually for the charity to be represented on its players’ uniforms, an aspect of then-president Joan Laporta’s greater vision for a team involved in humanitarian activism. Sandro Rosell, his successor, justified this abrupt change in policy by pointing out the club’s staggering debt, estimated at around half a billion dollars, and that it brought awareness to the fledgling Arabian nation. With the partnership set to expire in 2016, there is no doubt that it has helped balance the club’s accounts — but at what cost?

Qatar was selected to host the 2022 World Cup back in 2010 under dubious circumstances. The Qatari FIFA Vice President Mohamed bin Hammam paid off thirty African member states with millions of dollars just prior to the vote, while later reports on ethical concerns were dismissed. Qatar proceeded without hesitation on the construction of nine new stadiums and the renovation of three old ones. As was the case when Brazil hosted the 2014 World Cup, the construction for the World Cup was what brought Qatari human rights abuses to the forefront and has called its status as the host nation into question.

The fundamental root of these concerns is that a massive migrant worker population drives the construction of World Cup infrastructure in Qatar. Of the 2 million individuals living in Qatar, only 10 percent are actually Qatari; most of the rest are poor Arabians, Afghans and Nepalese seeking out menial labor to support their families back home. The majority of these workers, who make up 99 percent of the private sector workforce, have their travelling and residential plans sponsored by Qatari companies through the indenturing kafala system. They are banned from unionizing, do not receive any enforced legal protection from the government and have few opportunities to leave the company. It comes as no surprise then that investigations showed evidence of squalid living conditions, poor workplace standards and unjust compensation for the migrant workers. These human rights concerns are the driving force behind the pressure FIFA is receiving from the Council of Europe to redo the vote for the 2022 World Cup, though a change seems unlikely.

Qatar Airways, which is fully owned by the Qatari government, has repeatedly been called out by the International Transport Workers’ Federation for its draconian treatment of its employees. The restrictions on women alone are alarming — female employees are not allowed to marry within five years of signing their contracts and must seek out company approval for marriage following that five-year span. Employed women can have their contracts terminated on grounds of pregnancy. Moreover, Qatar Airways’ female workers may not be picked up from work by any males who are not related to them.

However, Qatar Airways’ mistreatment of workers extends beyond its policies toward its female employees. Crew members are banned from using cell phones, chewing gum or smoking, and just being seen in a bar is grounds for termination. Even their personal lives are monitored, as employees are forced to live in company residences under strict surveillance and regulation. Furthermore, employees are not allowed to speak of Qatar Airways in a negative light, nor may they serve as witness to any complaints travellers might have. The company’s radical encroachment upon its employees runs completely perpendicular with the wealthy Westerners who it sees as its key demographic. FC Barcelona has always prided itself on being “more than a club,” but it seems that Qatar Airways has adopted its partner’s motto in a most sinister manner.

So, where does this leave Barca? Thanks to the exorbitant contracts that are par for the course in La Liga, Premier League and Bundesliga, FC Barcelona will be sponsored by a multi-million dollar conglomerate for years to come. New corporate sponsors have popped up in the years since the club originally signed with Qatar Airways, most notably Chevrolet’s $559 million deal with Manchester United last year and Deutsche Telekom’s $200 million deal with Bayern Munich in 2012. Pair that with the rumors of a potential Messi transfer to the Premier League and FC Barcelona will most certainly be looking for a deal at least comparable to Manchester United’s.

The club should cut ties with Qatar Airways once this contract expires. Qatar Airways’ business practices are outmoded and display a disconnect with Barcelona’s mission to be “more than a club.” I believe that Barca’s new sponsorship partner should be and will be more like Intel, with whom they partnered in 2013 to brand the inside of their kits, or Tottenham’s partnership with AIA Group Limited, in that it will be high-tech or information-based and have a significantly better human rights track record.

Max Fiege is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service. OUT OF OUR LEAGUE appears every Tuesday.