Embattled FIFA Chief Launches Defense Of Qatar World Cup
Embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino pushed back against criticism of the Qatar World Cup a day before the tournament begins following years of planning.
(Bloomberg) -- Embattled FIFA President Gianni Infantino pushed back against criticism of the Qatar World Cup a day before the tournament begins following years of planning.
Speaking after months of concern over the country’s treatment of migrant workers, anger at its LGBTQ laws and doubts over the legitimacy of the decision to hold the tournament there, Infantino said it was wrong for Europe to lecture the Qataris.
“Europe can’t give moral lessons to Qatar based on its own actions over 3,000 years,” he said Saturday. “Europe is a great hub of multicultural tolerance but there are things that aren’t great.”
“They should look at themselves before criticizing,” he added.
On the eve of one of the most criticized World Cups ever, Infantino began an almost-hour-long speech by saying: “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker.”
After a last-minute change on Friday to the rules on alcohol sales at the event, there are fears that other regulations governing the tournament may also be altered. Infantino tried to reassure the LGBTQ community they’d be safe, despite Qatar’s laws prohibiting homosexuality.
“Gay people are welcome in Qatar,” he said. “We went through a process.”
Beer Ban
Infantino said there have been improvements in the way migrant workers are treated, partly due to the engagement that’s happened as a result of the World Cup.
Infantino said the tournament brought many threats and challenges, some of which hadn’t been faced before. One is having so many stadiums within a relatively short distance of one another, which was a factor in the new rules on beer, he said.
“You have to make sure people can get in and out safely,” Infantino said. People can survive without drinking a beer for three hours, he added, citing similar rules regarding alcohol in stadiums in Scotland and France.
The FIFA chief said the tournament was set to beat revenues from the Russia World Cup four years ago in terms of media rights, sponsorship and ticketing, which would take it past the previous record of $5.4 billion.
“If so many people invest in the World Cup and in Qatar, they invest because they believe in FIFA and trust Qatar,” Infantino said.
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