As quoted by the BBC, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has launched an explosive and rambling defence of the World Cup in Qatar, which lasted around an hour at a press conference on the eve of the tournament’s opening game between Qatar and Ecuador. Infantino accused the West of “hypocrisy” amid strong criticism of Qatar’s discriminatory laws and treatment of migrant workers, saying:
“We have been taught many lessons from Europeans and the Western world. I am European. For what we have been doing for 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons. If Europe really care about the destiny of these people [the migrant workers], they can create legal channels – like Qatar did – where a number of these workers can come to Europe to work. Give them some future, some hope. I have difficulties understanding the criticism. We have to invest in helping these people, in education and to give them a better future and more hope. We should all educate ourselves, many things are not perfect but reform and change takes time. This one-sided moral lesson is just hypocrisy. I wonder why no-one recognises the progress made here since 2016. It is not easy to take the critics of a decision that was made 12 years ago. Qatar is ready, it will be the best World Cup ever. I don’t have to defend Qatar, they can defend themselves. I defend football. Qatar has made progress and I feel many other things as well.”
GWFN
