FIFA defends World Cup in Qatar: ‘Europe should apologize 3,000 years for what it did’

Like the boxer who counters in a corner and, as soon as he finds the right moment and the opening, comes out with the power and precision of his blows. Those who Gianni Infantino sinks at the press conference of the World Cup in Qatar are in response to the avalanche of criticism that he (as president) and FIFA have received both for the organization of the World Cup in Qatar and for the events that have occurred in recent days.

“For what we Europeans have done around the world over the past 3,000 years, we must apologize for the next 3,000 years before lecturing people.” It is just the beginning of a more articulate and very tough reflection. All the thorniest issues are on the table: civil, human and labor rights; recruitment of paid supporters as supporters and to inform (in case of negative comments and objections); that sudden turnaround desired by the country’s government in the sale of beer and spirits in stadiums.

Hypocritical and specious criticism, that’s how he defined the number one in world football the objections of the last few days.

The number one in world football took them and summed them up in one word: for him it’s just hypocrisy and he explains why by giving very effective examples, some are real life experiences, situations that touched him personally.

“How many of these European or Western companies that earn millions… billions doing business with Qatar, how many of them have addressed migrant workers’ rights with the authorities? How many? None of them because changing the law means generating less profit. has been done… and FIFA generates less revenue than any other of these companies.”

Infantino also cited a personal experience of discrimination in real life.

The “kafala system” is the set of labor regulations that ended up in the eye of the storm because it empowers people or companies in Qatar to confiscate workers’ passports and forces them to remain in the country – even at the cost of extreme conditions – until completion of the projects for which they were hired. Another raw nerve, civil rights. Infantino also dedicates a passage of his speech to this other controversial topic.

“Today I feel Qatari, Arab, African. Today I feel gay, disabled. Today I feel (like) a migrant worker. Of course I am not Qatari, Arab, African, gay or disabled. But I know what it means to be discriminated against, being bullied. I know what it’s like to be a foreigner in a foreign country. When I was a kid, I was bullied because I had red hair and freckles. And because of my Italian accent in Switzerland”🇧🇷

That’s why he now says he is proud to be in the Arab country today and defines the event that is about to start “it will be the most beautiful spectacle of football ever seen”🇧🇷 The final blow is reserved for those who protested against the ban on beer and alcohol consumption near and within the World Cup venues: “I think you can even survive without drinking beer for three hours”🇧🇷