It is a sensitive subject.
Burning.
As the health crisis worsens across the world, the issue of vaccines for athletes engaged in international competitions is increasingly coming back to the table.
A question to which the president of Fifa answered in the clearest way.
Gianni Infantino has indeed ruled out this Monday to demand a priority vaccination of professional footballers against Covid-19 to facilitate competitions, tracing his position on that of the International Olympic Committee.
"The priority, in terms of vaccines, is obviously that people at risk and caregivers are vaccinated first," said the head of the global body, invited to the weekly press briefing of the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is possible that vaccination is recommended at some point, but all this will of course be done respecting the order of distribution of the vaccines.
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World Cup matches will play to full stadiums in Qatar next year, global soccer body FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Monday.
#Qatar # Qatar2022 #FIFA #QatarWorldCup #QatarNews #QatarDay pic.twitter.com/acsQ8DHmP5
- Qatar Day- Pulse of Nation (@qatarday) February 1, 2021
Coming to support the WHO campaign for equitable access to vaccination, the Italian-Swiss leader stressed that football players were "not a priority audience", even though the pandemic threatens sports calendars.
The debate on a possible "prioritization" of athletes has gained momentum in recent weeks, as doubts mounted on the holding of the Tokyo Olympics, from July 23 to August 8, as well as the Euro. football in June and July.
But the IOC - which encourages athletes "to be vaccinated in their country of residence, in accordance with national guidelines" - refuses to request priority access to the vaccine for participants in the Tokyo Games.
A solution that would have posed both practical and ethical difficulties since the vaccination campaign is starting at a very uneven rate depending on the country.
The Euro disputed in one country?
A position therefore shared by Fifa and which could be taken over by UEFA for the next Euro, scheduled from June 11.
This competition is currently planned in twelve different countries, but a plan B, with a tournament in one country, would be under consideration.
UEFA has postponed decisions on the consequences of the health situation until April.
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While most football matches are currently held in empty stands around the world, the FIFA boss, on the other hand, was optimistic that the next World Cup in Qatar will be played "in full stadiums "in November and December 2022." By then the Covid-19 must have been eradicated.
If we are still not there, I think we will have a much more serious problem than the World Cup, ”he added.
