The response will not be long in coming.
On Friday, FIFA attempted intimidation in a letter sent to the 32 selections present at the World Cup in Qatar.
"Please don't let football be dragged into every ideological or political battle," urged Gianni Infantino and Fatma Samoura, respectively president and secretary general of the body.
Obviously, a number of Western federations were targeted, from Germany to England via Australia and Canada.
This Sunday, ten European authorities have chosen to respond to this attempt to bring things into line, reports the Swiss newspaper Le Temps.
The message, in essence: there is no question of concealing the extra-sporting issues which tense up public opinion and push some to demand a more or less total boycott of the competition.
Unusual in its tone, this letter alluded, without naming them, to the positions taken by several selections on respect for the rights of workers and LGBT + people by the small emirate, also criticized for the environmental cost of the tournament.
“We will continue to press for these answers to be provided”
“We recognize and welcome, as we have done in the past, that significant progress has been made by Qatar, particularly with regard to the rights of migrant workers, with the impact of legislative changes demonstrated in recent reports. of the International Labor Organization", indicate the signatories from the outset.
However, they warn: “Embracing diversity and tolerance also means supporting human rights.
Human rights are universal and apply everywhere (…) FIFA has repeatedly pledged to provide concrete answers to these questions and we will continue to press for these answers to be provided.
Two demands are put forward in particular: a compensation fund for migrant workers, which Doha refuses to create and support, and the concept of a reception center for the latter.
The FFF did not wish to join this press release
This document has been drawn up on behalf of eight participating nations (Germany, England, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Wales, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland) as well as Norway and Sweden.
All are members of UEFA's working group on human and labor rights.
On the other hand, no trace of the FFF among the signatories.
Solicited by us, the Fed indicates that it was consulted but did not want to enter into a "battle of political communication".
She is part of the "OneLove" campaign which will see the captains of the nations mentioned above wear a multicolored armband against discrimination, but she did not wish to be associated with this missive hostile to Gianni Infantino.
"Don't count on me to be the demagogue"
For a long time, the discretion of the 3F on all these subjects annoyed a number of supporters and NGOs, including Amnesty International.
In early October, however, his decision to support the idea of a compensation fund was applauded.
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“Don't count on me to be the demagogue… dropped Noël Le Graët in our columns at the end of October.
If you list the 211 countries affiliated to FIFA, there are many among them where the notion of law is very far from ours or that in force in Europe.
I do not endorse it, I can deplore it, but I only draw up this observation.
Thanks to the World Cup, Qatar will progress a little faster.
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In recent days, the organization of the tournament has again lent itself to new scandals.
The use of influencer supporters attracted all expenses paid to praise the merits of Qatar questions the authenticity of the public in the stands.
On Sunday, the Sunday Times revealed that Qatar had spied on figures critical of the state and the World Cup in recent years.