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Gianni Infantino has once again defended World Cup hosts Qatar
Photo: IMAGO/Jonas Ekströmer/TT / IMAGO/TT
FIFA President Gianni Infantino held a memorable press conference just before the opening of the World Cup.
"Today I feel Qatari, today I feel Arabic, today I feel African, today I feel homosexual, today I feel handicapped, today I feel like a guest worker," said Infantino, who has his second home in Doha.
Everyone is welcome at the World Cup: "If someone says otherwise, that's not the attitude of the country - and it's not the attitude of Fifa," he added.
In a one-hour monologue, he once again sharply rejected criticism of the tournament and accused both the media and critics of the World Cup of hypocrisy.
"This one-sided moral sermon is pure hypocrisy," said the 52-year-old in Doha.
For example, judgments from the western world are inappropriate against the background of one's own history.
"For what we Europeans have done for the past 3,000 years, we should apologize for the next 3,000 years before we start teaching people moral lessons," Infantino said.
In the run-up to the World Cup in the desert state, the human rights situation, conditions for migrant workers and the lack of rights for women and the LGBTQ community were denounced, among other things.
Prime Minister Sheikh Chalid bin Chalifa Al-Thani recently issued a "security guarantee" for people in the LGBTQ community to German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch warns homosexuals against traveling to Qatar.
One of the local World Cup ambassadors recently described being gay as "mental damage" in a ZDF documentary.
That's not "the attitude of the country," said Infantino, without going into detail about the statement.
Reports on "bought" fan parades are xenophobic
In his statements, Infantino also described media reports about allegedly »bought« fan parades in the run-up to the World Cup finals as xenophobic.
»This is racism, pure racism – this has to stop.
Everyone in the world has the right to be for anyone,' he said, and asked, 'Can't someone who looks like an Indian be for Germany or Spain?'
Infantino does not see the short-term alcohol ban in Qatar stadiums as a problem.
"Honestly, if that's our biggest issue at the World Cup, then I'll sign it immediately, go to the beach and relax until December 18," said the Swiss.
“Personally, I think if fans can't drink beer for three hours a day, they'll survive.
There are the same rules in France, Spain or Scotland, where no beer is allowed in the stadiums either.«
Under pressure from hosts Qatar, the decision to sell alcohol in the stadiums was reversed just two days before the World Cup.
It was planned to offer alcoholic beer in special sales tents after the games.
"There will still be eight or ten fan zones where you can buy alcohol," Infantino said.
However, this only applies from 6.30 p.m. local time.
kjo/dpa/sid
