FIFA president Gianni Infantino hit out at the criticism of Qatar on the eve of the World Cup. Before Sunday’s first game in Doha, during a 45-minute Q&A session with the media, Infantino gave a long monologue in which he vehemently defended Qatar’s migrant worker program and attacked those who claimed there were “paid fake supporters” in Qatar as racist. The oppression of LGBTQ+ individuals and the deaths of migrant workers have dominated the World Cup’s build-up, but Infantino claimed that the opponents were in no position “to deliver moral lessons to people.”
“Right now, I’m feeling so powerful. I feel Qatari, African, Arab, queer, and crippled today. I feel like a migratory worker as well,” Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA said. “It goes without saying that I am not Qatari, Arab, African, gay, or disabled, but it doesn’t change the fact that I feel that way because I am aware of what it’s like to encounter prejudice and abuse as a foreign tourist. I experienced bullying as a child due to my red hair, freckles, and Italian origin. I cried as I walked into my room.”
“I feel horrible for the members of FIFA’s Supreme Committee and staff. They are trying to deliver here. I’m proud to wear my blazer with the FIFA logo on it. The best World Cup ever will take place. Doha is ready,” he added. “Thousands of people from underdeveloped countries desire to work abroad so they can support and take care of their families back home. Actually, Qatar is giving them this opportunity. When they move here, they earn ten times more money than they would at home. We Europeans should first make up for what we have done to the world over the past 3,000 years before we start teaching people moral lessons.”
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