The football manager says he feels “200% in charge” of the competition as he downplays the authorities’ eleventh-hour U-turn to restrict the sale of alcohol at all stadiums and claims that the regime’s assurances on the safety of the people are secure.
The president of the world governing body of football, FIFA, has stated that the West should not criticize Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup. Instead, European nations should apologize for their histories, he added.
At a news conference to commemorate the beginning of the tournament, Gianni Infantino stated that critics lacked the authority to “teach moral lessons to people.”
The small Middle Eastern country has been criticized for its treatment of migrant workers and its stance on LGBT+ rights.
The sudden, eleventh-hour decision by the Qatari government to prohibit the sale of alcohol in all stadiums has also generated questions about the veracity of assurances offered over larger, more important matters.
Infantino, however, defended the host nation by stating, “For what we Europeans have done around the world over the past 3,000 years, we should apologize for the next 3,000 years before beginning to teach people moral lessons.
“How many of these European or Western corporations that earn millions or billions from Qatar have addressed the rights of migrant workers with the government?
“None of them, because changing the law reduces their margins. FIFA makes significantly less revenue than any of these Qatari firms.”
He added: “Today I feel Qatari. Today I felt Arabic. Today I feel quite African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel crippled. I feel like a migrant laborer today.
“I am not Qatari, Arab, African, homosexual, or crippled.
“However, I feel this way because I understand what it is like to experience discrimination and bullying as a foreigner in a strange country.
“When I was a child, I was ridiculed because I had red hair and freckles, and I was also Italian, so you can imagine.
“Then what do you do?” You endeavor to engage and create friends.
“Don’t begin by accusing, fighting, or insulting; rather, begin by participating.”
“This is the course of action we should take”
Despite Qatar’s last-minute U-turn on alcohol sales at the tournament’s eight stadiums and the consequences this could have for other assurances, Infantino told, “I feel fully in control of this World Cup.”
In addition, he attempted to minimize the reversal by pointing out that such bans were already in place in stadiums in Scotland, France, and Spain.
Infantino stated, “I believe it is never too late to make a difference. I do not know if we will need to make additional adjustments on other subjects.
“However, when it comes to the security of people – you mentioned LGBT – everyone’s security is assured at the country’s highest level. This is the assurance we’ve made, and we’ll honor it.”
The ‘kafala system’ of Qatar is a series of labor rules that permit Qatari people and corporations to seize workers’ passports and prevent them from leaving the country.
According to human rights groups, this has given developers carte blanche to exploit them, subjecting them to arduous working conditions for low compensation and preventing them from returning home until projects materialize.
There have been reports of a few dozen to several thousand migrant worker deaths during the twelve years of preparation for the event.
The consequences for same-sex sexual behavior under Qatar’s Sharia law range from seven years in prison to death by stoning.
