FIFA President Gianni Infantino accuses West of ‘hypocrisy’

FIFA President Gianni Infantino accuses West of ‘hypocrisy’

FiFA President Gianni Infantino has accused the West of “hypocrisy” in its reporting of Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers on the eve of the World Cup.

In an extraordinary monologue at a news conference in Doha, Infantino spoke for nearly an hour and made a passionate defense of Qatar and the tournament.

The event has been overshadowed by issues in Qatar including the deaths of migrant workers and the treatment of LGBT people.

Infantino opened by saying: “Today I have strong feelings. Today I feel Qatari, I feel Arab, I feel African, I feel gay, I feel disabled, I feel a migrant worker.”

FIFA’s pick of Qatar, a tiny state in the Gulf with a population of 3 million people and a limited soccer history, to host the 2022 World Cup was controversial from the outset when the selection was made in 2010.

Qatar’s hosting of the tournament, which is expected to bring in an estimated 1.2 million tourists, has been marred by controversy and criticism over several issues. These include human rights concerns, workers’ conditions, visitor capacity issues, cultural and religious restrictions, and the fact that for the first time in its history, the World Cup is taking place in winter rather than summer due to the country’s extreme heat during its summer months.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino accuses West of ‘hypocrisy’

It’s also drawn criticism for last-minute changes, including a request to delay the tournament’s start by a few days that came only in August, a demand just last week from the government that beer stands be moved further away from stadiums, and finally, Friday’s decision to ban beer sales around stadiums altogether, just over 48 hours before the first match begins on Sunday.