Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, has been attacked on social media. ‘tone-deaf’Speech before the Qatar World Cup.
The 52-year old was speaking one day before the tournament’s opening game when he criticized the West for expressing concern about the host nation.
This comes as Qatar is being criticized for sportswashing, 6500 migrant worker deaths, sexist attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights, and claims of modern slavery. There are many other issues..
Infantino however suggested that European countries should be “apologising for the next 3,000 years”Its comments about Qatar.
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He continued to say that he knew how gay people and migrant workers felt. “feel”He was teased for his red hair as a child and was subsequently expelled from the country.
Infantino gave the speech before Sunday’s opening match.Christopher Lee/Getty Images
Infantino stated this in his speech “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel [like] a migrant worker.
“Of course I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not gay, I am not disabled. But I feel like it, because I know what it means to be discriminated [against], to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country.
“As a child I was bullied – because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian so imagine. What do you do then? You try to engage, make friends. Don’t start accusing, fighting, insulting, you start engaging. And this is what we should be doing.”
Infantino continued to say: “For what we Europeans have been doing around the world in the last 3,000 years we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.
“How many European or Western companies that make millions, billions and are based in Qatar have addressed the rights for migrant workers with authorities?
“None of them, because if you change the legislation it means less profit. But we did, and FIFA generates much less than any of these companies from Qatar.”
He ended his remarks by saying: “If you need to criticise anybody, don’t put pressure on the players, the coaches.
“You want to criticise. You can crucify me. I’m here for that. Don’t criticise anyone. Don’t criticise Qatar. Let people enjoy this World Cup.”
Safe to say, his comments didn’t go down well online, with people hitting out at their ‘tone-deaf’ manner.
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