Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022: FIFA President Gianni Infantino in bizarre press conference
3,000 years of history, the evils of colonialism, childhood bullying and freckles. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has delivered an extraordinary opening World Cup address. READ IN FULL
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has delivered an extraordinary opening address in his press conference to welcome international media to the World Cup.
In front of a packed press audience of 400 journalists in Doha’s Main Media Centre, Infantino had a lot to get off his chest given the endless list of controversies that have plagued the build up to football‘s showpiece event.
He was measured, calm, but held a lecture-like manner over the 55-minute opening gambit which centred mainly on criticisms of Qatar’s migrant worker population, which has constructed much of the infrastructure that will play host to the world’s best footballers, plus the issue of gay rights.
Here’s part of what he had to say.
OPENING REMARKS
“I’ve been pretty quiet in the last few months, working behind the scenes seeing what was going on. Today, one day before the World Cup, I thought it was important to discuss the topics that have rightly or wrongly been put on the table. Some things that have been picked up in the last few months that have been quite incredible, I would say.
“Today I have very strong feelings.
“Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker.”
(Long pause.)
“And I feel this, all this, because of what I’ve been seeing and what I’ve been told since I don’t read, otherwise I would be depressed I think.
“What I see brings me back to my personal story. I am a son of migrant workers. My parents were working very, very hard in very, very difficult conditions. Not in Qatar, but in Switzerland. I remember very well, I’m not 150 years old, not speaking about apartheid in South Africa, I remember the migrant workers where they were living in Switzerland. I remember as a child how migrant workers were treated.
“When I came to Doha, the first time after I was elected FIFA President, I went to see the workers’ accommodation here. I was brought back to my childhood. And I say to them here this is not good. Same as Switzerland today, this has become a place of inclusion. With rights, Qatar has made progress as well.
“I feel many other things as well. Of course I am not Qatari, I am not Arab, not African, not gay, not disabled, but I feel like them, because I know what it means to be discriminated, to be bullied as a foreigner in a foreign country. I was bullied because I had red hair … and freckles.”
A TROUBLED 12 YEARS
“I feel as well, very much for all the FIFA staff. For all the Qatar Supreme Committee staff, all the volunteers., all the others. They are all here because they want to deliver to you and to the world an incredible football event. They’re all proud to be here. I’m proud to have this FIFA sign on my jacket.
“It’s not easy to read all these criticisms of the decision taken 12 years ago when nobody was there, nobody was there. And now everyone knows we have to make the best out of it. And Doha is ready, Qatar is ready, it will be the best World Cup ever, of course. The magic of football, as soon as the ball rolls, people will concentrate on that because that’s what people want.”
MIGRANT WORKERS
“We are taught many, many lessons from Europeans and the western world. I am European. I think for Europeans what we have done in the world for the last 3000 years we should be apologising for the next 3000 years.
“I came here six years ago and addressed the matter of migrant workers straight on, my very first meeting. How many of these western European businesses … how many have addressed migrant workers rights with the authorities? I have the answer. None of them. Because any change to the legislation means less profit. Instead of one billion profit it means 900 million profit. We did it, and FIFA generates much less than any of these companies from Qatar.
“The country that had some pearls and sand, but what they have now is gas. If there was no gas they would not come. And now they all come. And they all want something, but who cares about the work? FIFA does, the World Cup does, and to be fair to them Qatar does as well.”
DISABLED POPULATION
“There are one billion disabled people in the world. Nobody cares, nobody cares. 15 per cent of the world’s population is disabled. We had four journalists to an event. You think nobody suffers because nobody cares? Of course we have to care, of course we have to do things to help. Like we have to do for the workers, for the LGBT, and for any minority who is in any way suffering or being abused.
“Whilst many, many things are not perfect, change takes time. It took hundreds of years in Europe. I wonder if that’s the case. The only way of obtaining results is by engaging, searching the dialogue, not by hammering, insulting. When your child does something bad at school and you tell him you are an idiot, useless, you put him in his room, what do you think his reaction will be?
“If you engage with him, let’s work together and you will have better grades, he will recognise that. I don’t want to give you any lessons of life, just realising what is going on here is profoundly, profoundly unjust.”
GAY RIGHTS
“Let me also mention the LGBT situation. I have been speaking about this topic with the highest leadership in the country, several times. They have confirmed that everyone is welcome. If you have a person that says the opposite, well it’s not the opinion of the country and certainly not the opinion of FIFA. Everyone that comes is welcome. Whatever religion, race, sexual orientation, belief she or he has, everyone is welcome.
“The Qatari state sticks to that requirement. They will tell you that legislation that prohibits that to jail. Yes, these legislations exist in many countries in the world. These legislations existed during the World Cup in Switzerland in 1954. So again, like the workers, these are processes.”
“What do you want to do about it? You want to stay home and hammer, and criticise these Arabs or these Muslims because it’s not allowed in public? Of course I believe it should be allowed as FIFA President. If I ask the same question to my father if he’s not here anymore, he probably has a different answer to me. So if somebody thinks by just hammering and criticising you will achieve something, well I can tell you, you will achieve exactly the opposite. And that’s bad.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino at news conference in Doha: “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel a migrant worker†pic.twitter.com/GozWBXd1Fd
— Dan Roan (@danroan) November 19, 2022
FAKE FANS
“The world is divided enough. We are organising the World Cup. We are not organising a war. We are organising a World Cup, that many people have many problems in their life, for them to come and enjoy. To go see the teams, be happy. Cheer the teams.
“And what do I read? Well they don’t look like English, they look like Indians, they shouldn’t cheer for English. Can someone who does look like they are from England go cheer for them, or for Spain, or for Germany? You know what this is. This is racism. This is pure racism. We need to stop it. Because everyone in the world has the right to cheer for who he or she wants. Tolerance starts with ourselves, we shouldn’t spread aggression. We should spread understanding.”
FIFA’S ROLE IN THE WORLD
“Football brings people together. If we want to organise an event in North Korea, I actually went to North Korea some years ago to ask if they were ready to host part of a Women’s World Cup with South Korea. I was not successful, obviously, but I will go another hundred times if it would help. Only engagement can bring real change.
“I’m still convinced … this particular World Cup will help to open the eyes of the world.”
STADIUM BEER BAN
“Honestly, if this is the biggest issue we have for the World Cup I will sign up immediately to go to the beach and relax until the 18th of December.
Every decision that is taken in this World Cup is a joint decision. Between Qatar and FIFA. It is discussed and taken jointly. There will be many 8-10 fan zones, and over 200 places you can buy alcohol in Qatar. The late change of policy is because we tried until the end to see what was possible.”
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