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Hundreds of Russians helping at Qatar World Cup – official
https://www.rt.com/sport/566753-russian-help-qatar2022-world-cup/
FIFA president slams Western 'hypocrisy' over Qatar criticism
In fiery news conference, Gianni Infantino said Western countries were not in a position to give ‘moral lessons’
Doha, Qatar – FIFA President Gianni Infantino accused Western countries of “hypocrisy” saying they were not in a position to give “moral lessons” to other nations, hours before the World Cup kicks off in Qatar.
In a fiery news conference in the Qatari capital on the eve of the tournament, the Swiss Italian said Europe should address its past crimes before pointing fingers at Qatar.
“I’m European. 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,” Infantino told hundreds of reporters on Saturday.
Qatar, which was awarded the right to host the global football tournament in 2010, has received criticism for its treatment of migrant workers and human rights record.
Infantino, son of migrant workers from Italy, said the Middle Eastern country has “made progress” in improving the rights of migrant workers.
“I came here six years ago and addressed the matter of migrant workers straight on, in my very first meeting,” Infantino said, pausing and looking straight at the gathered journalists.
“How many of these European or Western business companies, who earned millions and millions from Qatar and other countries in the region – billions every year – how many of them addressed the rights of migrant workers with the authorities?
“I have the answer for you. None of them,” the FIFA chief said, adding “the one-sided moral lesson is just hypocrisy.”
Homosexuality is illegal in the country, but Qatar has said all fans are welcome to attend the showpiece event.
“I have been speaking about this topic with the highest leadership of the country. Several times, not just once. They have confirmed, I can confirm, that everyone is welcome,” the FIFA president said.
In remarks to reporters at the end of the news conference, FIFA media chief Bryan Swanson, who is gay, insisted everyone is welcome in Qatar.
“I’ve seen a lot of criticism of Gianni Infantino since I’ve joined FIFA, in particular from the LGBTQ community,” Swanson said.
“I’m sitting here in a privileged position on a global stage as a gay man here in Qatar. We have received assurances that everybody is welcome and I believe that everybody will be welcome in this World Cup,” he added.
Critics also questioned Qatar, the first country in the Arab world to host the competition, for banning the sale of alcohol inside stadiums during the tournament.
“Every decision that is taken in this World Cup, it is a joint decision between Qatar and FIFA. Every decision is discussed, debated and taken jointly. There will be, I don’t know how many, fan zones – eight, 10, big fan zones, over 200 places where you can buy alcohol,” Infantino said.
He also pointed out this was not unusual as drinking inside football stadiums is banned in major European nations such as France, Spain, Portugal and Scotland.
“We sold the media rights for around $200m more than the last World Cup,” he said. “We sold the sponsorship rights for also around $200m more than the last World Cup.
“And as far as ticketing and hospitality rights are concerned, we are at almost 200 to 300 million more than the last World Cup.”
Qatar will kick off the 32-team tournament on Sunday against Ecuador. Infantino said the Gulf country has done impressive work in preparing for the matches.
“Doha is ready. Qatar is ready. It will be the best World Cup ever, of course,” he said.
West can't lecture Qatar, says FIFA chief
19 Nov, 2022
https://www.rt.com/sport/566821-infantino-qatar-world-cup-west-apology/
Gianni Infantino said Europeans should ‘apologize for the next 3,000 years’ for their past sins
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has launched a staunch defense of the Qatar World Cup ahead of the start of the tournament, claiming that the West is in no position to issue moral lessons to the Gulf state.
Qatar has faced relentless questions in the Western media about its suitability as a venue ever since it was awarded World Cup hosting rights in 2010.
Much of the discussion has focused on Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers and members of its LGBTQ community.
But in an extraordinary monologue on the eve of the event, which gets underway on Sunday when Qatar play Ecuador, Infantino said Europeans were throwing stones in glass houses.
“We have told many, many lessons from some Europeans, from the Western world,” Infantino told the assembled media in Doha.
“I think for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”
“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. I am not really a migrant worker.
“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,” added the FIFA chief.
Infantino discussed his own childhood in Switzerland as the son of “migrant workers” from Italy, saying: “As a child I was bullied – because I had red hair and freckles, I was bullied, 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.”
“There is 1 billion disabled people in the world. Nobody cares,” added Infantino, before taking Europe to task for its own handling of migrants.
“This moral lesson-giving is one-sided, it’s just hypocrisy,” said Infantino.
“Qatar has made progress as well,” Infantino insisted, vowing that it would be “the best World Cup ever” once the ball gets rolling.
Criticism of the Qatar World Cup continued on Friday after a late U-turn on beer sales at the eight tournament stadiums.
Infantino said it had been a “joint decision” and that fans could still buy alcohol at “over 200 places.”
“I think personally for three hours a day if you cannot drink, you will survive. The same rules in France, Spain and Scotland, where no beer is allowed in stadiums,” said the FIFA boss.
Infantino’s message echoes that of the Qatari hosts, who have argued that much of the criticism directed their way is bordering on racism.
“We initially dealt with the matter in good faith, and even considered that some criticism was positive and useful,” said the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, in comments last month.
“But it soon became clear to us that the campaign continues, expands and includes fabrication and double standards, until it reached an amount of ferocity that made many questions, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign.”
The World Cup kicks off on Sunday when Qatar play Ecuador at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. The final will be held at the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium just outside Doha on December 18.
Around 350 Russians are working as part of the organizing team for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, football official Alexey Sorokin has revealed.
Sorokin was head of the local organizing committees for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the Euro 2020 matches held in St. Petersburg last year.
He has been among those to pass on their knowhow to help Qatar prepare for the world’s biggest sporting spectacle.
“Our experience and knowledge has flowed into the organization of the next World Cup. About 350 Russians work here in various functional areas: security, accreditation, facility management, volunteers, a lot of IT specialists,” Sorokin told Sport-Express this week.
“We have representatives in almost all areas of the organization. The team is very international. There are Greeks, British, Americans, Brazilians, Spaniards, Argentines. There’s a fairly high concentration of football experience.
“I don’t want to give the impression that this is a completely ‘foreign’ championship in terms of personnel – there are a lot of Qataris. There are many colleagues from the Middle East: there are Jordanians, Lebanese.”
READ MORE: Why Qatar will be a World Cup like no other
Qatar will become the first Arab nation to welcome the World Cup, as well as the smallest nation to host the event in its 92-year history.
The contrast in geographical size will be particularly stark when compared to the Russia World Cup, which spanned 12 stadiums across 11 host cities, ranging from Kaliningrad in the west to Ekaterinburg in the Urals.
The tournament in Russia was widely hailed as a major success, both on and off the pitch. Nonetheless, Sorokin said that organizers can never be “fully ready” – even if he praised Qatar for its efforts, including the adoption of free transport for fans, something seen in Russia four years ago.
“It would be a little presumptuous to say that everything is definitely ready. I repeat once again – great preparations have been made [in Qatar], great efforts and funds have been invested,” said Sorokin.
“The country takes the tournament very seriously. It can be said that it has united around this event – it has rallied the efforts of all branches of government, all departments.”
The build-up to the tournament in Qatar has been mired in Western media debate about conditions for migrant workers and the Gulf state’s treatment of the LGBT community.
READ MORE: Qatar World Cup officials apologize after TV crew ‘threatened’ (VIDEO)
Sorokin noted that Russia had also been criticized in the Western press in the lead-up to its own showpiece four years ago, with the same being true of Brazil in 2014 and South Africa in 2010.
In terms of Qatari customs clashing with fans’ attitudes, Sorokin recommended that visitors be aware of local traditions, but said he does not expect “excessive rigorism” from officials.
“Here, I would reduce it to respect for local orders and the amendment that this is not a European country. But I don’t expect any persecution or reprisals,” said Sorokin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his best wishes to Qatar for the World Cup at a meeting with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on the sidelines of a summit in Astana last month.
Al-Thani thanked Russia for its support, praising it for “provid[ing] great support to Qatar, especially in terms of organization.”
The Qatari team begin the tournament when they play Ecuador at the 60,000-seater Al-Bayt Stadium in Doha on Sunday.
The Russian team will be absent in Qatar after being banned from the European qualification playoffs because of the conflict in Ukraine.
