"Today I feel Arab", "Today I feel gay" - Gianni Infantino delivers bizarre speech ahead of FIFA World Cup in Qatar
FIFA president Gianni Infantino gave an astounding speech on the eve of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The decision to award the 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup to Qatar has caused a stir in the footballing community. Several critical remarks have been made on the decision process and the human rights situation in Qatar.
Infantino delivered a long speech, addressing several accusations that have been made so far. He defended the decision to award the hosting rights for the FIFA World Cup to Qatar.
In a 45-minute presser that was initially supposed to be a Q&A, Infantino delivered a long monologue on November 19, saying (via Sky Sports):
"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. 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, to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country."
Gianni Infantino starts his press conference with some opening remarks: "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."
He continued:
"As a child I was bullied - because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian so imagine. I went in my room and I cried. I feel for the FIFA and Supreme Committee staff. They want to deliver here. I am proud to have this FIFA sign on my jacket. It will be the best World Cup ever. Qatar is ready."
Infantino defends decision to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar despite accusations of human rights violations
In the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, allegations of deaths of migrant workers employed to build stadiums in Qatar spread like wildfire across the globe.
Replying to these accusations, Infantino said:
"Hundreds of thousands women and men from developing countries who'd like to offer their services abroad in order to help and give a future to their families back home. Qatar is actually offering them this opportunity. They come here, earn 10 times more than what they earn in their home country."
He continued:
"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."
Suggesting that other companies take advantage of poor work legislation, Infantino also said:
"How many of these European or Western business companies who earn millions from Qatar, billions, how many of them have addressed migrant workers' rights with the authorities?"
He further noted:
"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."
The FIFA World Cup will begin on Sunday (November 20) when hosts Qatar take on Ecuador.