World cup i feel gay
'Today I feel gay, disabled, like a migrant worker' – Gianni Infantino tells Europe to stop Society Cup ‘moral lessons’
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, has hit out at European critics of the Qatar World Cup and told western media to stop “giving moral lessons to people”.
The tournament has been dogged by controversy due to concerns surrounding the country’s human rights record, particularly its treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community.
But Infantino, speaking on the eve of the tournament ahead of Qatar’s curtain-raising game against Ecuador on Sunday, hit back at western critics.
“We include told many, many lessons from some Europeans, from the western world,” Infantino said.
“I think for what we Europeans contain been doing the last 3,000 years we should be apologising for next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”
Infantino, who recently sent a letter to all 32 competing federations urging them to “focus on football”, urged cooperation.
“Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arabic. Today I feel African. Today I feel same-sex attracted. Today I feel disabled. Today I feel (like) a migrant worker,” he said.
“Of course, I
‘I feel gay, disabled … like a woman too!’: Infantino makes bizarre assault on critics
The Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, has accused critics of Qatar’s human rights record of staggering hypocrisy and racism in a bizarre and incendiary attack on the eve of the 2022 World Cup finals.
In an 57-minute diatribe which frequently drew gasps of astonishment, Infantino claimed that western nations were in no position to provide morality lessons to Qatar given their past and current behaviour.
“We have been told many, many lessons from some Europeans, from the western world,” he said. “I contemplate for what we Europeans have been doing the last 3,000 years we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to donate moral lessons to people.”
Infantino also played down concerns over whether LGBTQ+ fans faced danger in a country where gay people chance torture and imprisonment, and insisted that Qatar – with Fifa’s help – had reformed workers’ rights beyond all recognition.
The speech began, though, with Infantino appearing to propose that his possess experiences as a son of Italian immigrants in Switzerland gave him a deep understanding of migrant workers and other minorities in Qat
World Cup 2022: Fifa president Gianni Infantino accuses West of 'hypocrisy'
In February 2021, the Guardian said 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar since its successful World Cup bid.
The number is based on figures provided by the countries' embassies in Qatar.
However, the Qatar government said the total was misleading, because not all the deaths recorded were of people working on Nature Cup-related projects.
The government said its accident records showed there were 37 deaths among labourers at Nature Cup stadium construction sites between 2014 and 2020, only three of which were "work-related".
However, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that was an underestimate.
Infantino said: "We have been taught many lessons from Europeans and the Western world. I am European. For what we contain been doing for 3,000 years around the planet, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons.
"If Europe really concern about the destiny of these people, they can create legal channels - like Qatar did - where a number of these workers can reach to Europe to serve
'I feel gay, I feel disabled': FIFA chief raises eyebrows with speech against Qatar critics
Key Points
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino has accused critics of World Cup host Qatar's human rights record of "hypocrisy".
- He also said he identified with marginalised groups.
- Mr Infantino's remarks sparked backlash from human rights advocates.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino accused critics of World Cup host Qatar's treatment of migrant workers of hypocrisy on Saturday, adding that engagement was the only way to improve human rights.
In lengthy, and sometimes angry, opening remarks at a news conference on the eve of the start of the tournament, Mr Infantino rounded on European critics of the host nation over the issues of migrant workers and LGBTIQ+ rights.
"Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I experience African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel disabled. Today I experience (like) a vagrant. Today I notice (like) a migrant worker," he said.
"I feel all of this because what I see ... brings me endorse to my personal story."
Mr Infantino then detailed how he had grown up as the infant of migrant workers in Switzerland and
Fifa chief Infantino tries to show empathy
AL RAYYAN, Qatar – Fifa president Gianni Infantino raised eyebrows on Saturday when he attempted to show empathy with marginalised groups by telling reporters in Qatar: “I feel gay... I perceive like a migrant worker.”
The Swiss opened the traditional pre-World Cup news conference with a lengthy monologue lambasting the critics of Qatar hosting the tournament because of the country’s human rights record.
“Today, I feel Qatari. Today, I feel Arab. Today, I feel African. Today, I feel gay. Today, I feel disabled. Today, I feel (like) a vagrant. Today, I feel (like) a migrant worker,” he later said.
“I feel all of this because what I see... brings me back to my personal story.”
He then detailed how he had grown up as the child of migrant workers in Switzerland and had been bullied for his accent and for having red hair and freckles.
“Of course, I am not Qatari, I am not an Arab, I am not African, I am not same-sex attracted, I am not disabled,” he later added.
“But I feel like it, because I know what it means to be discriminated, to be bullied, as a foreigner in a foreign country.”
LGBT rights own been a touchstone issue for critics of the tournamen