FIFA President Gianni Infantino was branded a “numpty” after saying he knows how it feels to be gay and disabled in Qatar.
Addressing controversy over the hosting of the World Cup on the eve of it kicking off, the boss of footie’s international governing body compared his childhood bullying for having ginger hair with the suffering of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community in the Arab kingdom, where homosexuality is banned.
Speaking to 400 reporters, the Italian – who earns around £25million a year compared to the 82p an hour migrants were paid to build the stadiums – made a bizarre hour-long rant.
He opened it by saying: “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.
"We have been taught many lessons from Europeans. I am European. For what we have been doing for 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons.
"If Europe really cares about the destiny of these people, they can create legal channels like Qatar did, where a number of these workers can come to Europe to work. Give them some future, hope."
“Of course I am not Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled or a migrant worker. But I feel like them because I know what it means to be discriminated and bullied as a foreigner in a foreign country. As a child I was bullied because I had red hair and freckles.”
“I don’t have to defend Qatar, it will be the best World Cup ever.”
Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy hit back, telling Infantino live on air: “You do not know what it feels like to be gay.
"You do not know what it feels like to be disabled, you do not know what it feels like to be African.
"You cannot conflate being discriminated because of red hair and freckles to what the groups you referenced experienced.
“Qatar recruits from the poorest countries and brings them to work in what human rights groups call modern slavery. He says that’s OK because they get paid more than at home. This is just misleading, disrespectful and offensive.”
One England fan said: “The FIFA President had red hair and it’s the same as slavery... what a numpty.”
In Qatar, England Fans FC founder Garford Beck, 60, from London, said: “He comes across as a rambling madman and sounds like a man under pressure... can’t think why.”
Veteran gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: “The statement by the FIFA boss is outrageous. I have no doubt he was pressured by the Qataris to say this. He has given in to their demands and is colluding with the tyrannical regime. FIFA is now little more than a mouthpiece for the Qatari despots. It is giving cover for a sexist, homophobic, racist dictatorship.”
But FIFA director of media relations Bryan Swanson, a former Sky Sports reporter, told the journalists: “I am a gay man in Qatar. We have assurances everyone will be welcome.”
England defender Eric Dier, 28, speaking after training yesterday, told of his anguish at playing in the state. He said: “We players have no decision on where we play, those decisions are made above us. It’s a difficult situation for us. Every team and player will face it through the tournament.”
Steve Cockburn, of Amnesty International, said some of FIFA’s £5billion profit from the World Cup should be set aside to compensate migrant workers and families from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
And Britain’s Trades Union Congress has accused Qatar of “keeping up appearances” at the expense of World Cup workers.
Issuing a report on their conditions, General Secretary Frances O’Grady said Qatar employers were out of control, flagrantly breaking the law while the government “turned a blind eye”.
In February 2021, figures suggested 6,500 migrant workers had died in Qatar since it won its World Cup bid. Qatar said of 37 deaths among labourers at stadium construction sites between 2014 and 2020, only three were “work-related”.
Fans have also reacted with fury after the last-minute decision by Qatar’s royal family not to sell beer to ordinary fans at stadiums – but to serve champagne to VIP guests paying £18,000.
Infantino hit back: “If this is the biggest issue we have for the World Cup then I will resign immediately and go to the beach to relax.”
Meanwhile, England footie legend David Beckham tonight refused to answer questions about his £10million contract to promote the regime while arriving at an event at the British Embassy in capital Doha.
And singer Robbie Williams, being paid to perform during the World Cup, said: “I don’t condone any abuses of human rights anywhere. But, that being said, if we’re not condoning abuses anywhere, it would be the shortest tour the world has known. I wouldn’t even be able to perform in my own kitchen.”
England skipper Harry Kane will wear a One Love rainbow armband to support gay rights for England’s opening game against Iran at 1pm on Monday.
Qatar play Ecuador in the tournament’s opening game at 4pm tomorrow.
