[Music] hello and a very warm welcome whether you’re watching in the UK or around the world on the eve of the World Cup FIFA president Gianni and fantino has hit out at criticism towards the host Qatar he accused Western critics of qatar’s Records on the treatment of Migrant workers of hypocrisy football’s governing body has come under Fire for taking the World Cup to Qatar because of the country’s human rights record Mr Infantino said he had difficulty understanding criticism of the tournament I’m proud to have this FIFA sign on my jacket it’s not easy every day and every day to read all these critics for decisions which have been taken 12 years ago where nobody over there of us was was there and now everyone knows that we have to make the best out of it and we have to make the best World Cup ever I think for what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3000 years around the world who should be apologizing for next 3000 years before starting to give moral lessons well after his statement our sports editor Dan Rowan challenged Mr Infantino on some of his comments you accuse some in the west the critics of being hypocritical isn’t it hypocritical to on the one hand say that FIFA stands for equality and non-discrimination while at the same time supporting an event in a country which has discriminatory laws if we were to exclude all the countries who have discriminated the laws or other human rights problems who are playing football only maybe you and me Maybe because I don’t know I know that me I don’t discriminate but you I don’t know I hope not so I think it is real to bring that football brings people together and unites the world I think we have to do that and I think we have to welcome everybody in in Qatar gay people are welcoming Qatar and we need to engage we don’t need to provoke we need to engage we need to discuss how many how many gay people were prosecuted in Europe sorry it was a process we went through a process we seemed to forget I’m joined by our Sports correspondent John Watson who is in Doha and John I suppose um the idea is that they want to take attention away from the criticism and get it focused on the football this press conference seems to be achieving the exact opposite I think that’s right Ben I think you just had to look at the way Giani and fentino was holding himself there he looked very cross he looked very angry he’s obviously responding to the negative headlines the negative coverage that has come FIFA’s way ever since the awarding of this controversial World Cup to Qatar but as you say if he was hoping to take the spotlight away from some of those issues and and and put the focus onto the football which as we know gets underway here tomorrow with the Opening match the host Qatar taking on Ecuador done I think perhaps he’s mistaken isn’t he it’s worth looking at some of the other comments that he said in that near hour-long monologue where as I say he did look frustrated at times almost angry he went on to say he’s not gay he’s not a migrant worker but he says he knows what it’s like because he was bullied for having red hair he’s accused the Western media of a hypocrisy in its reporting of the treatment of Migrant workers remember it’s been reported that six and a half thousand migrant workers have died here in Qatar since the tournament was awarded some 12 years ago Qatari authorities say that figure has been misrepresented because it doesn’t directly attribute the numbers who died within that who were working on World Cup related projects and related infrastructure projects in a country let’s not forget we’re only 15 percent of the population are Qatari Nationals um he he himself as well FIFA have written a letter to member associations teams competing in this world cup saying it’s now time to focus on the football the fa and the fa of Wales responded by saying simply human rights are for all these issues it appears are not going to go away anytime soon and as you say if xiani Infantino hoped that this press conference would draw a line on some of that and allow the football now to take center stage while perhaps I think with these comments he is very much mistaken um and John this there was also this issue of um of of alcohol and where the fans will be able to to drink alcohol I don’t know if you’ve had a chance to speak to people and you know what they make of the well I suppose the uncertainty around the rules which I I gather have now been clarified it’s indeed it’s striking the right balance and I think that’s something that the organizers and FIFA have have been trying to do ever since this tournament I guess was awarded to Qatar it was always going to be a very different experience for many a very different experience for fans and as we know uh watching a football match back in the UK a lot of that for fans involves enjoying a beer before a football match uh it was looking as though beer was going to be sold at all eight of the World Cup venues but yesterday FIFA rode back on that under pressure from the Qatari organizers they’d already been asked to make the visibility of the beer kiosks less visible to fans going into the stadiums and then they decided to issue that blanket ban on the sale of of all alcohol at stadiums on Match days which will make it a different experience for many but as we know and the fans will be arriving here do you necessarily need to enjoy alcohol to have a beer to enjoy the football and let’s not forget this is being staged in an Islamic country for the very first time whereas we know drinking alcohol Outdoors is against the law and that was the balance that the Qatari organizers were going to have to try and make as we know with with so many of these other issues at play but it was just one part wasn’t it one part of the spotlight that fell on this on this tournament and how the organizers were going to deal with that but yeah that that move Will Change the World Cup experience for those fans who are going to be coming here for this tournament but it is one small part of a number of of bigger issues which are really at play uh Ben in the lead-up to this world cup one like no other uh indeed uh John thank you very much John Watson our Sports correspondent live in Doha in Qatar.
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