Speaking at a press conference held a few hours before the start of the World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino responded to criticism against the organization regarding immigration, ticket prices, and visa issues by saying, “Calm down and relax.”
“Elchi” reports that Infantino, who claimed that no one but himself could guarantee the participation of Iran, which is in a state of war with one of the tournament’s host countries, the USA, firmly defended the FIFA leadership.
During the 35-minute speech at the meeting held in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, 56-year-old Infantino asked the media to focus on football.
Criticized for a lack of transparency, the FIFA president touched on three main issues: ticket prices, the situation in Iran, and immigration restrictions against the USA.
“We are not the kings of the world”
Hosting 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches, the USA faced harsh reactions for imposing travel bans on fans from four participating countries and for not allowing Somali referee Omar Artan to enter the country from Miami airport. After the visa crisis, the United Nations (UN) called on the USA to reconsider its immigration policy. Responding to the criticism, Infantino defended the USA’s right to control its borders, saying: “We don’t live on the Moon, we live on planet Earth. We have to accept that we are not the kings of the world who can control governments and security forces. We are a sports organization doing our best. Sometimes you need to calm down and relax. We are working on every issue. Shouting and screaming does not solve any problems.”
Şayəstə