Infantino apologises to British fans and defends awarding Trump peace prize | Football
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has apologized for his comments about British fans and defended the decision to award a peace prize to US President Donald Trump.
Infantino told the World Economic Forum in Davos last month that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar had been special because “for the first time in history, no Britons were arrested”.
His comments were described as a “cheap” joke at the expense of fans by the Football Supporters’ Association, while the head of Britain’s football police, Mark Roberts, said they were “neither helpful nor accurate”, given the number of fans at the tournaments before Qatar and since.
Infantino was asked about the comments in an interview with Sky News and said: “I have to apologize first. It was meant to be a lighter remark to show that actually the World Cup in Qatar was a celebration, a peaceful event and that everyone came together in a peaceful way.
“So to have England fans – real fans – coming out peacefully and enjoying and cheering for their team is a fantastic thing.”
Infantino was heavily criticized for the decision to award Trump the top FIFA peace prize at December’s World Cup draw in Washington DC, with the decision further questioned after US forces seized Venezuelan President Miguel Maduro and after Trump threatened to use military force to seize Greenland.
However, Infantino told Sky News: “Objectively, he deserves it. »
The Swiss spoke about Trump’s role in securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, saying: “He was instrumental in resolving conflicts, saving lives and saving thousands of lives.” »
Infantino also said his organization and UEFA “should” consider allowing Russia to return to international football. The country has been banned since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but the International Olympic Committee has now recommended that international sports federations admit Russian teams to compete at youth level.
Infantino said: “We must [look at readmitting Russia]. Certainly. This ban did nothing, it just created more frustration and hatred. It would be helpful if Russian girls and boys could play football matches in other parts of Europe.”
On December 17, the Fifa council announced plans to organize a new festival for under-15s, with an event for boys next year and an event for girls in 2027. A press release confirming the council’s decisions said the events would be “open to all 211 Fifa member associations”.
Infantino also rejected the idea of a boycott of this summer’s World Cup because of policies adopted at home and abroad by the Trump administration.
There has been unrest in a number of US cities – notably Minneapolis – over the administration’s approach to immigration control, while threats from Greenland have raised concerns among the US’s traditional allies in Western Europe.
Infantino said there have never been calls for businesses to boycott a country: “so why football? He added: “In our divided world, in our aggressive world, we need opportunities where people can come, meet around passion. [for football].”
