PARIS: FIFA president Gianni Infantino has hit back at World Cup critics, claiming they were “spreading hatred and false rumours” and arguing the tournament brought “only joy and happiness”.
In a lengthy open letter published on Monday, Infantino called on opponents to “take a moment to reflect, meditate and pray” after a tournament marked by controversies ranging from ticket prices to visa issues.
“I’m sorry you were so preoccupied with hate and criticism that you missed everything,” Infantino wrote in a message shared on his Instagram account and FIFA’s official channels.
“To those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens, spreading hatred and false rumours, I want to say that while you are behind that, we at FIFA are on the front line organizing, working hard and delivering the best show in the world.
“We experienced no violence, no incidents, 100% safety and security, only joy and happiness!”
The run-up to the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States was dominated by fears of sky-high prices, geopolitical tensions, the shadow of conflict and the threat of brutal summer heat in the three host countries.
Iran’s participation against the backdrop of the war with the United States, along with concerns about the domestic crisis in Haiti and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, brought renewed scrutiny of visa and travel restrictions.
Somali referee Omar Artan became perhaps the most prominent victim of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies when he was denied entry into the United States.
However, Infantino defended FIFA’s handling of the tournament.
“While you spread hatred, we worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war. Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict,” he said.
“The Iranian team has been given visas to enter because football is about peace. It is not about politics.”
“Countries that faced serious health problems or other challenges were granted visas,” Infantino added.
“You talked about the few people who didn’t get visas, and you ignored the millions who did, from all parts of the world.”
‘Most oppressed’
His comments were in stark contrast to those of Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei, who said his side was the “most oppressed” team at the World Cup. Star striker Mehdi Taremi called his team’s treatment during the tournament a “disaster”.
Infantino also criticized his performance at the World Cup after it emerged that Trump had personally asked the FIFA president to review a one-match ban imposed on American striker Folarin Balogun, which allowed him to play against Belgium in the last 16.
European football’s governing body UEFA was among those critical of the Balogun affair, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” and saying it had “crossed a red line”.
“Your dissatisfaction with a few decisions taken by the competent authorities is understandable, but please consult the public records: such decisions are common in some of the most important competitions,” Infantino told his critics.
“Indeed, ‘questionable’ decisions by referees or ‘strange’ disciplinary rulings, such as, for example, potentially erroneous red or yellow cards or subsequent decisions not to send off players in certain situations, are routine and widely accepted in some of the world’s biggest leagues.
“It is curious that the same countries that practice these practices are the ones criticizing.”
