DOHA, (Xinhua) -- FIFA President Gianni Infantino criticized today (Saturday) the campaigns against Qatar and FIFA due to the Gulf state's organization of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Infantino said today at a press conference attended by more than 500 media professionals from around the world, a day before the start of the tournament, "We have recently received moral lessons from a high platform ... We accept criticism, but we do not bow to pressure because this is not fair in reality."

He added that the slogans and ethical lessons promoted by the media and Western officials reflect hypocrisy, noting that the conditions of workers in the State of Qatar are better than those of immigrants in Europe, and the standards of workers' rights in Qatar are similar to the standards of workers' rights in Europe.

And he went on to say, "When I look at what we Europeans have done over the past 3,000 years, I see that we must apologize for the next 3,000 years before we begin to provide moral lessons to the rest of the world."

"Since 2014, more than 25,000 immigrants have died to Europe for various reasons... Change in Europe took hundreds of years, while the West demands that this happen in a few years in the Arab world," he said.

And he added, "Today I feel that I am Qatari, Arab and African... I feel like myself and people with special needs... I feel like a migrant worker," referring to the issues that have sparked controversy since Qatar won the right to organize the World Cup.

He stressed that Qatar welcomes everyone, regardless of their orientation, and that more than 11,000 fans from Tel Aviv will attend trips that include Palestinians and Israelis together to Doha, in an achievement that FIFA is proud of, pointing out that everyone is in Qatar in order to make this tournament a success, which will be the best. It will contribute to introducing the West to the Arab world.

He stressed that Qatar is a sovereign country and does not need advice or interventions regarding workers' rights, explaining that he does not defend Qatar because it can defend itself, but he defends right and justice because the criticism of this country is unfair, as he put it.

He stated that every decision taken in this edition of the World Cup is a joint decision between Qatar and FIFA, and that the decision to ban alcoholic beverages in the vicinity of the World Cup stadiums was also taken in coordination with FIFA, and the company concerned understood the matter because it relates to the safety of the masses, and that the ban is only related to the three hours. for matches.

He said in this context, "This decision was taken in coordination with FIFA, and European countries such as France and Spain have previously taken a similar decision, but when this happens in an Arab country, there is a problem ... I think you can survive without drinking alcohol 3 hours a day." .

He stated that the rights to broadcast the current version of the tournament increased by 200 million dollars compared to previous tournaments, and that the World Cup in Qatar is expected to achieve commercial profits for FIFA that exceed the World Cup in 2018 by 600 million euros, thanks to the close distance and the short time for transportation between stadiums.

In conclusion, the FIFA President demanded that everyone's customs be respected, that the tournament participants be allowed to focus on football and for the fans to enjoy this event that only comes once every four years.

The FIFA World Cup will be held for the first time in Qatar and in the Middle East, from November 20 to December 18, with the participation of 32 teams, amid expectations that the Gulf country will receive approximately 1.5 million fans from all over the world. /ts/