Socceroos great Craig Foster slams FIFA boss for unhinged rant over 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

Football legend Craig Foster has delusionally criticized FIFA chief Gianni Infantino for the much-publicized human rights and commercial failings of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.

It comes just days after Infantino gave one of the most bizarre press conferences in sports history, at which the 52-year-old Swiss football boss said: “Today I feel Qatari. Today I feel Arab. Today I feel African. Today I feel gay. Today I feel handicapped. Today I feel (like) a guest worker.’

Foster, who captained the Socceroos in the 1990s before embarking on a Logie Award-winning broadcasting career, is an outspoken human rights advocate – and is scathing about FIFA’s baffling decision to choose Qatar to host the World Cup.

The 52-year-old said it was about time Infantino finally accepted the blame for the storm of controversy surrounding this World Cup.

“It’s been 12 years since it (the World Cup) was awarded to Qatar, and in that time there has been incredible ongoing and relentless controversy and FIFA has been party to that,” Foster said in an interview with Channel 9’s Today Show on Monday. morning.

Gianni Infantiano refused to accept blame for the deaths of migrant workers, and has continued his bizarre speech in recent days to deflect criticism.

“It is important that the football world continues to hold them accountable and ensure that these deaths of migrant workers who have supported so much of Qatar’s infrastructure are not forgotten,” said Foster.

This is undoubtedly the most controversial World Cup of all time, and not just for one reason.

Up to 6,500 migrant workers employed to build the World Cup infrastructure are believed to have died, while homosexuality remains a criminal offense under Qatar’s oppressive regime.

Organizers also recently made a last-minute decision to ban beer in stadiums despite having 12 years to prepare for the inevitability of the decision.

Foster himself has long been a staunch advocate and campaigner for the rights of refugees and migrants, even earning an Order of Australia (AM) for his achievements in space.

A finalist for the Australian Human Rights Commission Medal for his role in freeing Australian-Bahrainian footballer Hakeem al-Araibi from a Thai prison, Foster is not just another former footballer looking for a spot on morning television.

He is a knowledgeable adjunct professor of sports and social responsibility at the University of Torrens who uses his voice to try to force change in the world’s most powerful sports organization.

Sadly, though, that change doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon if Infantino has anything to say about it.

Despite a wave of worldwide criticism and candor from players and teams participating in the World Cup, Infantino refused to accept that there were any shortcomings on his part or on FIFA’s part.

Instead, the FIFA president compared his own experience as a red-haired child in an expensive Swiss boarding school with that of gays, disabled people, and now-deceased migrant workers. in his press conference.

It was a speech that confused Foster.

“Obviously (he is delusional). It was really unhinged. It had shades of Sepp Blatter that preceded it, and even Thomas Bach of the Olympics,” Foster said, after host Ally Langdon expressed surprise at Saturday’s bizarre hour-long press conference.

“They seem to get into these positions and the power puts them in a position where they feel like they are a historic, important global figure.

Just last week he called for an end to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine; he thinks he’s going to stop a war, and he’s not even getting beer in the stadium!

“He’s just not willing to take responsibility for all the things that went wrong.

“Then you have the LGBTI crime there, which is why it’s so nice that we’ve seen the Socceroos make a strong statement,” said Foster.

In a video released just before their arrival in Qatar, the Socceroos condemned the regime for the “suffering of workers” and urged the country to establish a migrant center and ban same-sex relations to pass the criminal law.

While praising the Socceroos for their strong and public stance on Qatar’s human rights violations, Foster said what the whole mess showed was that money is light years ahead in important to FIFA as opposed to growing the game or protecting of the most basic human rights. .

“What this World Cup really shows is that money can buy people, and money can buy sport – and there are very few teams or people around the world who are willing to come forward and say this is not okay “, he said.

It is the renunciation that is the problem from my perspective. What they should have done years ago is say that Budweiser is a sponsor of the World Cup, but not this World Cup.

“It’s inappropriate to do it two days early. It shows the mess FIFA has gotten into.

“They have these contractual obligations and also human rights obligations, (but) they spent most of their time trying to avoid them rather than hold Qatar accountable.

“That’s why this discussion around the world is so important … people around the world need to make sure these issues aren’t forgotten this month,” Foster said.

There’s also some football in this World Cup, and the ever-optimistic Foster said he really believed the Socceroos could push France, the world number 3, who also happens to be the reigning champions.

“There’s always a chance,” he said with a wry smile.

‘You do not know. France has a terrible track record if they have been world champions.

“Four of the last five world champions have crashed out of the group stage at the next World Cup, so this is not irregular. They often underperform for a variety of reasons.

“Karim Benzema, the current winner of the Ballon d’Or, is out…we are always very, very hopeful when they don green and gold,” said Foster.

It will undoubtedly be a tough task for the Socceroos, who lost 2-1 to France at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

But anything is possible in football and Foster’s optimism will be contagious to many optimistic Aussie supporters.

The game kicks off Wednesday morning at 6:00 AM AEDT.