{"id":768618,"date":"2022-01-27T16:23:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T16:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/01\/27\/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-criticised-for-african-migrants-comments\/"},"modified":"2022-01-27T16:23:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T16:23:33","slug":"fifa-president-gianni-infantino-criticised-for-african-migrants-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/01\/27\/fifa-president-gianni-infantino-criticised-for-african-migrants-comments\/","title":{"rendered":"Fifa president Gianni Infantino criticised for African migrants comments"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"Gianni
Gianni Infantino believes staging the World Cup more regularly can offer “hope” to some nations
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Fifa president Gianni Infantino has been criticised for comments referencing African migrants dying at sea when talking about the reforms to football\u2019s calendar.<\/p>\n

World football\u2019s governing body has put forward plans which include staging a World Cup every two years.<\/p>\n

Infantino says more regular World Cups can help provide hope for some nations but his comments have been criticised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to give opportunities and we need to give dignity,\u201d said Infantino.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot by giving charity, but by allowing the rest of the world to participate. We need to give hope to Africans so they don\u2019t need to cross the Mediterranean in order to find, maybe, a better life, but more probably death in the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 23,000 people are missing as a result of attempts to cross the Mediterranean according to data gathered by the\u00a0Missing Migrants Project.<\/p>\n

Infantino later said his remarks\u00a0had been \u201cmisinterpreted\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish to clarify that, in my speech, my more general message was that everyone in a decision-making position has a responsibility to help improve the situation of people around the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Andrew Stroehlein, media director at Human Rights Watch, tweeted: \u201cMy colleagues at Human Rights Watch interview refugees around the world pretty much every day. They never mention the timing of World Cup tournaments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kick It Out chief executive Tony Burnett reacted to Infantino\u2019s comments by stating: \u201cFifa is a multi-billion profit-making organisation. They already have the funds to invest in creating and inspiring opportunity for disadvantaged people around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is therefore completely unacceptable to suggest that a biennial World Cup, predominantly set up to drive further profits for Fifa, could be a solution for migrants who risk their lives, sometimes fleeing war-torn countries, to seek a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uefa, Europe\u2019s major leagues and South American football\u2019s governing body Conmebol have all opposed plans for a biennial World Cup, while Caf, the African governing body, has given its backing.<\/p>\n

Fifa delegates have been told switching the staging of football\u2019s biggest international tournament would generate\u00a0\u00a33.3bn in additional revenue over a four-year cycle.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n