FIFA President Infantino Defends Qatar and Faces Allegations of Corruption: Inside the Scandal

2023-12-19 15:40:37
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, during his press conference on November 19, 2022, before the opening of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

On November 19, 2022, during a hair-raising press conference, as a curtain-raiser to the Football World Cup, Gianni Infantino stunned Western observers by defending the tournament’s organizing country, Qatar, on the sensitive issue of foreign workers. “I have a hard time with criticism. All these lecturers are hypocritesscathed the president of the International Football Federation (FIFA). Who cares regarding migrant workers? FIFA, football and, let’s be clear, Qatar too. »

These vitriolic statements have taken on particular resonance since the revelations of Mediapart and the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) consortium on the so-called “Qatargate” scandal in the European Parliament. On December 8, on the basis of legal elements obtained by the Belgian newspaper The evening, the investigative site highlighted the role played by Mr. Infantino as part of the lobbying campaign led, in November 2022, by the former Greek vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, in favor of Doha .

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The European Parliament shaken by an investigation into corruption for the alleged benefit of Qatar

Charged with “membership of a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption”, Ms. Kaili recounted, in a note (destroyed on his phone on November 21, 2022) revealed by Mediaparthaving been invited to Qatar, by FIFA, in the stands « VVIP » (« very very important person », very very important person) – on November 20, 2022, to attend the opening match of the World Cup. According to the said note, following the meeting, Ms. Kaili had dinner for ” two o’clock » with Mr. Infantino, his wife, the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) at the time, Noël Le Graët, and two ” French “. “I made them crazy,” she wrote.

According to this document, his objective was then to convince the guests to influence the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, in order to « stopper » the initiative of the group of Macronist MEPs – at the forefront of which was parliamentarian Nathalie Loiseau – in favor of a draft resolution in the European Parliament condemning FIFA and Qatar.

Erwan Le Prévost, “zealous servant” of Le Graët

Eager to defend the interests of the emirate, did Mr. Infantino rely on Mr. Le Graët, known as “NLG”, to put pressure on the Elysée, at the request of Ms. Kaili, as suggested in Monde someone familiar with the file? Contacted, FIFA “don’t comment on rumors.” « There is no not and there has never been any special relationship between Mr. Infantino and Ms. Kailiretorts the instance. Mr. Infantino did not invite Ms. Kaili personally. Ms. Kaili was invited to the World Cup as were hundreds of guests. » When asked, Mr. Le Graët did not respond.

You have 65% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.

1703002095
#Gianni #Infantino #FIFA #president #troubled #waters