“There were concerns. But, quite frankly, for three years, I haven’t had one anymore”. On the sidelines of the draw for the World Cup this Friday, the president of the French Football Federation Noël Le Graët did not hesitate to support Qatar. On Thursday, the organizing country was scolded by the president of the Norwegian Federation at the podium of the FIFA Congress about human rights and the LGBTQ + community.
“It’s normal for someone to intervene. She was extremely correct, first believes Noël Le Graët. And I think Qatar answered him well. There were concerns. We’ve all had them. But quite frankly for three years, I don’t have any more. Look what happens. Arriving in a country like this is rather a good thing for them and for everyone, it will speed up mentalities. »
The boss of the FFF supports in particular the arrival of a minimum wage for workers. “They put in a lot of effort. Qatar has made enormous progress socially. You can’t always compare things to France, which has been a democratic country for a very long time. Qatar was chosen ten years ago and things are moving fast. »
Not enough to the taste of Norway, represented by its Federation. “The decision to grant the World Cup to Qatar was taken in an unacceptable manner,” Lise Klaveness proclaimed on Thursday. There is no place for employers who do not ensure the freedom and safety of workers at the Mondial. No place for leaders who do not welcome women’s football. No place for host countries that cannot legally guarantee the safety and respect of LGBT people”.
Not qualified for the World Cup, Norway had announced its intention to boycott the event in the event of qualification.