Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in an interview on Swiss national television, suggested setting up a compensation fund to help “to all those who suffered” during the construction of stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, often criticized for poor labor practices.
The total amount of the fund should be at least 420 million US dollars. equivalent to the bonuses that will be paid to the 32 teams participating in the World Cup, which begins on November 20, Blatter said in an interview broadcast by the RTS channel.
NGOs and the media claim that up to 6,500 migrant workers (particularly from South Asia) may have died at stadium construction sites in the past few years.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) clarified this figure last year in a report where it stressed that it corresponds to all migrants who have died in the Gulf emirate since 2010 (the year the country was chosen to host the World Cup), and not just stadium workers.
In an interview, Blatter reiterated his view that the fact that the current FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who lives in Qatar, “is not a good symbol for football.”
Last Tuesday, Blatter accused Michel Platini of giving Qatar the World Cup venue, though he took responsibility for not convincing others that it was a bad idea.
“Thanks to the four votes of Platini and his team, the World Cup was held in Qatar and not in the USA, it’s true. It was a mistake for which I am responsible, since I was the president (of FIFA) and did not know how to convince the team, although it was a team that I did not choose, ”he assured.
Blatter, however, confirmed that he had “no evidence” that Qatar bought the votes that allowed it to be chosen as the venue, an allegation that has been made several times and is still under investigation in open inquiries in the United States. Switzerland and France.
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Source: La Opinion
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