Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter called for Iran to be excluded from the Qatar 2022 World Cup in retaliation for the country’s treatment of women.
These statements were made as a result of protests towards that country over the death of a woman in the custody of the morality police.
In September, an Iranian Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s dress code, but the Iranian government accused her enemies of rioting over her arrest.
Blatter accuses FIFA of lacking courage
A Swiss publication, Blick, showed a video of Blatter accusing FIFA of not having the courage to do what is necessary when it comes to Iran: “Iran should be excluded from the World Cup,” said Blatter, who added that if he were FIFA president, he would have already eliminated Iran from the competition.
“He (Gianni Infantino) is already having trouble setting up a fund together with the Qataris, for all the workers who died in the construction of the infrastructure. I think it should be done by someone in FIFA who has courage. But Infantino doesn’t even have the courage to give an answer to journalists,” he said.
He accepted that it was a mistake to give the World Cup to Qatar
Earlier in the week, Blatter admitted that giving Qatar the 2022 World Cup was a mistake. The Arab country won in 2010 after a controversial and contentious decision that played a role in Blatter having to step down in 2015.
Blatter led FIFA for 17 years, but after the scandal that ended up giving Qatar this year’s World Cup, it caused him to be banned from soccer until 2028.
“It’s too small a country. Soccer and the World Cup are too big for that. It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for it as president at the time,” Blatter said.
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