Blatter hits back in World Cup 2022 row

Fifa president blames European companies for worker’s conditions. PHOTOS BY NADIR TOOSY

ROME: 

Fifa boss Sepp Blatter hit back at criticism over work conditions on World Cup venues in Qatar, accusing European companies and saying France and Germany pushed the bid for ‘economic interests’.

In a report this week, Amnesty International said migrant workers were being treated like ‘animals’ and urged Fifa to press Qatar to improve the conditions of foreign labourers.

However, Blatter said the blame lay squarely with the European companies operating in the Gulf State.

“The big companies working there are European companies, most of them,” said Blatter. “The constructor is responsible for the workers.

“The Europeans are unhappy but it was pressure from European countries that brought this World Cup to Qatar because there were so many economic interests. It can’t all be on Fifa.”

Following Amnesty’s report, Fifa has already called for Qatar to take concrete steps by March to resolve the issue and Blatter called the situation ‘unacceptable’.