The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has faced strong criticism from the United Kingdom's leading football policing authority following remarks made about British supporters during the recent Qatar World Cup tournament. Speaking at the prestigious World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Infantino attempted to highlight the success of the 2022 event by quipping that it was special because "no Brit was arrested."
Infantino's Controversial Comments in Davos
While addressing concerns about the upcoming North American finals, particularly in the United States where domestic tensions remain elevated, the FIFA president reflected on the Qatar tournament. He stated that despite facing "a lot of critics" initially, the competition proceeded smoothly once the matches began. "When the ball started rolling and the magic started, we had virtually no incidents," Infantino claimed. "For the first time in history also, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really, really special."
Police Chief Provides Data to Counter Claims
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, who leads football policing for the National Police Chiefs' Council, swiftly responded to these comments, describing them as "neither helpful nor accurate." In a statement to the Press Association, Roberts emphasised that good behaviour from British fans at international tournaments is standard practice rather than an exceptional occurrence.
To substantiate his position, the chief constable presented detailed arrest statistics from previous World Cup competitions:
- During the Qatar tournament, there were no arrests of English or Welsh supporters
- At the Russia World Cup, only three England fans were detained for what Roberts described as "very minor offences"
- The Brazil competition saw fifteen arrests, with seven of these involving ticket touts
- In South Africa, just seven arrests occurred for minor matters
Roberts concluded his rebuttal by noting: "Given the high number of fans who travel and pay a lot of money to get to World Cups, there are many, many other countries who are more problematic for hosts."
Football Supporters' Association Adds Their Voice
The Football Supporters' Association joined the criticism on Thursday, suggesting that Infantino should focus his attention on more substantive issues affecting supporters. The organisation indicated that the FIFA president would be better served working to provide affordable tickets rather than making what they termed "cheap jokes at fans' expense."
This exchange highlights ongoing tensions between football's global governing body and supporter groups, particularly regarding how fans are represented in public discourse. FIFA has been approached for comment regarding the matter but has yet to issue a formal response to the criticisms from UK authorities and supporter representatives.
