Football is not ‘the beautiful game’ when it collaborates with genocide

FIFA President Gianni Infantino played an infantile game at the 76th FIFA congress when he encouraged the Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub and Israel’s FA Vice President Basim Sheikh Suliman to shake hands. Faed with Rajoub’s refusal, In Fantino then said, “We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice President Suliman. Let’s work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters.” Throughout the decades FIFA turned a blind eye to international law violations several times. One would recall the destruction of favelas in Brazil to build stadiums  for the 2014 World Cup. In earlier history, FIFA’s tacit silence during Latin America’s right-wing dictatorships enabled both impunity and coverup of disappearances of thousands of detainees. One horrifying details […]