Sepp Blatter suggests that football fans should refrain from traveling to the USA for the World Cup. The former FIFA chief essentially endorsed calls for a boycott of the global tournament.
Blatter advised spectators against journeying to the States for the World Cup…
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Monday voiced his support for fans who are choosing to boycott this year’s Football World Cup matches in the USA citing safety concerns.
According to The Guardian, Sepp Blatter backed the remarks made by Swiss anti-corruption lawyer Marc Piat, who collaborated with FIFA on potential reforms during Blatter’s presidency, stating that supporters ought to steer clear of the US during the competition.
“I believe Marc Piat is correct in questioning the hosting of this World Cup,” Blatter commented on social media platforms.
Marc Piat cited the killing of 37-year-old protester Rachel Gude by an American immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier this month as one reason fans might be hesitant to visit the US. Blatter echoed Piat’s sentiments following the death of a second US citizen, Alex Priebe, at the hands of federal agents this past weekend.
Alex Priebe was shot on Saturday during a protest, despite video evidence suggesting he did not pose a threat to federal agents. Footage also indicates that Rachel Gude, shot previously, was not a threat to law enforcement when she was killed.
The World Cup is scheduled to take place across the USA, Canada, and Mexico from June 11th to July 19th, as reminded by The Guardian.
“What we are witnessing domestically – the marginalization of political opponents, abuses by immigration services, and so forth – is hardly encouraging for fans to travel there,” Piat stated in an interview with the Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger last week.
“I have just one piece of advice for the fans: avoid the United States! You’ll see everything better on television anyway. Upon arrival, supporters should be prepared that if they don’t behave appropriately with the authorities, they will be immediately sent home. If they are lucky…” Marc Piat warned the fans.
As The Guardian recalls, Sepp Blatter stepped down as FIFA President in 2015 amidst several scandals and was succeeded by Gianni Infantino, who cultivated close ties with Donald Trump.
Sepp Blatter and former UEFA chief Michel Platini were definitively acquitted last year of charges related to the delayed payment of 2 million Swiss Francs ($2.5 million) that FIFA paid to Platini in 2011 for consulting services.
Former French international star Michel Platini earlier this month asserted that Gianni Infantino “has become a major autocrat” and “favors the rich and powerful.”
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