Infantino: We will build soccer fields for the Palestinians so that “they don’t do other things”

Bahrain (QNN)- The head of FIFA promised Wednesday to build more soccer pitches in the occupied West Bank and Gaza as he joined the US-led workshop in Bahrain.

Gianni Infantino, president of world soccer’s governing body, took part in the ‘Peace to Prosperity’ workshop led by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner despite a boycott by the Palestinians and despite of claims by FIFA of being a non-political body.

Infantino claimed that building new soccer fields would prevent Palestinians from “doing other things”, which could be understood as resisting the Israeli occupation and demanding their rights.

“We will do our part at FIFA,” he said.

“Let’s do something tangible and concrete that people can see, and when kids play football, first they smile and, secondly, they don’t do other things.”

Many people see Infantino’s participation in the Bahrain workshop as a trial to mix between sport and politics.

Egyptian football star Mohamed Aboutrika has slammed FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, for participating in the controversial US-sponsored workshop.

“the presence of FIFA president is a big question mark… Our holy places are not for sale”, Aboutrika tweeted.

FIFA has long championed itself as being a non-political body. In several cases, it investigated and punished players for political messages or signs. Aboutrik himself was warned after wearing a free Gaza T-shirt during an Israeli war on the besieged enclave.