UK police chiefs have hit back at Fifa president Gianni Infantino for mocking England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland fans’ behaviour at World Cups.
Infantino used an appearance in Davos this week to quip that “for the first time in history, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup” at the Qatar 2022 tournament, calling the statistic “something really, really special”.
“Whilst these things may be said in jest, it is neither helpful or accurate to make this sort of comment,” said Chief Constable Mark Roberts, football policing lead for the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Infantino’s comments hark back to a bygone era when British clubs were banned from European competition for hooliganism but Roberts pointed out that only 25 fans in total from the Home Nations had been apprehended at the last four men’s World Cups.
“For the record, ‘British’ fans behaving at World Cups is the norm, not something special,” he told the Press Association.
“In Qatar: no arrests of English or Welsh fans. In Russia [2018], three England fans were arrested for very minor offences. Brazil [2014]: 15 arrests, of which seven were touts. And South Africa [2010]: seven arrests for minor matters.
“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.”
Infantino plays down US World Cup host fears
Infantino’s comments could be seen as thinly-veiled retribution for criticism of him and Fifa from British media.
Among the issues that have attracted scrutiny since the Swiss took the helm at football’s world governing body are the awarding of World Cup hosting duties to authoritarian regimes such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, his closeness to US President Donald Trump, soaring ticket prices at Fifa tournaments and expansion of the calendar despite concerns for player welfare.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, Infantino praised the smooth running of the Qatar 2022 World Cup in a bid to allay fears about this year’s tournament in North America.
“When the ball started rolling and the magic started, we had virtually no incidents,” he said.
“For the first time in history also, no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really, really special.”
England and Scotland have qualified for this summer’s World Cup, which is being mostly held in the US with some games in Canada and Mexico. Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are all in contention to join them via a playoff.