Blatter blames European companies for `animal-like` work conditions in Qatar World Cup venues

Johannesburg – FIFA chief Sepp Blatter has slammed criticism over work conditions on 2022 FIFA World Cup venues in Qatar and accused European companies, saying that France and Germany had pushed the bid for ‘economic interests’.

In a report this week, Amnesty International said migrant workers were being treated like “animals” and urged FIFA to press Qatar to improve the conditions of foreign labourers, most of them from South Asia.

However, Sport24 reports that Blatter said the blame lay squarely with the European companies operating in the Gulf State, adding that most of the large companies working in Qatar are European and that the constructor is responsible for the workers.

Blatter further said that it was pressure from European countries that brought the 2022 World Cup to Qatar because there were so many economic interests, adding that Germany and France were two of the countries making most of the pressure.

The Gulf emirate, which rejects claims of slavery-style conditions in what is one of the world’s wealthiest nations per capita, said it would include the findings in an inquiry it has already launched.

Following Amnesty’s report, FIFA has already called for Qatar to take concrete steps by March to resolve the issue and Blatter called the situation ‘unacceptable’.