One of the many scenes of jubilation in Dijon after the Blues victory in 2018
Credit: K6FM photo archive
Below, François Rebsamen’s press release sent this Wednesday afternoon:
“A few weeks before the start of the 2022 World Cup awarded to Qatar in 2010, demagogy is emerging. It was 12 years ago, when the host country was chosen, that the strongest protests had to be made. Curiously, no voice was raised in 2018, during the World Cup in Russia, even though Putin’s army had annexed Crimea.
As for the Municipality of Dijon, if the French team qualifies for the semifinal and final of the World Cup, which I hope, the Municipality could broadcast the matches of the semifinals as in 2018, to satisfy the strong popular demand. Obviously, these screens would not be installed outdoors, the event will take place in November and December!
Human rights violations during construction of sites in Qatar are unacceptable. I also deplore the ecological and climatic aberration that consists in organizing a World Cup in air-conditioned stadiums. The competent authorities, in particular FIFA, must take this into account when assigning competitions ”.
