Hafid Derradji Questions FIFA Consistency After Infantino’s Call for Jailed French Journalist
By Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS — Algerian sports commentator Hafid Derradji has questioned what he described as inconsistencies in FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s public interventions, following the latter’s call for clemency on behalf of a French sports journalist sentenced to seven years in prison so that he could attend the FIFA World Cup.
In a strongly worded statement, Derradji said that while advocating for the release of Christophe Gleizes may be commendable, similar concern should also be extended to Palestinian journalists who have been killed or remain imprisoned, as well as to sports officials and athletes who have faced restrictions affecting their participation in international sporting events.
Derradji also referred to the case of a Somali referee prevented from entering the United States to participate in World Cup-related activities, as well as incidents involving official sporting delegations that encountered difficulties and humiliating treatment at airports in recent days.
The veteran broadcaster argued that Infantino had previously maintained that visa-related matters in the United States fell outside FIFA’s authority and constituted issues of domestic sovereignty beyond the organisation’s jurisdiction. In that context, Derradji questioned the contradiction between that position and calls directed at other states regarding judicial decisions affecting individual journalists.
According to Derradji, respect for state sovereignty and the independence of national institutions should remain a consistent principle, particularly when addressing matters linked to judicial processes and domestic affairs.
He further urged the FIFA president to focus on the responsibilities directly associated with world football governance, recalling Infantino’s repeated calls to keep politics separate from sport.
“Remain within your sphere of competence,” Derradji said, arguing that football’s primary mission should be to unite peoples and cultures rather than become entangled in political disputes.
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