Former Sky Sports reporter Bryan Swanson says he 'feels safe' in Qatar as a gay man as he came out defending FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
The Scot, who these days works as FIFA's director of media relations, addressed a press conference after Infantino had launched into a robust defence of Qatar's laws, their treatment of homosexuals and migrant workers and FIFA's decision to award the country the World Cup in 2010.
The rights of the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers in Qatar have been heavily in focus in the years leading up to the finals, particularly in Europe - but Infantino highlighted Europe's own shortcomings on social issues and their current immigration policies.
The FIFA president said in his speech: "Today I have strong feelings. Today I feel Qatari, I feel Arab, I feel African, I feel gay, I feel disabled, I feel a migrant worker." However the comments were met with a short shrift by many in the audience, but Swanson was quick to defend Infantino.
The former Sky Sports News reporter, who is originally from Edinburgh, announced: "I am sitting here as a gay man in Qatar. We have received assurances that everyone will be welcome and I believe everyone will be.
"Just because [Infantino] is not gay, does not mean he does not care. He does. You see the public side and I see the private side. I have thought long and hard about whether I should say this. I do feel strongly about it.
"We care about everyone at FIFA. I have a number of gay colleagues. I am fully aware of the debate and fully respect people's opinions. When he says we are inclusive. He means it."
Infantino accused the West of 'hypocrisy' in their treatment and scrutiny of Qatar after it was awarded the World Cup.
He said: "We have been taught many lessons from Europeans and the Western world. I am European. For what we have been doing for 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons.
"If Europe really care about the destiny of these people, they can create legal channels - like Qatar did - where a number of these workers can come to Europe to work. Give them some future, some hope.
"I have difficulties understanding the criticism. We have to invest in helping these people, in education and to give them a better future and more hope. We should all educate ourselves, many things are not perfect but reform and change takes time.
"This one-sided moral lesson is just hypocrisy. I wonder why no-one recognises the progress made here since 2016.
"It is not easy to take the critics of a decision that was made 12 years ago. Qatar is ready, it will be the best World Cup ever.
"I don't have to defend Qatar, they can defend themselves. I defend football. Qatar has made progress and I feel many other things as well.
"Of course I am not Qatari, Arab, African, gay, disabled or a migrant worker. But I feel like them because I know what it means to be discriminated and bullied as a foreigner in a foreign country."
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