CNN
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Ukraine’s presidential workplace is criticizing FIFA for refusing to show a video message from President Volodymyr Zelensky in Qatar’s Lusail Stadium forward of the World Cup final on Sunday.
The video, which was recorded in English, is supposed to be an “enchantment for peace,” Ukraine’s presidential workplace stated in a written assertion to CNN on Saturday.
“Qatar supported the President’s initiative, however FIFA blocked the initiative and won’t permit the video tackle of the president to be proven earlier than the ultimate recreation,” the assertion stated.
Ukraine’s presidential workplace additionally stated it can distribute the video independently if FIFA doesn’t air it and stated their determination to dam it might present “FIFA has misplaced its invaluable understanding of soccer – as a recreation that unites peoples, fairly than supporting current divisions.”
CNN reached out to FIFA however has not obtained a remark. The world soccer governing physique has gone to excessive lengths to maintain political messaging out of its showcase match in Qatar, the primary Center Japanese nation to ever stage the occasion.
Qatar has not publicly commented on the request from Ukraine.
CNN first reported on the story on Friday, when a supply inside Zelensky’s workplace stated the request to ship the message of world peace previous to kickoff had been rebuffed.
On Saturday, CNN obtained a video copy of Zelensky’s pre-recorded speech.
Within the clip, Zelensky says soccer is supposed to deliver the world collectively and requires “the World Cup, however not world battle.”
“This World Cup proved time once more that totally different international locations and nationalities can determine who’s the strongest within the honest play however not within the taking part in with hearth, on the inexperienced taking part in discipline and never on the pink battlefield,” Ukraine’s president says within the video.
The Ukrainian presidential workplace informed CNN they have been knowledgeable that FIFA regarded the message as too political and stated that they had despatched a replica of the textual content of the tackle to FIFA headquarters in Switzerland on Friday.
“There may be nothing political within the president’s enchantment that offers political colour to the sporting occasion, specifically, there are not any subjective evaluations, political alerts, and much more so no accusations,” the presidential workplace stated, including that there’s “nonetheless time for FIFA to appropriate their error.”
“FIFA shouldn’t be afraid that phrases of peace shall be heard on the world soccer celebration that represents peace,” the assertion stated.
