Michael Parkinson says president of Fifa is ‘beyond redemption’ in passionate World Cup critique

‘The people who are running the game should be ashamed,’ broadcaster said

Sir Michael Parkinson has expressed his disdain towards Fifa president Gianni Infantino during a discussion about the current state of football.

The sporting organisation has faced significant criticism recently, much of it being linked to the decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar.

Among issues raised about the tournament taking place in the country include the mistreatment of migrant workers and the criminalisation of homosexuality.

During an appearance on Wednesday’s edition (23 November) of Good Morning Britain, Sir Michael discussed his new memoir, My Sporting Life.

When asked who he’d like to interview if given the chance, the 87-year-old broadcaster named the boss of Fifa as someone who he had no interest in conversing with.

“No, he’s beyond redemption. Let him go away and wither,” he quipped, before adding: “What’s happened to football?”

Hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid encouraged him to expand on his view, and the former talk show host claimed that football had gone away from its “moral roots” to something solely focused on money.

“It’s gone beyond its meaning; transferred to another world,” Sir Michael explained, before stating: “The people who are running the game should be ashamed.

Sir Michael Parkinson on Good Morning Britain (ITV)

“They think they’ve got it right, but they’ve totally misunderstood its importance.”

Finally, he claimed that instead of being a sport that unites communities, football now has “nothing to do with anybody but bent millionaires”.

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Sir Michael is far from the only public figure to make a point of criticising football recently. Last week, The Last Leg released a polarising parody version of “Three Lions”, highlighting issues surrounding the World Cup.

Elsewhere, Joe Lycett sparked conversation when he appeared to shred £10,000 cash as a response to David Beckham not cutting ties with Qatar. He later revealed that it was a stunt in order to raise awareness of the harm faced by LGBTQ+ people in the country, and had actually donated the money to charities.