INFANTINO TELLS CRITICS TO “CHILL AND RELAX” AFTER REFEREE VISA CONTROVERSY.

Gianni Infantino has urged critics to “chill and relax” after Somali referee Omar
Abdulkadir Artan was denied entry to the United States ahead of the FIFA World
Cup.

Artan, who had been set to become the first Somali official to referee at a World Cup,
was stopped at the US border and reportedly interrogated for 11 hours before being
sent back home.

The 34-year-old had been expected to be among seven elite African referees
selected for the tournament, but his participation was cut short by the visa issue.

Responding to questions at a pre-tournament press conference, Infantino avoided
direct criticism of the situation and instead stressed that FIFA cannot control every
external factor affecting the competition.

“When we are confronted with challenges, we have to deal with them,” Infantino said.

“Sometimes we can solve them, other times we cannot.”

“What happened to Omar was unfortunate, but we don’t control everything. We try,
We discuss, we speak, and we see.”
He added: “Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just, you know, chill, relax.”

The remarks come amid growing scrutiny over officiating access and visa restrictions
ahead of the tournament.