FIFA proposal to rebuild sports arenas in Syria violates Caesar – US senator 

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member, Jim Risch, said on Tuesday that FIFA World Cup’s proposal to rebuild sports arenas in Syria violates Caesar Act. 

“FIFA World Cup’s proposal to rebuild sports arenas and host soccer games in Syria is likely a clear violation of the Caesar Act,” Risch tweeted.

On September 11, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Syrian Football Association (SFA) President Salah Edeen Ramadan met in Doha to discuss measures that would allow its development programs to be fully implemented in Syria.

FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) “are to send a joint delegation to Syria to conduct a security assessment with regard to the possibility of hosting international friendly games in the country,” FIFA said in a statement.

The collaboration would support the SFA in developing the football infrastructure and organizing competitions, according to the statement.

It’s shameful that FIFA would rehabilitate “Assad regime,” Risch added.

He stressed that the international community should instead focus on accountability for Assad’s atrocities.

Reporting by Emma Jamal