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Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter admits it was a ‘ERROR’ to award the World Cup to Qatar – less than two weeks before the tournament starts – as he says the country is ‘too small’ and reveals that the US was the preferred host for 2022
- Ex-FIFA chief Sepp Blatter says it was a mistake to give Qatar the World Cup
- He claims the country is ‘too small’ and took responsibility for the decision
- FIFA’s hopes were that Russia would host in 2018 and the US take the 2022 edition
- Blatter banned for six years after FIFA corruption scandal
- But he and Michel Platini were acquitted by a Swiss court in July
Disgraced former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has claimed it was a “mistake” to give the World Cup to Qatar because it is “too small” to host the major tournament.
Qatar’s award of the prized competition in 2010 sparked huge controversy after allegations that the country had paid bribes to secure the right to host the tournament – while the start date has been pushed back to winter to prevent players from competing in blistering games. temperatures.
The hosts have also come under fire for the country’s human rights record and anti-LGBTQ laws, with many countries planning to take a stand against discrimination when they arrive in Qatar in November.
Ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter has admitted awarding Qatar the World Cup was a ‘mistake’
The decision was hugely controversial amid allegations that Qatar had paid for votes and the tournament being postponed to winter due to scorching temperatures
Blatter – who ran FIFA from 1998 to 2015 before being banned from football for six years over a corruption scandal – gave his first interview since he was acquitted of the charges in July.
He said it was a mistake to give Qatar credit for hosting because of its size and claimed FIFA preferred to host the 2022 edition before they got the 2026 format.
“Choosing Qatar was a mistake,” Blatter told Swiss outlet Tages-Anzeiger.
“At the time, we agreed in the executive committee that Russia would have the 2018 World Cup and the US that of 2022. It would have been a gesture of peace if the two long-standing political opponents won the World Cup one after the other.
Just weeks before the World Cup starts, Blatter said Qatar was too small to host
He insists he takes responsibility for the decision and said FIFA’s preference was for the US
‘It’s too small a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for that.’
Asked if he felt responsible for giving Qatar the World Cup, he added: “It is clear to me: Qatar is a mistake. The choice was bad.
‘What I wonder: why is the new FIFA president’ [Gianni Infantino] living in Qatar? He cannot be the head of the local World Cup organization. That’s not his job. There are two organizing committees for this: one local and one from FIFA.’
Early this year, an investigation by SonntagsBlick alleged that Infantino had been living in Qatar since October 2021, renting a house in the capital Doha.
FIFA later claimed that Infantino splits his time between working in Doha and Zurich, where the organization is based, and that his presence in Qatar allows him to focus on preparing for the World Cup.
Blatter also criticized successor Gianni Infantino for living in Qatar for the World Cup
FIFA said in a statement: “As communicated in October 2021, the FIFA President has informed the FIFA Council that he would divide his presence between Zurich, Doha and the rest of the world, to fulfill his presidential duties and move closer to the to be FIFA World Cup. FIFA said in a statement.
“As he did during the FIFA Arab Cup, if necessary, he will work with other FIFA staff in our Doha office until the end of the tournament. Just to be clear: Mr. Infantino lives and remains a tax resident in Switzerland.’
It is not the first time Blatter has claimed that the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar was a mistake.
In 2014 he said: ‘Yes, of course it was a mistake, but you make a lot of mistakes in life. The technical report in Qatar clearly said it was too hot, but the executive committee decided – by a large majority – to play it in Qatar anyway.”