Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA at the time, has stated that choosing Qatar to host the World Cup was a mistake made twelve years ago, once more blaming a meeting between Nicolas Sarkozy and Michel Platini for influencing crucial votes.
In his first significant interview since being cleared along with Platini in July of financial misconduct at FIFA following a trial at a federal criminal court, the 86-year-old Blatter spoke with the Swiss newspaper group Tamedia.
Blatter described Qatar, the smallest host nation since the 1954 Swiss tournament, as “a country that’s too small.” The World Cup and football are too big for that.
The 32 teams will play 64 games in eight stadiums in and around the city of Doha which has been transformed since 2010 by massive construction projects to prepare for the World Cup.
About 1. 2 million foreign visitors are anticipated in Qatar for the World Cup, which begins on November 20.
Because there aren’t many places to stay in the host country, some people will travel from nearby states.
It was a poor decision. And as president at the time, I was accountable for that, said Blatter, who has previously stated he voted for the United States. Its bid was beaten by Qatar in the final round of a five-candidate contest to be 2022 host.
An expected US victory swung toward Qatar at a meeting Sarkozy hosted in Paris the week before the FIFA executive committee vote on December 2, 2010, according to FIFA lore.
Former state president Sarkozy invited French football legend Platini, who was vice president of FIFA and the president of the European soccer body UEFA at the time, to his official residence. The crown prince of Qatar, now the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was also there.
On Tuesday, Blatter reiterated his allegation that Sarkozy exerted pressure on Platini and provided a new account of a phone call Platini made to him following the Paris meeting informing him that the World Cup voting process had changed.
“The World Cup was awarded to Qatar rather than the United States thanks to Platini and his (UEFA’s) four votes. It’s the truth,” Blatter said of the 14-8 voting result.
Platini largely reaffirmed the significance of that meeting in Paris in remarks to the Associated Press in 2015.
Platini said to an AP reporter in Zurich seven years ago, “Sarkozy never asked me to vote for Qatar, but I knew what would be good. He admitted that he “might have told” American government representatives that he would support their 2022 bid.
Blatter did not specifically refer to criticism of Qatar on labor and human rights issues since 2010.
He did, however, inquire as to why Gianni Infantino, his successor as FIFA president, had relocated to live in Qatar for at least the previous year.
Blatter noted a rise in calls for the establishment of a compensation fund for the families of workers who died or were injured from rights organisations and a number of FIFA member federations, including the US and England. Qatar’s government has resisted the calls and described them as a “publicity stunt”.
If FIFA’s president is in the same situation as Qatar, what can FIFA say? Regarding Infantino’s decision to reside in Doha, Blatter said.
A request for comment regarding the interview was not immediately answered by FIFA.
Blatter told the Swiss newspaper reporters that he would watch games in the upcoming weeks on television at his Zurich apartment. Blatter and Platini were suspended by FIFA from football and went to Moscow for the 2018 World Cup as guests of Russia.
Blatter claims it was a mistake to choose Qatar to host the World Cup.
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