Blatter backs Qatar World Cup bid - Inside World Football

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

April 24 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter today backed to Qatar’s bid to bring the 2022 World Cup to the Arab world.

Blatter, who was on a short visit to Doha on the invitation of Qatar Football Association (QFA), said: “The Arab world deserves to host the World Cup.

“We are now nearing the end of the bidding process for the World Cups in 2018 and 2022 and Qatar is the only country bidding from the Middle East.

“I was an advocate of the FIFA’s rotation policy.

“It was important to bring the World Cup to North America and Africa.

“Now I strongly feel that the World Cup should come to Qatar.

“I’m a regular visitor to Qatar and every time I land here I am impressed by all the development.”

Blatter was guest of honour to watch Al Gharafa thrash Al Arabi 5-0 to win the Heir Apparent Cup final at Al Sadd Stadium.

Qatar successfully hosted the Asian Games in 2006 and will stage the 2011 Asian Cup and Blatter said it proved it had the credentials to hold any tournament.

“The Asian Games is a big event in which men and women compete in 30 different sports and the fact that Qatar hosted it successfully means its organisational abilities cannot be questioned,” he said.

He claimed that Qatar’s low world ranking will not be an issue when it comes to the FIFA Executive Committee vote to decide the hosts for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in December this year.

“A country’s ranking in world football is of no consequence in the bidding process,” said Blatter.

“What matters are the guarantees the bidding country has to offer and on that count I have no doubt that Qatar will put on the table all that is needed to host the event.”

Blatter also played down his spats with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam.

“Mohamed and I have a healthy respect for each other,” he claimed.

“I will be meeting him during the Heir Apparent’s Cup final and sitting on the same bench.”

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad al-Thani, the President of the QFA, was understandably buoyed by the visit of Blatter.

He said: ”We are delighted to have Sepp Blatter join us in Qatar for the Heir Apparent Cup.

“He continues to do magnificent work for the sport of football worldwide, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation with FIFA to ensure the growth of the game in Qatar and throughout the Middle East.”

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