FORMER FIFA PRESIDENT Sepp Blatter has admitted it was “a mistake” to award the 2022 World Cup finals to Qatar.
The Gulf state has been heavily criticised for its human rights record and for not recognising same-sex marriage or civil partnerships.
The build-up to the tournament, which starts later this month, has also been marred by allegations that migrant workers in Qatar have been poorly treated.
Blatter was president of world football’s governing body when the 2022 finals were controversially awarded to Qatar in 2010.
The 86-year-old told Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger: “The choice of Qatar was a mistake.
“At the time, we actually agreed in the (Fifa) Executive Committee that Russia should get the 2018 World Cup and the USA that of 2022.
“It would have been a gesture of peace if the two long-standing political opponents had hosted the World Cup one after the other.”
Blatter said he had voted for the United States and that former Uefa president Michel Platini had helped turn the vote in Qatar’s favour.
“Thanks to the four votes of Platini and his (Uefa) team, the World Cup went to Qatar rather than the United States. It’s the truth.”
When asked why he was opposed to Qatar hosting the finals, Blatter said: “It’s too small a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for that.”
Blatter said Fifa had responded to widespread accusations that Qatar had mistreated migrant workers, who helped build the World Cup stadiums and infrastructure, when he was still president.
“When discussions about the conditions on the construction sites in Qatar arose after the award, we in Fifa supplemented the rules in 2012,” he said.
“Since then, social criteria and human rights have been taken into account in the award process. That was late, too late. But we did it.”
Blatter stepped down from his role as Fifa president in 2015 amid allegations he had sanctioned an illegal payment of $2 million to then Uefa president Platini.
Fifa initially banned Blatter for eight years, reduced to six, but in March 2021 he was handed a new ban for “various violations” of the governing body’s code of ethics, suspending him from football until 2028.
The PA news agency has approached Fifa for comment.
Somewhere Phil Kearns is having an absolute meltdown about the unfairness of it all…
Great to see Jaguares win, hope they can follow up next week.
Argentina are 50-1 for the world cup! Insane odds given how well the Jaguares are going. Plus they always underperform in the Rugby Championship cos of the distances they have to travel. Given Ireland are 5-1, this seems pretty long for the Argies.
@Farzad Saadat: Pool C will see a big faller at the 1st. France, England and Argentina will be interesting. You’d think France could be the one to miss out but they’ve been ruthless with their squad selection, brought in O’Gara and you only have to look at 2011 when they had no chance and made the final. England could find themselves in a similar fate to 2015, after a great start under Jones they had an awful run of loses. Argentina always peak at world cup time. Exciting!
@RabidHorizon: Did they bring in O’Gara in the end? I thought that was all just rumours in the end
@Eddie Hekenui: No they didn’t in the end
@Ciaran Twomey: Cheers. Thought I might’ve missed the news he’d taken a role with them.
@Farzad Saadat: Madness considering they have knocked us out of 3 of the last 5 RWCs.
@RabidHorizon: they didn’t bring in O’Gara
@RabidHorizon: France brought in much better coaches than O’Gara, they should get a real boost – Labit and Galthié – they picked the right squad, too. I think England could be the team to miss out..
Brumbies should never have made it to a semi. Awful team but get lucky because of how weak their conference is.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL:
Aussie Rugby is in a bad place right now.
Unreal for the sport!! Makes the competition a whole lot more competitive! Will be interesting to see how far Argentina go at the WC.
@Aaron Tynan: Further than us, I fear.
@Bluepoolroad: draw kinder to them I think than Ireland – SA or NZ is a tough 1/4
The second semi just finished. Cracking game. 30-26 crusaders.
That jaguares kit is lovely
@Eoin Murphy: i wonder where one could buy it?
@Tony Stack: https://www.elverys.ie/elverys/en/search?text=jaguares
Great. When Argentina played in the November series against Ireland. Which i went too. It was the Jaguares team.
Jags play flat and pass wonderfully, it’s great to watch. The crowd was brilliant too.
I think the Crusaders will have too much for them at home, but I’d love to see the Jags win it.
Where’s the final taking place?
@Bluepoolroad: crusaders ground
@Bluepoolroad: Crusaders home stadium in Christchurch, super rugby needs to start playing them in neutral venues, even if it’s in the higher ranked clubs home country. Home stadium advantage is a bit much for a final.
@Con Al: The problem is distances. Say Cape Town was this year’s venue, how many Jaguares and Crusaders supporters are going to make it at a weeks notice? Stadium would be near empty. At least in the current system, one set of supporters see the final and home advantage is based on merit earned during the season. Not perfect, but understandable system