Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA at the , stated on Tuesday that the decision to choose Qatar to host the World Cup was a mistake. He once more credited a meeting between Nicolas Sarkozy and Michel Platini for influencing crucial votes.
US News reported that in his first significant interview since being cleared together with Platini in July of financial mismanagement at FIFA following a trial at a federal criminal court, the 86-year-old Blatter spoke with the Swiss newspaper group Tamedia.
“It’s a country that’s too small,” Blatter said of Qatar, the smallest host by size since the 1954 tournament in Switzerland. “Football and the World Cup are too big for that.”
Eight stadiums in and around the city of Doha, which has undergone an extensive transformation since 2010 in anticipation of the World Cup, will host the 64 games between the 32 nations.
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, added Blatter, who has previously stated he voted for the United States. In the last round of a five-candidate competition to be the host in 2022, Qatar defeated their candidacy.
