New Controversy in FIFA World Cup 2022 by Former FIFA President’s Statement

FIFA World Cup 2022 is arriving in a few days and Fifa’s former president Sepp Blatter has passed a remark that granting the oppurtunity to host world cup 2022 to Qatar was a “mistake”. He also added that “It was a bad choice and I was responsible for that as president at the time” 

In the competition’s 92-year-history, this is the first time when the competition has been granted to a Center East country.The Gulf state’s stance on same-sex relationships, human rights record and treatment of migrant workers has raised worries and questions in minds of players and teams.

FIFA’s executive committee voted 14-8 for Qatar to host the tournament ahead of the United States. “It was a mistake,” Blatter said in an interview with AFP’s German sports subsidiary SID. “It was based on a decision when I was president, and therefore I bear part of the responsibility for it.”

Qatar is “too small of a country” to host the tournament and that “football and the World Cup are too big for it”, these words were also said by Blatter in an interview with Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger. 

Blatter claimed he voted for the United States and blames Michel Platini (then – UEFA president) for giving the vote in Qatar’s favour.

Blatter remained as FIFA president for 17 years but was forced to step down in 2015 over allegations that he illicitly managed a transfer of two million Swiss francs ($2.2 million) to Platini, who was also forced to resign from his position at FIFA.

Blatter was banned from football for eight years, later reduced to six, over the payment to Platini. Blatter’s ban was extended to 2028 for violations of FIFA’s code of ethics.

Blatter and Platini were found not guilty of fraud at a trial in Switzerland in July.