Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter was the president of the international soccer organization when Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup back in 2010. But as the world prepares to head to Qatar for the first-ever World Cup held in a Middle Eastern country, Blatter has some regrets and reveals that mistakes were made.
In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger, Blatter got pretty candid about the decision, in hindsight.
“Qatar is a mistake,” Sepp Blatter told the newspaper, according to ESPN. “The choice was bad.”
Blatter explained his regret, indicating that the country is simply too small to be able to adequately host an event the size of the World Cup.
“It is too small of a country,” Blatter said. “Football and the World Cup are too big for it.”
Blatter also addressed the human rights concerns in the country, pointing out that FIFA amended its hosting criteria in 2012 due to concerns regarding the working conditions at tournament construction sites in Qatar.
“Since then, social considerations and human rights are taken into account,” Blatter said.
The World Cup has come under criticism recently for its decisions to limit alcohol and ban sex between unmarried people and has already drawn comparisons to the disastrous Fyre Festival for its lack of preparation.
Mistake or not, nothing can be done about it now. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is set to kick off later this month, whether the country is prepared or not.
[ESPN]
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