Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has often asserted that awarding the World Cup to Qatar was a “error” and a “poor option,” alleging that the choice was made as a result of covert political pressure.
According to Blatter, Michel Platini’s activities under pressure from Nicolas Sarkozy, the previous president of France, caused the tournament to be awarded to the Gulf state. “Qatar is a mistake, according to me. The decision was poor,” Blatter told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper in Switzerland. At the time, the executive committee actually decided that Russia should host the 2018 World Cup and the USA the 2022 edition. If the two longtime political rivals had alternately hosted the World Cup, it would have been a sign of peace.
Ambassador for Qatar during the World Cup was criticized for remarks on homosexuality.
When asked why Qatar was a poor decision, Blatter said: “It’s too small a country.” He did not address the human rights issues that have dogged the event. The World Cup and football are too huge for that.
Platini, according to Blatter, was influential in steering four votes from European nations to Qatar under pressure from Sarkozy, causing the objectives of FIFA to be derailed.
“The World Cup was awarded to Qatar rather than the United States thanks to Platini and his [Uefa] team’s four votes. The US was defeated by 14-8 votes in the last two,” according to Blatter.
Blatter stated, “Platini informed me he had been invited to the Élysée Palace, where French President Sarkozy had just had lunch with the Crown Prince of Qatar.” “See what you and your Uefa colleagues can do for Qatar when the World Cup is awarded,” Sarkozy told Platini. Then I questioned, “And now?”
Blatter claims that when Platini was questioned about it, he replied, “Sepp, what would you do if your president asked you for something?” Then I replied that I didn’t have an answer because Switzerland doesn’t have a president.
French officials questioned Platini in 2019 as part of a probe into the 2022 bidding process. The former France footballer admits that they met with Sarkozy, but he disputes that it affected his voting.
He admitted to the Guardian in 2013 that he was aware Sarkozy wanted the Qataris to acquire PSG. I was aware that Sarkozy was in favor of Qatar’s bid. However, he never asked me to vote for Russia in the 2018 election. He is aware of my character. Always voting in favor of football-related issues. Not for France or for myself. Previously, Sarkozy declined to respond on the World Cup allegations.
In his first interview since he and Platini were cleared of fraud in July (although that decision is being appealed), Blatter also criticized Gianni Infantino, who took over as FIFA, for residing in Qatar in the run-up to the event.
Last year, Infantino relocated from Switzerland to Doha, and Blatter claimed that the relocation would impair Infantino’s judgement. What puzzles me is why the new Fifa president resides in Qatar, stated Blatter. He is ineligible to lead the local World Cup committee. That’s not what he does. For this, there are two organizing committees: one local and one from FIFA.
FIFA’s president ought to exercise ultimate control. An illustration would be the idea to create a fund for the departed employees and the grieving. Qatar rejects. If FIFA’s president is in the same situation as Qatar, what should they say?
Since Blatter’s 40-year tenure at the organization came to an end with various allegations of corruption and the FBI’s arrest of numerous FIFA officials, Infantino has made it a mission to increase openness within the organization. Blatter responded, “He’s a disrespectful person to me,” when asked by Tages-Anzeiger what he thought of Infantino. We’ve reached out to FIFA for comment.
