De Boer and Batistuta offer heavyweight support to Qatar 2022

By Duncan Mackay in Johannesburg

December 1 – Ronald de Boer, the former Dutch and Rangers star, claimed that Qatar has the ability to host the “best World Cup ever” after he was officially unveiled here today along with Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta as an ambassador for their bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Batistuta is the all-time leading goal-scorer for Argentina and represented his country at three World Cup finals, while de Boer played in two World Cup finals for the Netherlands and won the UEFA Champions League in a sparkling club career during which he also played for Ajax and Barcelona.

Both players also played for clubs in Qatar and de Boer and his family have now settled in the Middle Eastern country.

He said: ”People have a pre-judgment about Qatar and it’s time that we changed that.

“I love it there.

“Qatar has all the capabilities to host a truly great World Cup.

“I’m 100 per cent sure that it has the ability to host the best tournament ever.

“The country has the outstanding sporting facilities needed to host the world’s greatest football tournament, the region-wide passion for the game, and it brings to the mix an exceptionally hospitable nature which has made me decide to stay on in Qatar even after my playing career finished.”

De Boer was supported by Batistuta, who scored 56 goals in 78 appearances for Argentina during a career in which he played for Newell’s Old Boys, River Plate, Fiorentina and Roma, as they were both unveiled during a ceremony at the Soccerex convention here.

Batistuta said: “It is a great pleasure for me to take on this important role as bid ambassador for the Qatar 2022 Bid, which I believe represents an essential expansion of the FIFA ideals to a new part of the world.

“Having played in USA in 1994, in France in 1998, as well as the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan - the first on the Asian continent - I have witnessed the excitement and passion unleashed in those different parts of the world.

“From my playing experience in Qatar I know that it is a country and a region which will host a spectacular and passionate World Cup in 2022.

“It is this message which I want to bring to the world in this exciting new role: here is an exciting new football market waiting to be uncovered.”

De Boer and Batistuta were joined by Sami Al Jaber, who played for Saudi Arabia in four consecutive World Cups and who was Qatar’s first ambassador unveiled last week.

His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the chairman of Qatar 2022, and Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi, the chief executive, were also on hand.

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