By Andrew Warshaw
October 1 – British Sports Minister Hugh Robertson has waded into the debate over the 2022 World Cup by laying the blame for the “mess” over whether to switch the tournament to winter firmly at FIFA’s door – but says Qatar have every right to be hosts.
Adding his voice to those pushing for a switch from summer, Robertson did not mince his words when criticising FIFA – and also backed calls by Australia to compensate the losing 2022 candidates who thought they were bidding for a traditional June-July World Cup.
“I don’t think anybody in the world of football thinks a World Cup in Qatar in the summer is a sensible or deliverable option,” Robertson said. “To that extent, this is a mess of FIFA’s own making.
“I don’t blame the Qataris at all. They wanted the World Cup and every country is entitled to have that ambition and they entered the bidding competition in the way suggested by FIFA. I entirely blame FIFA.”
“I think a deal should be done where the fact the Qataris won it fair and square is acknowledged but other nations who bid for 2022 are compensated in some shape or form, either financially or by hosting other FIFA tournaments. FIFA has to remember there are a series of other countries who bid for that 2022 World Cup in good faith and are now going to find the goal-posts have moved.”
Quite what Robertson is blaming FIFA for – failing to discuss a winter tournament beforehand or having a go at the actual bidding process – is unclear.
In a week when FIFA president Sepp Blatter will try to convince his executive committee to approve a shift to winter, his comments will be interpreted in some quarters as sour grapes since England gained just two humiliating votes for the 2018 World Cup, losing out to Russia amid allegations of collusion between 2018 and 2022 contenders.
But he made it clear, in an interview with Press Association, that he was in no way supportive of a revote. “If it’s held in the winter that’s absolutely sensible but to have a re-pitch would be quite unfair on the Qataris.”
Robertson admitted, however, his government’s relations with FIFA had deteriorated since England lost the 2018 vote three years ago.
“I don’t have much of a relationship with FIFA. I have a good one with UEFA but we did say in 2010 after the 2018 World Cup bid that we didn’t wish to deal with FIFA again until they have reformed their governance.”
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