By David Owen
November 29 – Belgium and Holland can set an example for smaller countries by showing that they too can become candidates to host a World Cup, according to Michel D’Hooghe (pictured), the Bruges-based doctor who is chairman of FIFA’s Medical Committee.
D’Hooghe, one of the 24 FIFA Executive Committee members who in a year’s time will determine which nations will stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, gave this as one of three reasons why the European neighbours had teamed up for a joint bid.
Reason Number One was that the two countries had “proved that we can do it”.
And indeed Euro 2000, which kicked off in Brussels and culminated in Rotterdam, is commonly accepted as one of the best international football competitions of recent times.
Reason Number Two was that the bid constitutes what he described as a “compact candidature”.
“From Antwerp, you could be in any stadium within two hours.”
The Belgian/Dutch bid is one of four from Europe, along with England, Russia and a joint bid from Spain and Portugal.
It is not widely regarded as one of the favourites, however, partly because of FIFA’s perceived reluctance to countenance tournaments hosted by more than one country.
In an exclusive interview with insideworldfootball, D’Hooghe acknowledged the issue, but added: “That’s why we say to [FIFA President] Sepp Blatter, ‘Look at Euro 2000’.
“We had a single organisation.”
He contrasted this with the structure at the 2002 World Cup, shared by Japan and South Korea and pinpointed by many as the reason for FIFA’s apparent preference for single-country bids.
“We have one structure,” D’Hooghe reiterated.
“We get together as if we were one country.
“We have a great comprehension for each other.”
He offered as an example the way in which venues were decided at Euro 2000, saying that he had told Belgium’s Dutch partners, “I arrive with a present: you can have the final”.
“So they said immediately, ‘You have the opening game.’
“If you want to receive, you must first give.”
I wondered how the French-speaking parts of Belgium might react to another joint candidacy, but D’Hooghe plainly does not see this as a potential problem area.
“I think at least two stadia would be in French-speaking Belgium,” he said.
D’Hooghe, who was once described in The Financial Times as “the man who [in 1994] took Diego Maradona out of a World Cup”, said he intends to take only a discreet role in the 2018-22 campaign because of his position on the FIFA Executive Committee.
He suspects Herman Van Rompuy, the Belgian politician who has just sprung to international prominence as the newly designated European Council President, will keep any views he might have on the race to himself during the campaign.
This is even though, he said, Van Rompuy knows his football.
“He is a great supporter of Anderlecht.”
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734871038labto1734871038ofdlr1734871038owedi1734871038sni@n1734871038ewo.d1734871038ivad1734871038.
Related stories
September 2009: Cruyff casts doubts over Belgium and Holland World Cup bid
September 2009: Cruyff helps launch Belgium and Holland 2018 World Cup bid