Barca coach backs Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid

By Duncan Mackay

December 24 – Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola (pictured) has been approached to be an ambassador for Qatar’s campaign to host the 2022 World Cup after giving the bid a ringing endorsement during a visit to the Middle East country, where he begun to wind down his playing career.

Guardiola, who has guided the Spanish club to a cleansweep of six trophies during 2009, including the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, is in Doha on a two-day visit at the invitation of his former Qatari club Al Ahli Club, for whom he played for two seasons from between 2003 and 2005, playing 18 matches and scoring two goals.

The country is still clearly close to his heart after meeting with his former team-mates who laid on a special ceremony for him, where he displayed his enthusiasm for the World Cup bid.

He said: ”We [Qatar] have a chance.

“Qatar is making the right efforts to achieve the dream and if Qatar continues to grow the same way, that dream can be a reality.

“I am confident that having set out to win the bid, Qatar will put everything to realise the dream.

“And then hope and pray for the best.

“It was great to be out there.

“I always had great things to remember about this club.

“It felt nice to meet all my former teammates.

“I’m very much grateful for the hospitality showered on me and my family by Al Ahli.”

Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad al-Thani, the President of Al Ahli, said that he had asked Guardiola to be an ambassador for the bid, joining Holland’s Ronald De Boer and Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta, who both also played in Qatar, and Saudi Arabia’s Sami Al Jaber.

He said: ”I did speak to him and he is ready to support [the bid].

“How he can help us in our cause is something we have to sit and finalise.”

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