World Cup 2022 (Qatar)

[caller]

It's beginning to warm up nicely now as both Platini and Thailand get dragged into the mix!

It seems Platini had an unexplained meeting with Bin Hammam and quell surprise, Platini's son became president of a Qatar based sports company. Platini has openly stated he supported and voted for Qatar (as you would).

Not too much of hard facts in the report, but the proverbial is coming from all angles now and well and truly hitting the fan!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... andal.html

[oakdale160]

There is a need for a first rate, untainted candidate to appose the swiss gnome for the fifa presidency to appear.

[dozer]

Bribery and slave labour in Qatar where oil money has created a veneer of civilization, like sugar icing on a turd. The World Cup must be moved.

[dozer]

Football fans - you can never weary of watching this –

[Ginjaninja]

Bribery and slave labour in Qatar where oil money has created a veneer of civilization, like sugar icing on a turd. The World Cup must be moved.

Agreed. I worked in Qatar earlier this year and hated every day of it. The class system is revolting with the Indians/Asian's treated like sh*te and the locals get paid a fortune and do f'all.
No desire to go back to that place.
GN.

[caller]

According to Blatter, we're all racists. Or so he claimed as he addressed the African and Asian delegates at the centre of the latest evidence of corruption! Not after their vote then?

I assume this means he has an inkling of what's going to be in the investigators final report? As he will end up looking silly if all the allegations are proved, although the fact Garcia isn't going to consider the new stuff the Times is continuing to publish is worrying. Unless, that is, he is already aware of it? My prediction is he'll nail a few nonentities or those already gone - Bin Mammam, Warner etc and everything will carry on as before. Hope to be proved wrong on that.

Apparently, Beckenbauer and others have refused to meet with Garcia as they are no longer part of the FIFA club and therefore not part of their jurisdiction. He voted for Qatar as well.

EUFA is big and powerful enough to leave this madhouse if it has the balls to do so and at some stage, if change isn't forthcoming that must be a consideration. 5 of FIFA's main sponsors have raised concerns as well.

[dozer]

To quote David Walsh ‏@DavidWalshST · 11m @The Sunday Times

"In sport nothing is more depressing than Sepp Blatter playing the populist dictator to an unquestioning audience. The man is a disgrace".

David Walsh ‏@DavidWalshST · 7m

"It is beyond time for honest men in Fifa to stand up. Remember gentlemen there is more to life than business class travel and 5-star hotels".

[dozer]

Sepp Blatter and his 22 good men who voted on 2018/2022

[PeteC]

Per Redknapp's mouth England should just pack it in and forget about the World Cup from here on in. Some of what he says may be true but come on!....he's the manager and main face of the team and subsequently of English football. He should at least make an effort to be positive and better yet, DO SOMETHING to make things better!! ,, but perhaps just totally incapable and clueless. Pete

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27962633

EDIT: Sorry, got me so upset I put Redknapp in charge of England. It's still shite for any man in an influential football role to be so negative.

[redzonerocker]

EDIT: Sorry, got me so upset I put Redknapp in charge of England.

Sounds like he's still a little bitter he didn't get the job himself, which in my opinion he should have.

Still not good to voice opinions like that.

It's still shite for any man in an influential football role to be so negative.

I'll pass your message on to Roy Hodgson

[Big Boy]

I see that Qatar are about to be cleared of corruption allegations related to their winning bid for the 2022 World Cup. I wonder how much that cost them.

If clearing them of corruption is correct, then maybe somebody should be investigating how fit for purpose the electing committee were.

[redzonerocker]

I see that Qatar are about to be cleared of corruption allegations related to their winning bid for the 2022 World Cup. I wonder how much that cost them.

If clearing them of corruption is correct, then maybe somebody should be investigating how fit for purpose the electing committee were.

Just read this article, you couldn't make it up.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30031405

[StevePIraq]

I still don't understand the award to Qatar. I lived and worked in Doha for three years, pretty amazing place and I really enjoyed it. I was there for the Asian Games and this highlighted many short comings of the place.

Bars and entertainment - Alcohol may only be sold in 5 star hotels and they usually only have one or two bars, inevitably cocktails bars. The exception being the Ramada which had a sports bar. You must show your passport with valid visa to get into the bars, no entry allowed to Qatari nationals or Muslims.

At the Asian games they had an "Entertainment tent" outside the stadium where you could buy a ticket for booze, three maximum, standing in a crowded Arabic tent at 45C.

Hotels - You cannot book into the same room with a person of the opposite sex unless you can prove you are married by means of a wedding certificate in English or Arabic. Don't even consider trying if you are gay or a Lady boy. They do reserve special rooms for Gays and Lady boys its called the Doha Central Prison and a pretty dire place at that, but then again it does come with an assortment of wrist restraints and various S&M equipment.

Transport - Great if you are staying in a plush hotel and can get a limo to the games but otherwise public transport is sadly only designed for TCN's (slaves building the country).

Football - during the Asian games football was played in the evenings, great to watch but you could see the effect on players as time went on, totally drained of energy, it can still be 43C at 8pm.

I hope it goes well but I just can't see it.

[PeteC]

We could go on and on with opinions, but someone is getting rich, I think no doubt about that.

Another unfortunate certainty is that many will watch simply to see the spectacle of exhausted and collapsing players rather than the sport.....IMO. I wish the English and a few others, perhaps the Germans and Spain, would simply tell them to stuff it and boycott it all. Pete

[Big Boy]

Believe me, even though our side is crap at the moment, boycott would be seen as a victory by many, and encourage similar farces.