Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

2022: Nasty case of Qatar

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    2022: Nasty case of Qatar

    Would be interested in the view of our US and Aussie contributors (as well as any from Japan or Korea) over FIFA's decision to hold a World Cup in a country of a million people and with a land mass roughly the size of, erm, Perthshire ...

    #2
    2022: Nasty case of Qatar

    Do you really think it will happen though? I seriously have my doubts that Qatar can pull this off - and if something does happen and they can't host it, where will the back up be? England?

    Comment


      #3
      2022: Nasty case of Qatar

      If it doesn't happen in Qatar, then I would have thought the first fallback country would be the U.S. considering they came second in the vote, but then this is FIFA we are talking about, they'll probably give it to Andorra.

      Comment


        #4
        2022: Nasty case of Qatar

        The minimum requirement to host the tournament at short notice (in the event of, I don't know, a major superpower deciding to start bombing the potential hosts on the suspicion of WMDs or pissing off their president) would remain 10 to 12 existing stadia with a minimum 35,000 capacity. Pretty much England, Germany, USA and Spain, I think. And I'm not sure about Spain.

        Comment


          #5
          2022: Nasty case of Qatar

          Some interesting digging from The Age (Melbourne).

          The FFA documents reveal the soccer body:

          ■ Sought to meet a secret ''list'' of requirements created by suspended FIFA and Oceania soccer official Reynald Temarii in return for securing Oceania's vote.

          ■ Complained that the Australian government planned to give a bottle of fine wine to FIFA official Jack Warner rather than an entire case.

          ■ Asked Mr Warner to select a journalist to whom he ''wanted to extend a favour'', to be offered a free trip to Australia.

          FFA is also believed to be behind a bid to block the release of documents about the hiring of two controversial lobbyists with ties to FIFA officials, Peter Hargitay and Fedor Radmann.

          Comment


            #6
            2022: Nasty case of Qatar

            Rogin, Spain and Italy certainly meet that standard, though Italy will have issues with the quality of many of those stadia.

            Lots of joint bids would also work, as would (of course) Russia and Brazil.

            Comment


              #7
              2022: Nasty case of Qatar

              Out of interest, ursus, if Spain meet that minimum criteria already, why was their bid for 2018 a joint one with Portugal? Why didn't they just go it alone?

              Comment


                #8
                2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                As an American/CONCACAF'er............Jack Warner needs to go. Chuck Blazer too. That goes x10 for blatter and his cronies.

                Comment


                  #9
                  2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                  Rogin, I don't know for sure, but think that the RFEF thought that there was political capital in an Iberian bid. It may have had something to do with Zapatero's less than head over heels reaction to the bid, and hopes that it would back door intra-Iberian infrastructure the government would like to see built.

                  Here's the Wiki on current capacities.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                    In Australia, the main take aways have been:

                    * FIFA are dodgy
                    * Our presentation was an embarrassing tourist video essentially with little reference to football or what it means to people here. "That World Cup of yours, we'll have a go at that" is what Philip Noyce produced.
                    * We were too clean (though obviously not without getting a bit dirty in the brown-nosing ourselves).

                    A lot of similarities to US/England in that technically, the bid was very good, but I would say the opposition (Qatar) have much less intrinsic claim to being worthy of hosting than Russia, for all their bad points. Qatar's main selling points are it being in the Middle East, and the *FREE STADIUM* giveaway offers, to countries whose last priority, even footballistically speaking, would be the actual stadium.

                    For what it's worth, I think Qatar will have no problems getting their (rather nice, I think) stadia up in time. They can throw almost unlimited money and drones at it, and don't have the prying press, labour laws or public accountability to hold back the dream.

                    I'm hoping that FIFA will have pissed in its chips in regards to ticket sales - they have royally pissed off the biggest 3 sets of travelling fans from SA2010. It would also be nice if falling TV rights revenue ensues. The only way you can pressure these people is via the bank account.

                    From a football in Australia point of view, this whole process has been a massive drain of the FFA's attention which has left the bread and butter aspects of the game in the shade. I am very glad it's over and would be happy to not bother again.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                      'From a football in Australia point of view, this whole process has been a massive drain of the FFA's attention which has left the bread and butter aspects of the game in the shade. I am very glad it's over and would be happy to not bother again."

                      Seconded. The World Cup is a massive drain financially serving to line Fifa's corrupt pockets and fuck over any country unlucky enough to "win" the rights.

                      And that Jack Warner, Beckham should kick him up the arse so hard he can use him as a leg puppet. Absolute disgrace.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                        They can throw almost unlimited money and drones at it, and don't have the prying press, labour laws or public accountability to hold back the dream.

                        Exactly! Qatar is run just like FIFA, in secret with no one daring to question their methods.

                        There was even talk of moving the World Cup to a time when ti isn't so hot in Qatar. When will they be able to squeeze that in!! And didn't FIFA think of that BEFORE they gave them the tournament??

                        No, didn't think so...................

                        Comment


                          #13
                          2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                          And now, almost inevitably, rumours of QIA looking to purchase a Premier League club resurface.

                          http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2010/12/08/2250897/tottenham-everton-newcastle-united-head-shortlist-as-mega

                          Comment


                            #14
                            2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                            Yawn.

                            When are you lot going to tire of the sour grapes?
                            And you wonder why people are reluctant to give England anything.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                              The main question isn't whether Qatar will be able to build the stadia and host the wc, the one question that comes to my mind at least is what the hell they'll do with them after the wc is over?
                              Maybe they'll buy the PL and move all the clubs down there. There's a bigger chance of that than them not being capable of pulling the wc off.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                PPV, they've already said that they are going to dismantle the stadia and rebuild them in countries that need them.

                                Given that we know that an ExCo member was willing to sell his vote for a few artificial pitches, you can see the appeal of that pledge.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                  I was just looking at the Qatari bid, and it seems there's only one stadium they're actually going to tear down completely (the one at the port) and ship off somewhere. There are a few others where what they're going to do is dismantle the second tier and send the *seats* to a developing country (the two stadiums that already belong to local clubs, for instance - and I believe also the two university stadiums (both of which are being built from scratch, and one of which serves a university which has no athletics program).

                                  The thing about Qatar is how *small* it is. People talk about their being 1.5 million people there, but 5 out of 6 of them aren't citizens. Ten of the twelve stadiums are in the same city, and while I wouldn't say you could walk between them easily (it would mean crossing some large avenues that would really involve taking your life in your hands), none of them is more than 30 minutes away from any other. In that sense, it might be quite a good place to hold a World Cup.

                                  Hotel facilities are tiny, though. Not clear where everyone is going to stay.

                                  Also, the stuff about it being alcohol-free is crap. Drinking in *public* is forbidden - can;t imagine the fan zones are going to be especially well attended - but there's a faux-Irish pub in the basement of the Sheraton where it's quite possible to get hammered, and I would guess all the western hotels have something similar.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                    Marcotti described it as a "World Cup Theme Park" on a podcast hosted by a certain OTFer, and I think that's basically right. It could be fun (assuming that one can live an air-conditioned life), but those "dead" days between matches in the later rounds are going to seem like weeks.

                                    And the whole question of how a Wahhabist country is going to deal with travelling football fans is a fascinating one.

                                    On the other hand, I am increasingly thinking that Russia could be a blast, with the free train travel a big draw for people like me and ursus minor.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                      Tactical Genius wrote:
                                      Yawn.

                                      When are you lot going to tire of the sour grapes?
                                      And you wonder why people are reluctant to give England anything.
                                      Strange comment to make on a thread about US and Australian reaction to the decision to award 2022 to Qatar. Anyone would think you're obsessed.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                        ursus arctos wrote:
                                        Marcotti described it as a "World Cup Theme Park" on a podcast hosted by a certain OTFer
                                        I'm not psending enough time in this forum, obviously. Who?

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                          In Australia, one of the big points about the 2022 World Cup bid was the feeling that it desperately needed to succeed in order to "kick start" the game here. By that I think people meant that if the bid succeeded then A League clubs would suddenly become financially viable and play in front of crowds of 20,000 every week. Which was never going to happen anyway in a country where the majority of the population are not passionate about "soccer".

                                          As for the World Cup being held in Qatar... the reaction to that here were the predictable ones of derision, contempt and disbelief. We played Qatar no fewer than four times in World Cup qualifiers in 2008 and 2009, winning three, drawing one, scoring ten goals and conceding one. They were probably the worst team we have played against since Oceania days. The last game in Doha in June 2009 attracted 7,000 spectators and I think kicked off after midnight in order to avoid the heat. I wonder if Qataris themselves are that passionate about soccer?- who would be, in those conditions.

                                          Finally, I've just heard that the Asian Confederation themselves have asked FIFA if the 2022 World Cup could be shifted from June to January...as if that is likely to happen!

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                            Toto Gramsciddu wrote:
                                            ursus arctos wrote:
                                            Marcotti described it as a "World Cup Theme Park" on a podcast hosted by a certain OTFer
                                            I'm not psending enough time in this forum, obviously. Who?
                                            I assume Garcia on the Dec. 2 show. Marcotti got a bit testy at Declan Hill.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                              See, I had no idea Garcia's show was also a pod. Ah well, now that I'm caught up on all my Chronicle, History of Rome and Doug Henwood pods, there's room for more...

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                                trimster wrote:
                                                In Australia, one of the big points about the 2022 World Cup bid was the feeling that it desperately needed to succeed in order to "kick start" the game here. By that I think people meant that if the bid succeeded then A League clubs would suddenly become financially viable and play in front of crowds of 20,000 every week. Which was never going to happen anyway in a country where the majority of the population are not passionate about "soccer".
                                                I never believed that crowds would increase just because Australia was going to host the world cup but what it would have done was guarantee more government funding, corporate sponsorship and media attention. We all know how big a problem the last of those is and it’s only last year that Melbourne Victory lost their shirt sponsor, Samsung, to the AFL (Essendon) and had to settle for a much less lucrative deal with an unstable Greek lottery firm. The AFL and rugby union are both expanding so none of this will get any easier and the move to free to air for the Socceroos might damage the next tv deal.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  2022: Nasty case of Qatar

                                                  Increasingly strong rumours that the Qatar Foundation is about to be announced as FC Barcelona's first paying shirt sponsor, in a five year deal worth 33 million euro a year.

                                                  Comment

                                                  Working...
                                                  X