Boomhauer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...am-banned-fifa

So isn't it pretty much a foregone conclusion that bribery got Qatar the WC hosting?

norsk

of course they bought the world cup! was there ever any doubt?

the question is will they now be stripped of it? and if they do lose it who will get it instead?

Norm_uk

No surprise there - Qatar is one of the least likely places to host a world cup after Afghanistan, North Korea and the Vatican City

N.

Boomhauer

Even though none of the GCC countries are candidates for the WC, the UAE makes much for sense than Qatar, cause Qater is just Doha.

auzdafluff

Aside from the bribery allegations, does anyone else feel like this smacks of Blatter punishing Bin Hammam for having the cheek to run against him?

norsk

It's quite funny listening to Bin Hammam's lawyer saying that the whole thing is political. Well of course it is political, but that doesn't mean that he didn't do it (the bribes). FIFA is trying to protect itself by identifying some scapegoats, while the biggest crook stays in power (Blatter) and the system itself continues to be corrupt...

I wish Bin Hammam instead of fighting the ban in court would just take it on the chin and dedicate himself to taking FIFA apart. If he doesn't there is a danger that this whole thing can blow over and Blatter can continue to rule over football whilst being one of the most hated men in the sport...

Charismatic

But I've not seen anything official about another round of voting on the 2022 venue? At the same time I hope Israel qualifies .

I could be wrong but I don't even think Qatar has ever played in a world cup? Mind you if you ever wanted to go with your elderly relatives or children to a world cup this would have all the makings of a quiet and tame one .

The Dean

Correct - they never have. Always fell at the qually stage.

FIFA bent the rules to allow them to bid in the first place (the rules say a host nation must have a minimum of ten different cities - that's cities, not stadiums). Bending the rules in that way must surely have implied they had a good chance of winning the vote.

Now then........... I'd like Australia to get it - they hosted a superb Rugby World Cup eight years ago.

co durham boy

Bin Hammam has been the sacrificial lamb in the whole game , the word on the dusty streets of Doha is that he was offered up and then they'd be no reopening of the 2022 bid case .

F.I.F.A have now confirmed this and 2022 will not be looked at again as there's no evidence in their opinion of any wrong doing .
These idiots down here couldn't run a domino handicap never mind the biggest sporting contest on the planet .

The whole construction industry down here is on standstill waiting for the major projects to be released , there was rumblings in very high places that there was a chance this competition was going to be stripped from them .

If you throw enough money at things they get done eventually but anyone that's ever spent any time in Qatar will tell you that the whole thing runs much deeper than that . The attitude and social make up here is just not suited to this event and tourism as a whole .

It's basically just not a very nice place filled with not very nice people and that's without the 50 degree summer weather !

The Dean

Otherwise OK?

co durham boy

The money eases my daily pain Mr Dean

Charismatic

Agreed actually, they are hosting the Cricket World Cup in 2015 as well .

Spugsy

It certainly looks that way, but as long as Blatter has the power FIFA will never be anything but a money making machine run by a stupid old idiot.

On a brighter note, it seems in England we may have goal line technology in the next few years, which for me, can only be a good thing.

Spugsy

Absolutely, can't believe it was just him in the voting, that's absurd.

DeadVim

Why? Can't they fit his name on the back of a shirt?