Qatar ‘may be stripped of World Cup’ 30, May 2011
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Qatar.Tags: FIFA, FIFA corruption, Qatar 2022 World Cup, Qatar stripped of World Cup, Qatar World Cup, World Cup
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Football’s governing body, FIFA, is currently undergoing a painful and acrimonious bout of self-reflection. In the run up to the FIFA Presidential elections the incumbent, Sepp Blatter, was faced by Qatar’s Mohammed Bin Hammam. However, amid an ever widening corruption scandal, Bin Hammam pulled out of the race leaving Blatter unopposed.
Now Blatter is warning that a re-run of the voting for the 2022 World Cup is possible. Thus far it is impossible to say whether a re-run is likely. For sure, many people in the world of football were not amused that the World Cup went to Qatar, a small country with a tiny population, with scorching summers, with no history of football and whose bid comprehensively outspent all others by a significant degree. Thus far there are plenty of accusations of impropriety and corruption, but none have been proven yet. If any are linked directly to Qatar’s successful bid then a re-draw is certainly on the cards.
Being stripped of the World Cup would be catastrophically embarrassing for Qatar and only marginally less so for FIFA. Also that notion that Blatter were to oversee such a re-run having not being indicted in any way, shape or form is absurd too and will – rightly – leave the Qataris feeling wholly and profoundly bitter.
UPDATE
FIFA have called an emergency press conference for tonight though no-one is sure what it’s about…
The Gulf blog 
I don’t like this story at all.
Corruption is what manage all this kind of “competition”, everybody know this.
Is UK behind this? They (you?) are maybe irate because they lose even paying a bribe. The thing is that they probably pay less than Qatar, but surely paid the wrong people and they are still smarting over their defeat.
This is what I read between the lines.
No offence intended…..
Umm…what? So Qatar deserve to host the World Cup because they bribed the right people more money? What a super way to win.
I know that it is very frustrating, I hate this way too! But it is convenient being hypocrites? I’m surprised of yr disappointment, you don’t seem to be that kind of people being blind.
What I mean is that of course it is the worst way to win, but this principle must be applyed always!
In any case, Mohammed Bin Hammam is out of play now, instead Blatter is still there……
Woah, is Sepp Blatter a manipulative dick or what? I heard an Australian senator on BBC World Service say that Australia was going to try and get back the fees they paid for the bidding process. Clearly the pressure is building on Blatter (and FIFA in general, rumblings about nations leaving and forming something better) and he’s trying to survive any way possible.
England did not lose to Qatar – so, as the saying goes, I’ve got no dog in that race, and thus have nothing to be bitter about. I couldn’t really care less had Spain won instead, to be honest.
Let me argue better my nonessential personal opinion. First of all I have to apologize for my poor English and for the lost in translation, that makes me unclear.
I thought that maybe UK could have a role in this issue because, among the countries excluded in the 2018 and 2022 bid, perhaps UK is the most influential in the FIFA org. and therefore they could have put pressure on corruption investigation.
Blatter management has been dubious this time but also in the past. So, for me, the question is plausibly to change/improve the rules instead of doing a trial on this single case.
I don’t reckon a good thing to humiliate Qatar and Qataris people.
If the bidding process is considered no more reliable, next bid should be organized with safer rules, but I consider a damage a possible revocation of Qatar hosting
Thanks for your comments and please do not apologize for your English ability!
Though you may think that the English FA has a strong influence on FIFA, I think you’d be wrong. Not only did we not win the World Cup with technically the best bid, but more generally, we are not liked so much in the corridors of FIFA. Certainly there was pressure from the UK media and the FA for investigations, though – I’d agree with that.
Blatter is a joke. FIFA needs gutting and starting again. FIFA is exactly like the IOC before it was similarly gutted after numerous scandals leaked out.
Indeed, it would be very harsh to humiliate Qatar.
I’m sorry but Qatar humiliated itself when it engaged in outright bribery and corruption to win the right to host the 2022 Cup.
Yes I’m Australian, yes I was bitterly disappointed when we failed in our bid, but no this is not (I believe) sour grapes.
Getting upset at FIFA is pointless really as if countries don’t like the way it is run they are welcome to leave and set up their own competition (they will of course be excluded from all FIFA competitions and there is the rub).
FIFA, and Blatter, didn’t bribe officials to win their votes – Qatar and Russia did. The shame should be equally spread I say.
Any evidence?
And getting upset at FIFA is wholly the right thing to do. They set the laws and ethos of the game, arrange and oversee the elections and are supposed to be the game’s custodian: of course they need to be help accountable!
It is also utterly ridiculous to say that countries could just leave.
Damn straight that qatar may be stripped of the world cup. Their bid is appalling, they have arguably no stadiums capable of holding a world cup match. It is simply a joke that it has taken this long for action to be taken against something that is so blatently corrupt.