Blatter
was
in
charge
of
football’s
world
governing
body
in
2010
when
the
Gulf
nation
was
controversially
selected
to
stage
the
upcoming
tournament.
The
build-up
to
the
showpiece,
which
begins
on
November
20,
has
been
dominated
by
concerns
over
the
treatment
of
workers
and
laws
that
criminalise
same-sex
relations.
Blatter,
who
was
cleared
of
fraud
charges
by
a
Swiss
court
earlier
this
year
over
financial
misconduct
allegations,
maintains
he
never
personally
voted
for
Qatar
to
hold
the
event.
“The
choice
of
Qatar
was
a
mistake,”
he
said
in
an
interview
with
Swiss
newspaper
Tages-Anzeiger.
“At
the
time,
we
actually
agreed
in
the
executive
committee
that
Russia
should
get
the
2018
World
Cup
and
the
USA
that
of
2022.
“It
would
have
been
a
gesture
of
peace
if
the
two
long-standing
political
opponents
had
hosted
the
World
Cup
one
after
the
other.
“[Qatar]
is
too
small
a
country.
Football
and
the
World
Cup
are
too
big
for
that.”
Amid
a
backdrop
of
political
unrest
in
the
build-up
to
Qatar
2022,
FIFA
president
Gianni
Infantino
last
week
urged
the
32
competing
nations
to
focus
solely
on
football
matters.
“We
know
football
does
not
live
in
a
vacuum
and
we
are
equally
aware
that
there
are
many
challenges
and
difficulties
of
a
political
nature
all
around
the
world,”
FIFA’s
letter
read.
“At
FIFA,
we
try
to
respect
all
opinions
and
beliefs,
without
handing
out
moral
lessons
to
the
rest
of
the
world.
“One
of
the
great
strengths
of
the
world
is
indeed
its
very
diversity,
and
if
inclusion
means
anything,
it
means
having
respect
for
that
diversity.”
Qatar
has
been
transformed
over
the
past
12
years
in
preparation
for
the
event,
but
Blatter
–
who
led
FIFA
for
17
years
–
says
it
should
be
held
elsewhere.
“I
can
only
repeat:
the
award
to
Qatar
was
a
mistake,
and
I
was
responsible
for
that
as
president
at
the
time,”
he
said.
“Now
that
the
World
Cup
is
imminent,
I’m
glad
that,
with
a
few
exceptions,
no
footballers
are
boycotting
the
World
Cup.
For
me
it
is
clear:
Qatar
is
a
mistake.
The
choice
was
bad.”
VS
ICC T20 World Cup 2022 Predictions
Semi Final 1 – November 9 2022, 01:30 PM
New Zealand
Pakistan
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