No one in their right mind can surely have thought that the award of the 2022 football World Cup to the stupidly hot and incredibly minor country of Qatar was anything but suspicious. The allegations now published by the Sunday Times, to the effect that large bribes were paid by the Qatari representative to FIFA in order to secure the tournament for that country, add fuel to the already lively flames.
Whether or not there has been corruption, the stink is there. The evidence is mounting that there may well be more than simple stink. There is also the lunacy of having to play a World Cup in the middle of most European domestic seasons as that is the only time when temperatures in Qatar are even close to what might be considered reasonable for running around and kicking a ball.
Qatar never should have been awarded the tournament. However, there now has to be a worry that the latest revelations are part of an orchestrated scheme to have it taken away from them. While this seems unlikely, whether or not it is, the allegations have to be investigated; regardless of the outcome, the tournament should be moved and Sepp Blatter, the longstanding boss of FIFA must finally go. His number is up.
No comments:
Post a Comment