Blatter Considers Gulf-Wide World Cup for 2022

Qatar workers’ rights and a plan to spread the 2022 World Cup around the Gulf will be the key discussion points when FIFA president Sepp Blatter meets the Emir of Qatar on Saturday.

The issue of slave labour in the big build for Qatar 2022 raised in a Guardian investigation last month prompted Blatter to organize a trip to Qatar to seek reassurances from Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani that the gas-rich state was addressing concerns.

Blatter said today he would listen with interest to Qatar’sresponse to evidence presented by the newspaper about the abuse of migrant workers who are involved in the WorldCup-related construction effort.

He offered a cryptic response when quizzed about his objectives for the meeting with the Qatar Emir.

"Aclock has a ding-dong. I have listened to the ding from lots ofjournalists… and critics, and I am going there (to Qatar) to listen tothe dong," he was quoted by AFP.

But its his other comments made today in Abu Dhabi ahead of the U-17 World Cup final will fuel an interesting discussion with the Sheikh Tamim.

The 77-year-old Swiss may be asked to explain exactly what he meant by saying the 2022 tournament could now be hosted by several Gulf countries.

Despite launching a year-long consultation in October to find alternative dates for the Qatar World Cup outside the traditional summer window, to avoid the searing desert heat, Blatter now appears to be taking it upon himself to change the parameters for the competition’s staging.

Privately, Qatar 2022 organisers will be fuming at the thought of having to share 2022 hosting duties. And the new Qatar Emir, whose father was in Zurich three years ago to receive Blatter’s compliments after the bid victory, can hardly be expected to welcome the possible move.

At the press conference in Abu Dhabia today, Blatter responded to a reporter asking whether a Gulf-wide 2022 World Cup was possible by saying: "This is a question I keep a big question mark behind."

"I passed through Iran and even on a political level they said they would be happy to host some of the matches. Not only the Gulf states, but also Iran," he was quoted in a report by Sport360.

"This is a matter for UAE as well, they are very eager. But we need to take this step by step. We have up until 2022 to make a decision, nine years."

Although the FIFA task force set up to assess Qatar World Cup dates has only just begun its work, Blatter emphatically ruled out a January or February competition and suggested a decision would be made between November or December 2022.

"And when I say winter, I mean it can only be November and December. It can no way be January or February," he told reporters.

The FIFA chief, an IOC member, has always favoured that slot wanting to avoid a clash with the IOC’s 2022 Winter Olympics.

But the job of the Qatar task force led by AFC president Sheikh Salman was to meet with World Cup stakeholders to finalise that date. The European Club Association has proposed the April-May window, while UEFA president is pushing for January to avoid disruption of the autumn Champions League fixtures.

Blatter seems to think the decision just boils down to November or December.

Asked by Around the Rings for further details about the agenda for Blatter’s meeting with the Emir in Doha, where they will meet and who else the Swiss is scheduled to have talks with, FIFA declined to comment.

But it is thought he will have time for discussions with Qatar 2022 organising committee leader Hassan Al Thawadi about the status of preparations for the tournament.

Around the Rings is told by Qatar 2022 that he will fly in and out the same day.

FIFA only confirmed that a press conference with Blatter and Sheikh Tamim would take place at the Four Seasons Hotel Doha "not before 15:00 local time, with the exact time to be communicated in due course."

Reported by Mark Bisson

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