Qatar 2022 Blasts Allegations; FIFA Ex-Co Members Hit Back at Blatter Critics

(ATR) Qatar World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi vociferously dismisses "baseless" allegations that the Gulf state did anything underhand in its successful bid to land the 2022 FIFA showpiece.

Al-Thawadi told a packed out Leaders in Football conference at Chelsea FC that Qatar "conducted our bid to the highest ethical and moral standards".

He was speaking in public for the first time about the challenges that have faced Qatar since FIFA president Sepp Blatter revealed last December that the oil-rich nation had won the FIFA vote.

"Amid all the celebrations and joy, we knew that the work was only just beginning," he told delegates.

"What we did not know or expect was the avalanche of accusations and allegations that we would face in the immediate aftermath of what was a historic day for sport in our country and for the wider region.

"Baseless accusations were made against our bid. We were presumed guilty before innocent without a shred of evidence being provided," he said, a reference to allegations that went before a British parliament inquiry on football governance that claimed Qatar had bribed two African FIFA Ex-Co members.

A Qatar whistleblower later retracted the allegations, saying they were completely false, and apologized to the FIFA members and bid officials.

"We’re now working hard to put the past behind us. We’re looking toward fulfilling and achieving the promises we made to the world," said Al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, which is overseeing the country's tournament preparations.

Al-Thawadi also distanced himself and the Qatar 2022 World Cup from Qatari national and former FIFA vice-president Mohamed Bin Hammam, who was suspended earlier this year amid bribery allegations relating to his failed FIFA presidency bid.

"Mohamed Bin Hammam is his own man but he is completely separate from Qatar 2022. He takes his actions, it's nothing to do with us," Al-Thawadi said.

"We have to ride it out likewe did with the whistleblower allegations which had no basis at all – we rode that out as we will with this."

With eleven years to go until Qatar hosts the tournament – the longest amount of time any nation has had to prepare for a World Cup – Al Thawadi reiterated his stance that the tournament would not be held in the winter months to avoid the country's searing summer heat.

UEFA president Michel Platini last month suggested again that the tournament should be hosted in the winter months to protect players and spectators from the heat.

Al-Thawadi clarified Qatar's stance: "I know there have been some in the international football community who have voiced recommendations to have the World Cup in winter. Our entire preparations are focused on having a summer World Cup."

For more of Al-Thawadi's thoughts on 2022 World Cup planning, visitAround the Ringssister site World Football INSIDER.

FIFA Ex-Co Members Hit Back at Sepp Blatter Critics

Also at Leaders in Football, three FIFA Ex-Co members hit back Wednesday at criticism of the scandal-hit 2018/2022 World Cup bidding process and claimed Sepp Blatter's imminent anti-corruption reforms can rebuild the governing body's battered image.

Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Northern Ireland's Jim Boyce - both appointed at the FIFA Congress in June - joined Belgium's FIFA Ex-Co member Michel D'Hooghe on a panel discussion at the Leaders in Football conference at Chelsea FC titled Is FIFA fit to lead the game?

In the weeks after Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups last December, there was vociferous criticism from the failed bids of FIFA's running parallel bidding contests amid allegations of bribery and vote trading.

Officials from the England 2018 bid were angered that FIFA's desire to take the World Cup to new territories was not made clear before the bid race began, as they and other nations would not have invested millions of dollars on their campaigns.

"England were disappointed they were not awarded the World Cup – but Australia, USA and Spain didn’t get the bid either," Boyce told Leaders in Football delegates.

"I don’t believe people should have made promises to the future King [Prince William] or the PM [David Cameron]. If they did then that was wrong."

He added: "Hopefully, people will see that there are people at FIFA who want transparency, who want openness who want honesty."

D'Hooghe said: "I never promised anything to nobody, I never voted for Russia."

Prince Ali defended FIFA's decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, despite its high risk ratings, ahead of the USA, Australia, South Korea and Japan: "Every single member of FIFA has the right to host the World Cup if they have the means to do so.

"Our region has suffered a lot and it deserves to enjoy this. I have personally offered my services because I want to work on the legacy of the World Cup in West Asia."

Boyce said the English press had been "very severe on FIFA" in the past year, but emphasised that not everyone at FIFA should be tarnished with the same corruption brush.

"If there are individuals in FIFA who have acted improperly then they have to be dealt with strongly," he said.

Prince Ali, who heads the Jordan FA and West Asian Football Federation, concurred: "I think corruption is corruption anywhere in the world and it should not be stood for. Now we should learn from this lesson. We have to be responsible for all our actions."

For more on their comments, visit World Football INSIDER.

Reported in London by Christian Radnedge

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