AFP
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FIFA boss Sepp Blatter yesterday condemned European media for “attacking” 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.
The veteran Swiss said media had been unfair to Qatar as he made an impassioned defence of the event to delegates at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) awards in Kuala Lumpur.
“It is not fair when the international media and especially European media are taking up the focus of an Arab country here in Asia, and attacking, criticising this country,” Blatter said.
“We are defending it. We have taken the decision to play a World Cup in the Arab world and we have taken the decision to play in Qatar and we will go and play this... in 2022 in Qatar,” he added, to loud applause at the gala dinner.
The comments come just a few days after the FIFA president said France and Germany had pushed Qatar’s bid to host the World Cup
to suit their “economic interests”.
He also blamed European construction companies after Amnesty International called for better conditions for migrant workers at World Cup venues.
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifah agreed that media criticism of Qatar had been “too much” and he backed the state to hold one of the most successful World Cups.
“I think what’s been said is too much because the decision has (already) been taken,” said Sheikh Salman.
“And of course Qatar is part of Asia, and we will support the World Cup in Asia and in Qatar in every way that we can.”
Bahrain’s Sheikh Salman added: “I’m sure that when the time comes we’ll see success and the work that Qataris have done for this event.
“I think what they’ve been doing so far, by the look of all the infrastructure and the facilities that are going to be built for this occasion, I’m sure we’ll have one of the most successful World Cups ever.”
