Qatar 2022 World Cup will be amazing, says Sousa

Two-time UEFA Champions League winner Paulo Sousa has given support to the 2022 World Cup that will take place in Qatar.“I had the privilege to visit Doha weeks ago and I saw all the effortsbeing put into this event. I think it will be amazing in terms ofinfrastructure, management and capacity. The conditions of theinfrastructure will be fantastic, and it will be an opportunity for theQatari team to compete with the best countries in the world,” thePortuguese, who won the Champions League with Juventus in 1996 andBorussia Dortmund in 1997, said at the Aspire4Sport Congress andExhibition yesterday.Sousa also praised Aspire Academy for the great work being done topromote football in Qatar and in other countries around the world.“Congratulations to Aspire Academy not only for what they are doing forQatar, but for the game of football. Events like this are great forfootball and help bring positive change, so it is an honour to share myexperiences,” he said at the two-day event, which came to a close atChelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium yesterday.Designed to shape the future of the sports industry and spread bestpractice in athlete development, delegates at yesterday’s event alsoheard from Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson, and Chelsea and RealMadrid legend Claude Makelele. Speaking at the Global Summit on Football Performance and Science, whichruns in parallel to the Aspire4Sport Congress and Exhibition, Makeleleemphasised the importance of such events in providing opportunities forpeople from all over the globe to learn from each other.“Football is for sharing. This Global Summit is a great idea as itpresents an opportunity for a lot of people from a lot of countries toshare ideas. Football is different in different countries. At thisAspire Academy event we learnt a lot about football, different peopleand different nationalities, so it’s a good idea,” he said.During two Star Chats hosted by BT Sport Presenter Lynsey Hipgrave,Hodgson, Makelele and Sousa shared their perspectives on a wide range oftopics with football coaches and industry professionals. Drawing ontheir stellar careers, the stars passed on advice based on theirexperiences from years working at the highest level of world football.Discussing the challenges faced by players and managers when they moveto a new country to further their career, Hodgson, who has managed inSweden, Switzerland and Italy, said, “You need to be prepared to immerseyourself in the country and attempt to learn the language. The factthat you’re trying gives people encouragement and shows that you want tobe there.”Taking place over the last two days, Aspire4Sport is an exclusivenetworking session that offers European and Qatari sports industryprofessionals the chance to engage with key decision-makers that areshaping the landscape of the Gulf region’s sports business industry,paving the way for future partnerships.Speaking at the networking event, Andrew Burke, Account Manager for theUK Market at Stats LLC said, “We’ve been involved before with thisevent. We truly value the event as a key partner in what we’re trying todo with Qatar and Aspire Academy overall.”Stats LLC is a sports data, technology, statistics, and content companythat works closely with the Qatar Stars League and the Qatar FootballAssociation.Burke went on to say: “Getting access to speak to those top level peoplein their field is superb. We’ve had several meetings at theAspire4Sport Congress & Exhibition – there are a lot of people herewho could really benefit from our services and we’re going to get equalvalue from them, so it’s really a win-win situation.”Qatar Football Association president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmedal-Thani at Aspire4Sport Congress and Exhibition at Stamford Bridge inLondon yesterday.Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson (centre) speaks during Stars Chatwhile former Chelsea and Real Madrid player Claude Makelele (right)looks on.