Google –AFP, 18 Sep 2013
Sepp
Blatter (right) and Qatar FA president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa
bin Ahmed
al-Thani in Doha on December 16, 2010 (AFP/File)
|
BERLIN —
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has admitted that the choice of Qatar as 2022 World
Cup hosts was partly influenced by political and economic interests.
"Yes,
there was definitely direct political influence," Blatter told Thursday's
edition of German weekly Die Zeit, Blatter.
"European
leaders recommended to its voting members to opt for Qatar, because of major
economic interests in the country."
He made the
admission when asked if Qatar had been chosen by world football's governing
body FIFA based on considerations other than sport.
While
rumours of corruption still circulate around FIFA's decision in 2010 to award
the 2022 tournament to the Arab state, Blatter said: "We have just set up
a new, independent ethics commission to re-examine the awarding of the World
Cup to Qatar".
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.