FIFA announced the winners of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups today. Russia got 2018 and Qatar got 2022 and people are PISSED. This, to me is entirely justified. Given the allegations of corruption and vote buying that stalked FIFA in the weeks and months leading up to this announcement, it looks like something is entirely rotten in the kingdom of Sepp Blatter and Company- cynically, you could say that Russian Mob Bosses got them 2018 and obscene amounts of petro dollars got Qatar 2022- and people don't seem all that enthused to go to Russia (hooray!) followed four years later by steaming hot Qatar.
My initial reaction was one of disappointment. England has worked hard to get the World Cup back to its shores and I honestly believe that there are probably England fans that think that another Cup will only come England's way when the Tourney is held on home ground. Personally, I think there's a deeper problem with English football (that is an entirely separate post though)- but anyway, I could see Russia getting this one. They've never had it before. It's big, sexy, messy. Why the hell not?
The real shocker, to me, was Qatar. I mean Qatar is like the size of my thumb. Rich they are, but small they are as well. Can they sustain the world's attention and house, feed and entertain gobs of soccer fans? How are they going to handle soccer fans and their drinking in a Muslim country that frowns on booze… there were many questions- and I was looking forward and cheering for the Cup to come back to the good old USA.
Alas, not to be- but Qatar caught my interest, because if they are going to be building a shitload of stadiums, they will, at least, not be boring:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/gallery/2010/dec/02/world-cup-2022-qatar-stadiums-pictures
No comments:
Post a Comment