Former president of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Sepp Blatter in an interview with the Swiss newspaper "Tages Anzeiger" said that Qatar received the right to host the World Cup in 2022 under political pressure from France and in particular, in exchange for the purchase of Dassault Rafale fighter jets in France.
Two Dassault Rafale fighters of the Qatar Air Force - a single Rafale EQ (tail number QA223) and a double Rafale DQ (tail number QA204) - during the joint US-Qatari exercises Sky Shield, 12/28/2020 (c) Trevor T. McBride / US Air ForceAccording to the statement of this interview in the newspaper Vedomosti, the former president of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Sepp Blatter named the circumstances under which Qatar received the right to host the World Cup in 2022. The words of the 86-year-old Blatter are quoted by the Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger.
Russia and Qatar were chosen as hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively, at the FIFA Congress in December 2010. At that moment, Blatter was the head of FIFA. He said that it was planned to give the World Cup in 2022 to America.
"[Qatar] is too small a country for such a big event as football and the World Cup," Blatter said. - Choosing Qatar was a mistake. At that time, we agreed in the executive committee that Russia would host the World Cup in 2018, and the United States in 2022. It would be a gesture of peace if two long-standing political opponents organized the World Cup one after the other."
According to Blatter, the choice of Qatar was influenced by the voice of the then head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Michel Platini, who in turn was influenced by the French president of those years, Nicolas Sarkozy.
"A week before the 2010 FIFA Congress, Michel Platini called me and said that our plan would not work," Blatter recalled. - He was invited to the palace of President Sarkozy, who had just had lunch with the Crown Prince of Qatar. Sarkozy said Platini: "See what you and your colleagues from UEFA can do for Qatar when the host of the World Cup is chosen." Of course, it was also about money. Six months later, Qatar bought fighter jets from the French for $14.6 billion."
Blatter also spoke about a funny dialogue with Platini about the decision of the UEFA president to speak at the congress in favor of Qatar. According to the former head of FIFA, Platini asked him what Blatter himself would do if the president of his country addressed him. Blatter replied that this question had not occurred to him, since there is no president in Switzerland.
Blatter headed FIFA from 1998 to 2015 . Platini led UEFA from 2007 to 2016 . Both officials were involved in a judicial investigation into a large money transfer authorized by Blatter - 2 million Swiss francs (almost $ 2 million) - in the name of Platini. Following the results of the hearings in July 2022, the Swiss court issued an acquittal in the case of both officials. Initially, they faced up to five years in prison.
The World Cup in Qatar will be held from November 20 to December 18, 2022 . This is the first in the history of the World Cup, which is held at the end, not the middle of the year. The USA, together with Canada and Mexico, will host the 2026 World Cup. The number of participants in the world championship will grow from 32 to 48.
From the bmpd side, we point out that Qatar actually signed a contract for the purchase of 24 French Dassault Rafale fighters (18 single-seat Rafale EQ and six two-seat Rafale DQ), with an option for another 12 aircraft, in May 2015, that is, already under the next French President Francois Hollande. The total cost of the contract for 24 Rafale, including technical and service support, training, and the supply of weapons (MICA IR and MICA EM medium-range and long-range Meteor air-to-air missiles, long-range SCALP-EG cruise missiles and GBU and AASM guided bombs) was 6.3 billion euros. In December 2017, an agreement was signed to transfer an option to a firm contract for the supply of 12 Dassault Rafale fighters to the Qatar Air Force in addition to 24 Rafale aircraft ordered in 2015. Deliveries of all 36 Rafale fighters to Qatar were made from 2019 to 2022.
Sepp Blatter, former President of the International Football Federation (FIFA) from 1998 to 2015 (with) Urs Jaudas / Tages Anzeiger
