Why Did Russia and Qatar Win

[paul]

I don't think this is why Qatar won.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQLylizGmDs&feature=player_embedded

[Lord David]

The Qatar 2022 site has been down since the announcement. A bit odd that a transition was not planned in advance.

Transition? Is it the possibility that hackers got into the site and shut it down? Or that the company hosting the site shut it down? It's possible.

[Aronious]

Shutting out the media already?

[thespecialone]

This is crazy, absolutely crazy. Russia will be plagued with their sleaze, mafia, corruption and bribery. Anyone wanting to go to their games had better be a good traveller as thousands of miles will be clocked up meaning days trying to get to venues and inflated hotel prices when you get there.

Qatar is a joke. I was there in 2006 at the Asian Games. Doha is full of fantastic, state of the art sporting venues and some magnificent buildings. ALL OF WHICH WERE EMPTY - even when the locals were playing!! I cannot think of a country less suited to the culture of the World Cup with it's beer drinkers, laddish behaviour, noisy day and night, free press, liberalised democracies and generally having a laugh. Qatar has no pubs for a start and the hotel bars are full of Aussies that have been kicked out of UAR! The all you have is desert and more desert! The place will be full of sand dancers and Dundee United supporters (Google that!)

[aluz]

I would be completely disgusted if you were correct.

Why should a bunch of 22 men put their own desires to be President ahead of the correct and preferable decision in effectively writing a several billion dollar cheque for a country???

To me, while England's early exit in 2018 is dubious, Russia isn't an entirely bad result.

The Qatar decision has lost FIFA all respect aside from 600,000 people in Doha.

This is how it works. It is not about bribery, it is about politics.

Why would FIFA give England or Spain the WC? Spain and England are the home of the richest football clubs in the world. These football clubs are the main challenging for FIFA as an institution to control world football. As I said before, FIFA would give them the WC only if they agreed to put forward some regulations to limit the number of foreign players and expenditures for football clubs. The big fight for money is UEFA Champions League vs World Cup. So why would FIFA compensate the countries that control the UCL?

Besides, FIFA controls an astonishing budget to run its business. The group that controls it since 1974 is not willing to let it go. It means a lot of money and a lot of power. Do the math.

However, no one gives any of those events based on technical merit. Especially, because technical merit doesn't mean a successful event. The ability to draw attention from the media is more important than anything else.

Anyway, we should investigate how much FIFA is making on selling touristic packages for the WC. By keeping the WC away from Western Europe for too long, they are not showing interest in the extra ticket sales that European WCs provide by allowing fans to have a one-day trip just to watch a match.

[Faster]

Qatar will spend billions across the board. Terrorism wise - well Dubai and Abu Dhabi has hosted world champs with no security issues. The Doha Asian Games was a success and we'll see how they handle the Asian Cup in January.

There are police with guns on the street of Doha as it is. Security wise it may be easier to secure the one location - or city in this case - than a cross continental effort that Australia, the USA and Russia will have/will needed/need.

The Saudis are smart enough to know that a Qatar World Cup could have many benefits to them. Expect easier travel visas around 2022 and tons of new hotels springing up near the Saudi/Qatar bridge.

I highly doubt that Saudis will become any more welcoming to outsiders than they are now.

Something doesn't feel right about Qatar. Something gives me the impression that in a few years time FIFA will annouce that Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Manama, Kuwait, Jeddah, Amman and Riyahd will be hosting WC matches.

[Olympian2004]

I don't know if this has already been mentioned (I haven't followed the bidding process very closely, so forgive me): But we'll get a little taste of how Qatar stages a big football tournament very soon. I've just noticed that from January 7 to January 29, 2011, Qatar is the host of AFC Asian Cup (=the Asian Championships). And I didn't know that Australia is currently bidding as only nation for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, with the announcement of the winner (hmmm, who would that be? ) expected for January 6, 2011.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_AFC_Asian_Cup

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_AFC_Asian_Cup

[FYI]

One thing I see is: FIFA again will say "we are opening frontiers and more frontiers" to IOC. Will 2020 Olympic be held in some other new frontier and start a IOC x FIFA battle on who can send their games to a the newest place???

BTW, Russia isn't exaclty a new frontier to FIFA, it's only a new country for the World Cup.

I was thinking the same considering the IOC totally dissed Doha, & FIFA did quite the exreme opposite by embracing them with open arms.

And it's at least arguable that Russia is a New Frontier. The World Cup has never been hosted in Eastern Europe, so in that aspect, it kinda is new 'frontier'. But one could also say the same about Qatar. The World Cup has been in Asia already (Korea/Japan 2002), just not the Middle East.

[Rob2012]

I've just noticed that from January 7 to January 29, 2011, Qatar is the host of AFC Asian Cup

Temperatures then?

[Bezzi]

Talking about "stadiums", Russia and Qatar were the candidates who presented the "best projects". England and Australia were behind the other candidates in this point. That seems to be reflected in the result.

[DannyelBrazil]

Talking about "stadiums", Russia and Qatar were the candidates who presented the "best projects". England and Australia were behind the other candidates in this point. That seems to be reflected in the result.

It's a valid point, since, FIFA loves the show on television and they are very very boring about stadium requirements...

[LuigiVercotti]

Talking about "stadiums", Russia and Qatar were the candidates who presented the "best projects". England and Australia were behind the other candidates in this point. That seems to be reflected in the result.

No, what Qatar and Russia promised was to build a whole slew of fantastical, very expensive and arguably redundant stadia that would serve as reminders of just how important MaFIFA is for its members plus create billions in revenues for the various consultants, architects, builders, government bureaucrats, MaFIFA media types etc etc. Spinning out a motherlode of cash which reinforces the egos of the puffed-up corrupt mini-Machiavellis in Zurich by building so many new stadia gives Blather's cronies reassurance that they are worthwhile.

All the other bidders to varying extents had real and concrete venues in place that were better simply because they are already there. And in cases like Wembley or the MCG they have hosted huge events (football and non-football related) which have in turn demonstrated efficiency, atmosphere and quality of experience. Unfortunately they don't serve as Albert Speer-like architectural tributes to a gang of 22 robber barons.

[alphamale86]

Offers of the MOST fabulous OPENING & CLOSING CEREMONIES!!

Qatar definitely, that's why I had really wanted them to win the 2016 olympics, we're not going to see an opening ceremony the likes of Beijing until a middle eastern country does it.

Russia not so much

[baron-pierreIV]

Unfortunately they don't serve as Albert Speer-like architectural tributes to a gang of 22 robber barons.

Correction: that should be 14. 8 voted for the USA.

[Kenadian]

Qatar definitely, that's why I had really wanted them to win the 2016 olympics, we're not going to see an opening ceremony the likes of Beijing until a middle eastern country does it.

Russia not so much

What about...ohhh, I dunno...Rio de Janeiro 2016?

[emre]

Qatar definitely, that's why I had really wanted them to win the 2016 olympics, we're not going to see an opening ceremony the likes of Beijing until a middle eastern country does it.

Russia not so much

what will Qatar do as a show in olympics opening??? drill oil from the stadium live????? all arabic mythts and tales comes from Bagdath mostly..

[DannyelBrazil]

What about...ohhh, I dunno...Rio de Janeiro 2016?

And believe, this picture is about a small car in Rio's carnaval parade =]

[Detroit]

what will Qatar do as a show in olympics opening??? drill oil from the stadium live????? all arabic mythts and tales comes from Bagdath mostly..

Watch the Asian Games 2006 opening ceremony. If they can do that for an Asian Games, imagine how much they can do from an Olympics....

And the horse thing was SO awesome(saw it on youtube)

[Kenadian]

It still just boggles the mind.

Russia and Qatar are really such opposites.

Massive Mother Russia with 140 million souls spread across the largest national landmass on earth.

Tiny Qatar. So small, they don't even have room for a 'u' in their name. A country that is the size of Connecticut minus Rhode Island by area, and nearly equal in size to the city of Perth by population. And if Qatar builds all the stadiums as proposed, there will be over 600,000 stadium seats in a country that has 1,600,000 butts to put in them. Boggles the mind. I guess that's what having all the money in the world can buy you.

[baron-pierreIV]

It still just boggles the mind.

Russia and Qatar are really such opposites.

Massive Mother Russia with 140 million souls spread across the largest national landmass on earth.

Tiny Qatar. So small, they don't even have room for a 'u' in their name. A country that is the size of Connecticut minus Rhode Island by area, and nearly equal in size to the city of Perth by population. And if Qatar builds all the stadiums as proposed, there will be over 600,000 stadium seats in a country that has 1,600,000 butts to put in them. Boggles the mind. I guess that's what having all the money in the world can buy you.

The 200,000 guest workers who will build the stadia and other infrastructure will be paid in seats to preliminary matches. It's a win-win situation for Qatar and humanity really.

[Tatsh]

Corruption is the word which can be easily added in the victory of Qatar and Russia, but maybe not the only.

[LuigiVercotti]

Thanks to Supreme Shite-stirrer Andrew Jennings for this nugget which will also give more credence to the Qatar win = corruption of MaFIFA and vice versa:

President Blatter enthuses about the ‘family of FIFA’ and he practices what he preaches. The most lucrative business opportunities at the World Cup go to a small group of businessmen and now his nephew Philippe Blatter is getting his share.

Philippe has been the boss of Infront, a Swiss-based sports marketing company, since 2006. An important shareholder is billionaire Saudi banker Sheikh Salih Kamel, who put his wealth behind President Blatter’s re-election in 2002. The Sheikh also owns ART, a satellite TV company, delivering exclusive sports programming and the FIFA World Cup to the Arab world.

The Infront company chooses to base itself in the Zug offices that previously housed FIFA’s former marketing partner the ISL company until it went bust in 2001.

ISL had the exclusive contract to film the World Cup for the world’s television networks. Infront has inherited this contract. ISL controlled the archive of World Cup films that command high fees from broadcasters. Infront has also inherited this business.

(source)

Join the dots on this little story...nephew of Blather has lucrative contract with part-Saudi owned sports marketing company with links to Arab TV and world cup film and archive rights. Send the 2022 WC to a Gulf state which will undoubtedly benefit the same part-Saudi owned companies and nephew Phillipe gets perhaps a nice bonus and maybe a share of future WC broadcast revenue. No wonder the Yanks and Aussies stood no chance.

[Detroit]

Thanks to Supreme Shite-stirrer Andrew Jennings for this nugget which will also give more credence to the Qatar win = corruption of MaFIFA and vice versa:

Join the dots on this little story...nephew of Blather has lucrative contract with part-Saudi owned sports marketing company with links to Arab TV and world cup film and archive rights. Send the 2022 WC to a Gulf state which will undoubtedly benefit the same part-Saudi owned companies and nephew Phillipe gets perhaps a nice bonus and maybe a share of future WC broadcast revenue. No wonder the Yanks and Aussies stood no chance.

((You know, we knew they were corrupt already. We just didn't think it was Blatter himself))

[Keitho]

Interesting article alleging bribery by Qatar........

http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2010/12/14/jonathan-alter-qatar-may-have-paid-10-mil-for-each-fifa-vote/

[Rafa]

FIFA and Cape Town reach agreement over World Cup debt Rafiq Wagiet | 1 Hour Ago The City of Cape Town on Wednesday again refused to divulge exactly how much money FIFA owes it.

The football governing body owes all world cup host cities millions of rands for services rendered during the tournament.

The city however confirmed that it has come to an agreement with FIFA about the amount which it hopes to receive within a few weeks.

The city’s Executive Director for Transport, Roads & Major Projects, Mike Marsden, said the amount owed is subject to a confidentiality clause, but confirmed that FIFA "settled all the city’s requests.”

He said Cape Town and FIFA have agreed on the total outstanding settlement which is due to the city.

(Edited by Lindiwe Mlandu)