DOHA: FIFA says the questions that were raised over Qatar winning the right to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022 have led it to introduce a slew of key reforms and ensure more transparency.
“FIFA has taken this issue seriously — the issue of Qatar winning the 2022 bid by 14 to eight votes in a secret ballot voting,” said Secretary-General of the world soccer governing body, Jerome Valcke.
FIFA is working to avoid issues that create suspicions, and developing a new voting system to select hosts for the 2026 and 2030 World Cup tournaments.
“In the general assembly meeting of FIFA in 2019 this new and transparent voting system will be developed,” Valcke was quoted by Qatar News Agency (QNA) as saying in Zurich yesterday.
There will be a new system in 2019 for holding both rounds of voting that are needed to select the hosts of the 2026 and 2030 events.
There will be transparency and a monitoring system in place with extensive rules. “We must put the past behind,” he said of the recent controversies.
About the winter schedule of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar, he said all soccer clubs were important.
“Without their involvement there wouldn’t be the 2022 FIFA event. We must look at future with optimism. We at FIFA have agreed to hold the final on Qatar’s National Day in 2022.”
A special FIFA committee will decide the schedule of matches of the 2022 World Cup fixture.
To a question about workers’ situation in Qatar, Valcke said FIFA President Sepp Blatter had talked about it in detail.
“The situation is satisfactory. The standards Qatar has developed for conditions and safety requirements for workers engaged in stadium projects should actually be the standard conditions for workers everywhere.”
He said the way work on FIFA projects in Qatar was progressing he was confident that the country will be ready for 2022 World Cup at least four years in advance — by 2018.
FIFA is discussing with Qatar about the number of stadiums in which 2022 World Cup matches will be played.
Some opinions suggest there will be about eight stadiums for the purpose, said Valcke.
He said FIFA’s relations with the Qatari 2022 organising committee were close, warm and cordial.
“We expect a very exciting World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and the spectators will enjoy the event to the hilt. They will immensely enjoy all 64 matches that will be played.”
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