Qatargate

Well I guess this is going to run and run. No I don't speak French but the tweets indicate the fan is already very brown.

France Football ‏@francefootball FF #FIFA #Qatar #2022 Le #Qatargate, c'est aujourd'hui dans France Football ! . pic.twitter.com/QriNDC1w

From me down here I have to say

Never saw that coming

What will happen next?

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/50138/qatargate-doubts-over-qatar-2022-linger.html

English, well American, article on it. No real surprises but they name plenty of names so must have some hard evidence.

Not in the least surprised.

I would be very surprised if it does get taken away from the Qataris though, what's done is done.

If it does get taken away from them though, wonder if it would go to the next on the list (USA) or be reopened for tender, in which case England might hop in at the last minute. We can dream...

I read that article, but most of what it said didn't sound illegal. Vote-swapping, geopolitical interests and promising investment are all sub-optimal reasons for selecting somewhere compared to pure footballing motives, but they are still valid reasons. Unless they directly paid a member of the voting committee directly to purchase his vote then I don't really see an issue with it.

The biggest challenge is to actually build the facilities for the World Cup. Can you imagine holding it in a place the size of Southampton - minus decent roads, sewers, railways, stadia, hotels, pubs, training camps etc. etc. And then add 50 degree heat! Still, they say they can do it, but it is a Herculean task.

The biggest challenge is to actually build the facilities for the World Cup. Can you imagine holding it in a place the size of Southampton - minus decent roads, sewers, railways, stadia, hotels, pubs, training camps etc. etc. And then add 50 degree heat! Still, they say they can do it, but it is a Herculean task.

OK so here will be the problem.

Getting a Trade Licence in Qatar is a nightmare. Outside Companies that need to come in and build/supply stuff will be forced to work with a "Local partner company. Those fees will run into numbers that will cause the Auditors and FCPA Lawyers issues regarding Compliance.

A mate of mine down here has operated in Qatar since the Asian games. Despite his contracts being backed by "seemingly" irrevocable Letters of Credit he is still, some 4 years on, yet to see a single PENNY of the invoiced money. (Well over $1million US). All he is ever given are Promisory Notes that let him borrow cash from a Qatari Bank at obscene interest levels. No internal Commercial Legal Action between an outside company and a Government Agency has EVER found in favour of the outside company

Forget the issues over Heat & humidity, hotel rooms and affordability, the locals believe they can do everything themselves with their mates.

It will be a disaster and a LOT of people/businesses will lose a lot of money.

And the only people going to matches IF they have any sense will be taking Day Trips on Fly Dubai or Air Arabia

I'm not aware of the business practices, but the logistical problems of redeveloping a whole city are massive. This isn't "can do" Victorian Britain. The port is so small that goods take ages to arrive - although they are planning to build a new one. That will be the first logjam. Then the difficulties of getting concrete/reinforcement are the next. During the Asian Games construction the problems were massive, and that was small fry in comparison to what is needed for the World Cup. Dubai Phil is right - international companies will lose their shirts, have bonds pulled etc, solely due to the fact that the infrastructure just isn't there to support such a massive and accelerated building programme. And the World Cup itself? The stadia will be full of Saudis and no one else. I don't think the teams will stay in Doha - it's just not possible to train outside in 50 degree heat. That is why Platini is supporting switching it to the winter. So, a winter World Cup it will have to be.