Adnan Hamdan
Doha, Qatar- FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday expressed optimism with regards to Qatar’s preparations towards hosting the World Cup.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the FIFA Executive Football Summits 2018/19 at the Four Seasons Hotel, here.
“It is pleasure for me to be here with you and also with some 60, 70 football associations from four different continents, to discuss about football. And to discuss about the future of football,” said the Swiss-Italian Football administrator, welcoming the guests, before getting on with the meaty issues, including transparency.
“FIFA is now an open organisation and a transparent organisation. An organisation where we want to listen before we decide. An organisation where we give the floor to our members, where we consult, where nobody needs to be scared to express his opinion,” he said, driving home the fact that FIFA is projecting a new and improved image.
“I think people had legitimate doubts on the institutional work of FIFA, but this is a different story. This is a new FIFA, a FIFA, which is not afraid of having a debate, of having a discussion of implementing reforms, new ideas, and of discussion about what is good for football.”
On the number of teams for the FIFA World Cup 2022, he said, “And, as I said before, if we all together have the feeling that it is good for football and if we can do it… then we should do it. If not, if it’s not feasible, if it’s not the right, then we will not do it and we will have the fantastic World Cup as we had in Russia, with 32 teams in Qatar. So I am very, very happy with the debate, and the discussions, because we discussed how we can make football grow in all over the world and in particular in Asia, in particular in Africa, in particular the Americas, where it’s needed more than ever.”
With regards to the preparations, Infantino, said: “I went to meet the Prime Minister yesterday, to discuss with him the preparations for the World Cup. As I was here a couple of weeks ago at all the sites, the metro, the stadiums… amazing. It will be an amazing World Cup 2022.”
“It will be sometime in the December, I think it would be the days more or less of the semifinals of the World Cup, so the weather is absolutely beautiful. I am sure everything will be fantastic in four years,” he added brushing aside the weather concerns.
On the ways to make, FIFA World Cup 2022 a grand success, the 48-year old football administrator said, “Work, there is no secret. Work hard, work together, work jointly with Qatar… It will be the first World Cup in the Middle East, in the Gulf region, it’s the first time that an Arab country is organising the World Cup. But it has to be an occasion for the world as well to come and meet the Arab World.”
“And I think it is very important for the world to discover this part of the world and their passion for football, to discover the people and this was a surprise as well for many, who went to Russia, to discover the people in the region,” he said about the fans and providing them access routes to World Cup venues. “The South Americans or Latin American fans, the Mexicans as well, who came to Russia were amazing. Thousands and Thousands… it was a real party in all the cities. Such a fantastic atmosphere. It was absolutely unbelievable. And of course we are looking at how we can make sure that as many Latin American fans, but also from other parts of the world are coming in 2022 to celebrate football here as well.”
He was optimistic about the fact that FIFA has a partner in Qatar Airways, which will attract the Latin American fans to the Middle East. “We have also a partner, which is Qatar Airways for example, that will certainly help in this respect as well. Qatar will participate, let’s not forget in, the next Copa America, so the ties and leagues would certainly be there.”