Qatar's 2022 World Cup appears to be in jeopardy again after a prominent FIFA executive committee member said Monday that he did not believe the tournament will continue to be held there because of the extreme summer temperatures.
Theo Zwanziger, a German member of FIFA's executive committee, made the comments Monday to Sports Bild,
according to Reuters, giving further doubts that Qatar will get a chance to host the World Cup after winning the bid in 2010.
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Germany won this year's World Cup against Argentina in Brazil this summer.
"I personally think that in the end the 2022 World Cup will not take place in Qatar," Zwanziger told Sports Bild. "Medics say that they cannot accept responsibility with a World Cup taking place under these conditions."
Qatar's selection has always been controversial, but picked up steam in June when the Sunday Times of London published an article charging that Qatari billionaire Mohamed bin Hammam worked with Russian officials and
"essentially bought the 2022 bid for Qatar," The New York Times said. Qatar officials have denied the allegations.
Zwanziger, though, has focused singularly on the weather situation, which could be serious.
"They may be able to cool the stadiums but a World Cup does not take place only there," Zwanziger told Sports Bild. "Fans from around the world will be coming and travelling in this heat and the first life-threatening case will trigger an investigation by a state prosecutor. That is not something that FIFA Exco members want to answer for."
The Qatar organizing committee general secretary Hassan al-Thawadi told The Guardian that its cooling technology was a success during a trial run in Brazil and will prove to be more than capable in 2022.
"Our system is sustainable," al-Thawadi said. "It is clear a World Cup in the summer is possible but, if FIFA wants to reschedule the tournament, that is also OK with us. We will just wait but I'm not afraid (of the tournament being denied Qatar). There is no basis for us losing the World Cup. It is the first World Cup in the Middle East and will be a platform that brings people together. It will leave a positive legacy, so I am sure the finals will be held in Qatar in 2022."
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