I TAKEAT, LAT OU B Y C

JON SINIGAGLIA
26 sports talk september-october 2012

I
T

SLIMY,

WO-FACED T TOAD!
Despite winning the worlD Cup, Jon sinigaglia, the proJeCt DireCtor for Qatar 2022, has launCheD a sCathing attaCk on fifa heaD sepp Blatter, writes Ben rossi

RF
Qatar certainly stunned the world when they defeated 1994 World Cup hosts America and Australia still hugely respected after putting on a sensational Sydney Olympics in 2000 to become the first Arab state to stage footballs showpiece event. At face value, tiny Qatar, with a population of just under two million, was a bizarre choice. The national football team is ranked 92nd in the world (one place below Guatemala), while none of the billion-dollar infrastructure the bid has boldly promised yet exists. Thus the gut (if slightly bitter) reaction, especially from the fuming Aussies, was to level charges of bribery. Sinigaglia fervently denies greasing Blatters palm, but does concede sweet-talking FIFA was paramount to Qatars success. To the best of my knowledge, no funny business went on, he confirmed. There were no under-the-table payments. We won the bid on merit, and because we knew how to deal with all the politics. England clearly didnt, and so not even the designer handbags they gave to the wives of the voting committee could save them! Upon declaring Qatar and 2018 hosts Russias victories, a characteristically smug Blatter let slip that FIFA were always gagging to take the World Cup to new lands. It led Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards to question why England was even allowed to enter in the first place. Why cant FIFA come out and say, We want to bring the World Cup to the Middle East then only consider pitches from
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hrough a mixture of quintessentially Arabian charm, tactical guile and (some say) shady brown envelopes, Qatar smooched Sepp Blatter into awarding them the World Cup. Their success, however, hasnt stopped the mastermind behind the 2022 bid unleashing a no-holds-barred character assassination on FIFAs unpopular head. Nobody likes Blatter, conceded Jon Sinigaglia, whose job was first to devise the bid then prepare Qatar for a crucial FIFA ground-inspection in September 2010. There is no hiding from it, he is a slimy, two-faced toad. Gosh, I am really letting loose... how to hang yourself in one interview by Jon Sinigaglia! The problem is if you want a slice of Blatters cake you have to play his game and pretend to be part of the FIFA family. England never realised that. Their bid team went in, all guns blazing, assuming they were going to win and how many votes did they get? Two one of which came from the bid chairman Geoff Thompson! What that tells you is England had absolutely no clue what FIFA wanted. The English Football Association (FA) just charged in with a wad of money and some huge egos, founded on the erroneous premise that England owns football. That kind of bullish tactic will never work with Blatter. You have to treat him a bit like a god though thankfully, unlike a real god, he cant hear what is being said behind his back!

JON SINIGAGLIA

Qatar has a history of staging big events, having hosted the asian Games in 2006

Qatar, Dubai or Egypt for that year? questioned candid Richards. We spent 19 million trying to land the World Cup. We basically just threw that money down the drain because it became apparent, very early on, that we stood absolutely no chance of winning. 19 million is money we could have invested in grass roots football, and it would have gone a hell of a long way too. We could have put it in schools or given grants to charities, but instead we focused our energies on giving England a World Cup to remember for the first time since 1966. In hindsight, that was a huge mistake. The harsh truth is, we were never in the running. If FIFA fancied Russia, why on earth did they bother letting us enter? Sinigaglia maintains he was never expressly told territorial expansion was Blatters pet project, but admits it was still pretty obvious how Qatar should position itself. We just sensed, very early on, that it was one of Blatters major goals, he explained. We all know when Blatter finally retires (sometime before the year 3000) he will sit back and point to his legacy. There really is no underestimating the mans ego. I honestly think he expects a Nobel Peace Prize for giving Qatar the 2022 World Cup! Sinigaglias unsubtle disdain for Blatter suggests he wont be sending the Swiss mogul a Christmas card, yet he still maintains
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FIFA was correct to pick Qatar, based (mostly) on the strength of their bid. There is no denying the 2022 World Cup plans are both impressive and expansive. Qatars multi-billion transport system should reap long-term tourism benefits, while the proposed stadia plans have a real wow factor not just visually, but because each will (ironically) utilise solar power to air-condition the interior. Some stadia will also be dissembled and shipped off to thirdworld countries after the tournament. However, two venues certainly wont be emigrating to Rwanda: the 86,250-seat Lusail Iconic Stadium, the proposed site of the final, will remain in place and be touted as a future Olympic stadium, while Sports Talk has learnt that the fluorescent blue, marine-themed Doha Port Stadium will form the centrepiece of a golf resort. The truth is America and Australia might be big nations, but their bids were weak, claimed Sinigaglia in a typically impassioned rant. You can call our pitch a lot of things, but you cant question its quality. Was Qatars bid controversial? Yes. Was it unusual? Yes. But was it exceptional? YES! The Qataris, led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, were extremely focused. They had both the money and

blatter was clearly not won over by David beckhams gift of a signed england shirt to give to his granddaughter

sheikh mohammed bin Hamad al thani, chairman of the bid, couldnt hold back the tears after Qatars surprise victory

sense to get what they wanted. The country is absolutely besotted with football, especially now they own stakes in Barcelona and Paris SaintGermain. There is no denying the motive was to get the World Cup in order to place Qatar firmly on the map, but what fundamentally drove everybody involved was also a genuine passion for the beautiful game. For this reason, Sinigaglia argues the barrage of flak levelled Qatars way since the announcement is unwarranted. He cites a flawless 2006 Asian Games as definitive proof of the regions credentials. After all, that 26-event athletics gala is considerably more of a logistical nightmare to organise than a World Cup. However, the staunch naysayers will counter by pointing to footballs 2011 Asian Cup a poorly attended event (the worst since 2000) which was plagued by persistent complaints about the heat (in comparatively balmy January), including from champions Japan. In theory, the searing Arabian summer shouldnt spoil the 2022 World Cup since, if it works, the solar-powered technology will reduce temperatures to around 20 degrees. Yet, sadly, solar power cant solve the alcohol issue (or the potential qualification of Israel). However Sports Talk understands, contrary to popular belief, that the 2022 World Cup may not be totally dry. Under existing Qatari law five-star hotels can serve booze, so if more were built onto the stadia drinking would technically be legal although still probably confined to just one stand. Even if this is not possible, Sinigaglia doesnt expect it to have a negative impact on the tournament. It is the World Cup, not a piss-up, he said. Believe it or not, football fans can live without a
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JON SINIGAGLIA

QATAR 2022 STADIA

Lusail Iconic Stadium, Al Daayen (86,250) Khalifa International Stadium, Doha (68,030) Sports City Stadium, Doha (47,560) Ash-Shamal Stadium, Ash-Shamal (45,120)

Nobody likes blatter. There is no hiding from iT, he is a slimy, Two-faced Toad. Gosh, i am really lettiNG loose... how to haNG yourself iN oNe iNterview by JoN siNiGaGlia!
pint. I dont think the lack of a bar is going to put true supporters off travelling to Qatar. The weather is even more of a non-issue. When the World Cup was held in America in 1994 the temperature in Texas was a scorching 43 degrees. For 2022, the USA was bidding against us yet no one dared question their climate. Russias summers arent exactly cool either. Qatar has an excellent plan in place to deal with the weather oh, dont you worry about that! So why havent we seen, or at least heard about, it in any substantial detail? The answer is simple: FIFA law prevents a winning bidder talking in depth about their bid until after the previous World Cup. Qatar must thus stay schtum until Russia 2018 has finished. Sinigaglia seems to have all the answers and, in fairness, a lot of what he says makes perfect sense. However, there is one question that even stumps him: why didnt the rest of the Arab world endorse Qatar 2022? We wanted to use football to unite the Middle East, yet neighbouring Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and even the UAE had no interest in supporting us, he revealed. I find it amazing that none of the other FAs in the Gulf backed us. They spent too long bickering to realise that the 2022 World Cup is theirs too.
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With a capacity of just 25,000, the Al-Gharrafa Stadium (right) will require some significant redvelopment Al-Wakrah Stadium, Al-Wakrah (45,120) Umm Salal Stadium, Umm Salal (45,120) Doha Port Stadium, Doha (44,950) Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan (45,350) Al-Gharrafa Stadium, Al Rayyan (44,740) Al Rayyan Stadium, Al Rayyan (44,740) Qatar University Stadium, Doha (43,520)

The exterior of Al Rayyan Stadium features a membrane that will act as a screen for projections and advertisements

On several occasions I tried to involve a number of Middle East FAs, but they just werent interested. Then, once the thing was won, everyone wanted in! I thought that was extraordinarily hypocritical. As we get nearer the time, I am sure the Arab football powers will be hounding us to get more involved. Either way, Qatar will still strive to make sure the 2022 World Cup is a genuinely Middle Eastern affair. Blatter would also love nothing more than to fuse football and Arabic culture in one triumphant summer spectacle, although he surely wont have a hands-on role to play in Qatar. By 2022 his reign of terror will be over and, based on Sinigaglias damning attack, he shouldnt bank on a VIP invitation!