World Cup 2010 - Fergie backs Qatar 2022 bid
Qatar's dreams of hosting the 2022 World Cup were given a surprise boost when Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said they were "definitely achievable" despite the searing summer heat.
"I would back the Qatar bid," Ferguson said. "I admire their purpose and vision."
Ferguson added that the Gulf state had a "marvellous chance" of hosting the finals, even amid worries about temperatures that can rise to 50 Celsius.
His remarks came shortly after world soccer's governing body FIFA published its technical reports on the bids to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
FIFA said that, despite proposals for cooling the stadiums, Qatar's bid to host the 2022 tournament could pose a potential health risk because of the midsummer heat.
Qatari organisers say they have tackled the issue by constructing climate-controlled, zero-carbon emitting stadiums.
The country has harnessed solar-powered technology to cool stadiums to about 27 Celsius.
Ferguson said the idea of dismantling modular stadia to be shipped to developing countries would be "absolutely fantastic" for football across the world.
All of Qatar's stadiums would be partly dismantled after the finals, with the extra seating shipped to developing nations who could reconstruct them as smaller stadiums for their own use.
"Addressing the hot climate issue and transporting the stadia to countries is very clever," added Ferguson.
Qatar is competing with the United States, South Korea, Japan and Australia for the right to host the 2022 tournament.
It would be the first Middle East country to stage the event.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter will announce the winning bid in Zurich on December 2, following a vote by the executive committee.
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Money, bribery, corruption ….. You can expect anything regardless if its 50 or -50 Celsius
Qatar will win the 2022 because there are already 9 members on the voting panel in support of Qatar bid; they either publicly stated it or their governments did.
It is politics.
As Japan and South Korea will be out in the first rounds they will most likely give their votes to an Asian country in support.
Only 12 votes out of the 22 are needed to win.
It is unlikely that USA or Australia will get that many votes.
#7 VictorS, not that England has performed well elsewhere. Maybe the solution to England's problems IS NO DRINK, NO SMOKE and NO HOOKERS! =)
Despite his charming talk, I dont think SAF's in Quatar to talk about the World Cup. Think he's gone for a new player for Man Utd. Guesses anyone?
Whilst I support the idea of giving encouragement to "blossoming" football nations, I can't see this. Any nation in the Middle East is more susceptible to terrorist activities for a start. I don't know that a nation with such a small population could adequately guarantee the security of nations like USA for example, who'd be a massive target.
Also, we have seen that the World Cup in South Africa was a largely dismal affair, with very few games being the spectacle that the World Cup demands. Them blasted vuvuzuelas had a lot to do with that!
I would award it to a nation that was better equipped, both financially and environmentally. Whilst it was all very colourful, the South African World Cup was little more than a sideshow.
Wogy, Aussies are the best at what? Sports? They lost the League world cup and 4-nations, they lost the commonwealth netball prize, they got hammered by All Blacks 10 times in a raw and even Munster beat them, they were spanked by England last week, they did not win Super14 for a few years, they had no show in the last football world cup and they are now a laughing joke when it comes to cricket. Australians are only best at barking how great they are. A nation solely based around mining to balance the books of ''development'' and hide the bad economical model based on ''We want to be like the USA''. Australia is ahead of the world in one thing and that the dire water crisis which is already crippling the country and showing how solidarity does not exist in that country. And let's not talk about the Aborigines who are treated like rats while it is THEIR country. Australia is a disgraceful racist country but I am aware they have a good chance to host the world cup because of the ''rotation'' process endorsed by FIFA
Australia will win RIGHTS to held WC in 2022...no question about that.Go Aussies...you are THE Best.
i would rather see spain/portugal host it in 2018 than england... the stadiums are bigger, they are more football mad, spain are world and euro champions, the atmosphere will be better as it always over there, less risk of idiots from leeds or london creating riots and the weather will be better...
i don't actually know a reason why they shouldn't host it... we can't afford it, the cities are better over there... i mean seriously madrid/barcelona or nottingham/milton keynes??? is there even a contest???
c'mon Blatter do the right thing and give it to spain/portugal!!!! i am english but would much rather see it in a country who deserves to host it!! i back spain all the way!!!
it will be Australia or America, anyone who is not a moron can see it. oh wait...
CANT DRINK CANT SMOKE NO HOOKERS ITS THE MUSLIM WORLD IS IT NOT? so how will the English national team function at such a venue?
bad move if you ask me
South Korea And Japan are in for a bid, they did it in 2002. I mean seriously I'd rather Qatar then somewhere which has done it recently
Its all about money wouldent be suprised if saf has a nice couple of years as Qatar manger when he finally leaves mufc. But there not allowed a wee dram over there may be not.
wonder how much the money-grabbing haggis-head got paid for that?...
It's a silly idea to give Qatar the bid. Ok, they will probably be able to afford to build infrastructure but only about 1.2 million people live in the whole country. For me, they should think about giving the tournament to nations with higher populations, as I can think of several which haven't hosted the event but would probably like to.
Yeah because they not English.
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