It was a mistake to award the hosting of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, according to FIFA president Sepp Blatter who suggested that it should be held in the winter due to the heat in the Middle Eastern country.
Speaking to Swiss television station RTS, Blatter was quoted by Reuters.com as saying: "Of course, it was a mistake. You know, one comes across a lot of mistakes in life. The Qatar technical report indicated clearly that it is too hot in summer, but the executive committee with quite a big majority decided all the same that the tournament would be in Qatar," he added.
Hours later, FIFA issued a media statement suggesting that their president was not questioning whether the biggest soccer tournament in the world would be held in Qatar. The statement said: "the comment by the FIFA President concerning the organisation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to Swiss TV station RTS is in line with previous comments on this matter."
It concluded that Blatter did not question Qatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup, but merely reiterated that the awarding of the hosting rights to the country during the summer months was 'an error' based on the technical assessment of the bid.
The awarding of the hosting rights to the World Cup 2022 has been widely controversial due to the hot temperature in Qatar that can reach as much as 40 degrees Celsius during the summer months, aside from the fact that the country is not exactly a football hotbed.
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