“When Platini said that he would have voted for Qatar anyway, especially for the development of football, it is not true. We had a consensus within the executive committee of FIFA, which planned
to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to the United States. Everything went well until eight days before the election when there was this famous dinner at the Elysee. Platini
phoned me immediately after. He told me: ‘Sepp, it’s not going to work, we will have a problem for the election.’ President Sarkozy had asked him, suggested, to vote for Qatar. I
said to Platini ‘Did he force you?’ He said ‘Not at all, but when a head of state asks you to do something, you do it so I will follow and I will take my friends with me.' His
friends were the Cypriot
Marios Lefkaritis, the Belgian
Michel D’Hooghe, who would have voted for Qatar anyway, his son having already had a post in Qatar, and the Spaniard
Angel Maria Villar. So it made four voices that tipped the vote.”
-- Former FIFA president
Sepp Blatter, who says he is ready to testify to French prosecutors looking
into a lunch at Elysee Palace in Paris between French President
Nicolas Sarkozy and Qatari prince
Tamim ben Hamad al-Thani -- who became Emir in 2013 –- just over a week
before the vote in December 2010 to determine the 2022 World Cup host. On the final ballot, Qatar beat the USA, 14-8. Allegations of bribery involving the Qatari support have swirled ever since. (
AFP)
Wow. I wonder why Blatter is talking about this now?
Probably distancing himself from alliegations he prefers to avoid.
Anyone believes what Blatter says must believe in the good fairy to bring you some good smelling stuff!!! Merry Christmas, Hanukkah and Happy New Year!!! FELIZ NAVIDAD Y ANO NUEVO A TODOS, ESPECIALMENTE A LA FEDERACION DEL USA!
Yeah. I was interested until I saw that he was telling the French authorities that the villian was Platini and that Blatter was just an innocent bystander.
Is this a Freddy Krueger "He's Back!" story?
If this was true, then the French Football Federation should be banned for a period of time from international competition. Or would rules apply to the French?