Sports FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014 44 Qatar comments fall-out leaves FIFA under attack PARIS: World football’s ruling body came under withering fire yesterday fol- lowing FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke’s claim Wednesday that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played in win- ter. Valcke’s assertion was quickly refut- ed by FIFA but that didn’t stop a storm breaking out over the whole affair. And UEFA chief Michel Platini was quick to stick the boot in, accusing the world football governing body of mak- ing arbitrary decisions beyond its remit. As UEFA president, Platini sits on the Erick Thohir FIFA Executive Committee, headed by FIFA president Sepp Blatter, but he Inter fans still claimed Valcke’s comments suggested that body was being bypassed by FIFA’s searching for Thohir’s top shots. “At the last Executive Committee meeting in October it was project for the club decided that a deep consultation process should be launched throughout ITALY: Inter Milan’s new president Erick Thohir said after football and that no decision would be COSTA DO SAUIPE: This picture taken on December 5, 2013 shows FIFA Monday’s defeat to Lazio that the result would not alter his taken before the 2014 World Cup in belief in the project for the club. His comments have left many General secretary Jerome Valcke speaking during an interview on the eve of Brazil,” Platini told French sports news- the Brazil 2014 FIFA Football World Cup final draw. —AFP Inter fans asking the same question: What project? paper L’Equipe. The Indonesian business tycoon was appointed as chair- “It was also decided that no-one turely the 2022 World Cup’s displace- ber-stamping the first winter World man of Inter Milan in November after his International Sports should speak about this subject until ment to winter, general secretary Jerome Cup.” Capital bought a 70 percent stake in the club, ending then. “Therefore I don’t understand why Valcke has created a new turmoil in Another newspaper, The Daily Mirror, Massimo Moratti’s 18-year reign at the helm. The purchase it has been discussed publicly. Two world football.” On Wednesday, the sec- was equally indignant. “Switching the raised hopes of a new dawn for the team which has fallen on months ago it was Blatter who spoke ond most powerful man in international World Cup to winter would spark chaos hard times following the heady heights of 2010 when they about it, this time it’s Valcke, but it’s a football, told Radio France: “The dates in leagues across the world, including won a Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble decision to be made by the FIFA for the World Cup (in Qatar) will not be the Premiership (Premier League), as under Jose Mourinho. Executive Committee. “But maybe the June-July. they struggle to play fixtures with games But since his takeover, very little has been heard about Executive Committee no longer serves “To be honest, I think it will be held in November, December and January Thohir’s plans, except that he will spurn the big-spending any purpose. If the decision has already between November 15 and January 15 scrapped.” approach of Paris St Germain and Manchester City. been made then there’s no need for us at the latest.” FIFA were quick to issue a Players in England took to social “We will buy players, but we’re going to be careful with our to meet. “Essentially, some people like to statement insisting he was merely media outlet Twitter to vent their fury. spending,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport shortly after taking talk.” European media were quick to pick expressing his personal opinion rather “World Cup in mid season #clueless charge. “Our objective is financial restructuring, creating a up on the internal strife with Italy’s La than official policy. But such a move #shambles,” wrote West Bromwich club which is in sound financial health, as agreed with Gazzetta dello Sport running the head- would cause havoc in many European Albion and Ireland full-back Steven Reid. Moratti.” line: “Qatar 2022 chaos: when will it be leagues and perhaps the most angered It wasn’t all doom and gloom, There was also a brief mention of a new stadium, which played?” by Valcke’s words were the English. though, as in Spain the Football League would be a huge improvement on sharing the increasingly Gazzetta went on to say: “It’s still Oliver Kay, the chief football corre- president Javier Tebas urged all interest- run-down San Siro with AC Milan, but nothing concrete. ‘only’ nine (sic. eight) years away but spondent for Britain’s The Times news- ed parties to simply roll up their sleeves Thohir, who is part owner of Major League Soccer club DC already Qatar 2022 is the most compli- paper seemed resigned to the move. “It and make the best of it. United and NBA team the Philadelphia 76ers, flies to Milan cated World Cup in history. was another careless, premature state- “Everyone needs to make an effort, from Indonesia for big games and usually limits his comments “One of the problems-and not the ment from one of the most powerful but it doesn’t seem to me to be particu- to platitudes about how he is looking forward to the match. only one given the union conditions of men in world football, but it pointed to larly serious, it’s not that dramatic,” he This has frustrated the local media, used to the old-fash- local (foreign) workers-is: when will it be two inescapable truths,” he wrote. said in an article in El Pais. ioned method of door-stepping Moratti, who would oblige by played?” France’s L’Equipe was no less “The first is that the 2022 World Cup “Everyone has to make concessions feeding them almost daily quotes from the street in front of damning of the conflicting noises ema- will not take place in the summer heat of so that the World Cup can go to every his office or out of his car window. nating from FIFA’s halls. Qatar. The second is that, for all its talk of part of the world. “We can’t discriminate Supporters are hoping that the January transfer window “FIFA hit by cold snap,” it said, before “very deep consultations”, FIFA is merely against one area because their summer will provide more clues and there are hopes that the new adding: “By announcing a little prema- going through the motions before rub- temperatures are too high.” —AFP owners will take an Arsenal-style approach based on spotting and developing exciting young talent. That would be a far cry from the present side where aging Argentina pair Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso still fea- Messi primed to thwart ture regularly and Rodrigo Palacio is often a lonely figure in attack. Coach Walter Mazzarri hinted that Inter’s priority would be to reduce the squad, rather than look for new play- Atletico’s title ambitions ers. “We’re a work in progress here because we have players who aren’t featuring much and deserve to be playing more MADRID: Atletico Madrid can banish any nium. Current coach Diego Simeone, a and play at Espanyol on Sunday (1800). elsewhere,” he said. lingering doubts about their title creden- former Argentina midfielder who was in Koke, who earned a call-up to the “We should aim first of all to use this transfer window to tials when they host Barcelona tomor- the 1996 team, has revived memories of Spain squad last year, has played a key adjust the number of players we have in this squad so that we row but will have to subdue a resurgent those glory days since he took over at role in Atletico’s resurgence, developing can train well, with others going out to get some experience Lionel Messi if they are to vanquish the the end of 2011, honing a mean defence a lethal partnership with Costa and net- under their belts or so that their value can increase. “That’s the champions. It has been almost 20 years and getting the best out of players like ting some important goals himself, sort of choice we need to make. People need to know what’s since the Spanish capital’s second club forward Diego Costa and midfielder including the winner in Saturday’s 1-0 going on.” Inter’s 1-0 defeat at Lazio left them a modest sixth mounted a genuine challenge for the La Koke. victory at Malaga. in the table, below promoted Hellas Verona and eight points Liga crown as Barca and Real Madrid, the Atletico, the King’s Cup holders, have However, beating Barca to head the behind third-place Napoli in the coveted Champions League world’s two richest teams by income, won all their matches at their Calderon standings at the halfway stage of the playoff spot. have shared the spoils apart from brief stadium this season apart from the first campaign would be a mere “anecdote” Their next Serie A match is at home to Chievo on Monday flurries of success from Valencia and leg of the Spanish Super Cup in August as what counted was the state of play at (2000), giving them a chance to make up some ground on Deportivo La Coruna. when they drew 1-1 with Barca. the climax of the season in May, he Napoli, who have a much tougher fixture at Hellas Verona on Last season’s third place was the best Victory tomorrow (1900 GMT) would warned on Wednesday.