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sport">Spee and De Jong contacted Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Hassan Al Thawadi, the presidents of the Qatar Football Association and the organizing committee for the World Cup. Like FIFA, they had asked for clarification when they heard that Van Gaal thought it was ridiculous that the World Cup will be held in the rich oil state at the end of this year. “We are going to play in a country to, how does FIFA say that, to develop football there,” said the national coach of Orange. “And you do that by organizing a tournament in that country. That’s bullshit. It’s about money, commercial interests. That matters at FIFA.”
sport">“They have often been to Europe and the United States and I think they have studied and worked there,” said De Jong. “They know we are more direct. But the statements can also be misunderstood. So that’s why we explained them again. Is the cold out of the air? You never know, of course, but I think you do. It was a good conversation.”
sport">“You can achieve something by talking,” said Spee, who saw Lise Klaveness, the new chairman of the Norwegian Football Association, clash with the organizing committee of the World Cup during the congress. Norway has not qualified but has seriously considered boycotting the World Cup in Qatar.
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sport">“The Honduras union was not pleased with the Norwegian criticism about, among other things, human rights in Qatar,” Spee said. “They wanted to stick to football. We are not in favor of a boycott because in my opinion you will not achieve the goal that way. But we do want to commit ourselves to social changes and improvements in the long term. That’s how we’ve been doing it for years.”
sport">Van Gaal is missing in Doha, where the draw for the World Cup will be held on Friday. He was unable to submit a negative test after a recent corona infection.
Women’s World Cup 2027
sport">The KNVB also uses the FIFA congress in Doha and the draw for the World Cup at the end of this year to lobby for the organization of the global final round for women in 2027. The national football association is doing everything it can to organize that event together with Germany and to keep Belgium.
sport">“We spoke again with our colleagues from Germany and Belgium before the FIFA congress,” says Secretary-General Gijs de Jong of the KNVB. “I really think we are doing very well. We have such a big barbecue with a lot of people from other unions. Of course we are going to talk about the 2027 World Cup.”
sport">The Dutch football players won the European title at the European Championship in their own country in 2017. Two years later, the ‘Lionesses’ reached the final at the World Cup in France. The KNVB thought for a while that it could organize the 2027 World Cup alone. “But that was no longer possible after the expansion from 24 to 32 participants,” said De Jong.
sport">The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany probably no longer have competition from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland. “There must be a strong European candidate,” said De Jong. “That is why I think those countries are focusing on the European Championship in 2025. The United States seems to be focusing on the 2031 World Cup. Chile, perhaps Colombia and South Africa, I think still have serious plans.”
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