The FIFA World Cup 2022 will be played in Qatar at the year-end. However, Louis van Gaal has dubbed the tournament this time as 'ridiculous'. Here's why.
The football world is eagerly awaiting for the year-end, not to begin preparations for 2023, but to witness the ultimate football spectacle, the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will be held in Qatar this time, while it will be the first time that it will be held during the winter, thanks to the scorching summer in the gulf country. However, Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal has dubbed the competition 'ridiculous'.
Van Gaal is a former Ajax, Bayern Munich and Manchester United manager who also guided the Netherlands during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He is known to be open-minded and speak his mind out when he wants. While he was re-elected as the Dutch head coach last August, he has spoken for the first time since and is clearly not happy with the timing of the global event.
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During a pre-match press conference, ahead of the Netherlands' friendly clash against Denmark, he noted, "I am a committee member with Gijs de Jong. We meet, and then, I hear what has been agreed with other countries. Then, I hear what we can do, and I give my comments. I'm on it every month. I have already mentioned it in previous press conferences. I think it's ridiculous that the World Cup is there."
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"We are playing in a country that FIFA says they want to develop football there. That's bull****, but it doesn't matter. It's about money, about commercial interests. That matters in FIFA. Why do you think I'm not on a committee at FIFA or UEFA with my expertise? Because I have always opposed these kinds of organisations. I can say that in Qatar later, but that won't help the world get rid of this problem," concluded van Gaal.
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The Netherlands has already sealed its place in the global spectacle by topping the UEFA Group G of the qualifiers. It would be its second consecutive appearance in the tournament under van Gaal, while it had missed out on the last WC in Russia in 2018, under Ronald Koeman. The final draw for the competition will be taking place on April 1.
