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“In football, we learn to win,” said Sepp Blatter. “But in football, we also learn to lose.” That doesn’t make the news that Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup any less gut-wrenching for Australian fans. It could hardly be a more controversial decision.
Plagued by a whisper campaign which alleged corruption and collusion in the build-up to vote, most of the technical criticism surrounded the tiny Gulf State’s size and lack of infrastructure.
Air-conditioned stadia and demountable stands sound impressive on paper, but now Qatar’s massive task is to turn those plans into a steel and concrete reality.
But clearly the lure of a first World Cup in the Middle-East was too strong for the FIFA executive, who earlier sprung another surprise by announcing Russia as the host for the 2018 World Cup.
Qatar’s bid focused strongly on an ability to bring people together, and that’s a message arguably missed by Australia’s much-maligned final presentation, which was heavy on spectacular landscapes and 80’s pop-culture icons, but lacking in detail on how fans would be united Down Under.
Australia’s final presentation also failed to mention how hosting the football World Cup would benefit the sport in this country, and that’s surely a key point given FIFA’s insistence the tournament must leave a legacy.
China’s announcement that they will bid to host the 2026 World Cup is also almost certain to have influenced some committee members, who no doubt decided that if Australia can unlock the riches to the burgeoning Asia-Pacific middle classes, then surely the Chinese can do so tenfold.
All in all, it’s not so much a missed opportunity for Australia as a sickening kick in the guts, and if the indefatigable Frank Lowy wasn’t a persuasive enough personality to get our bid over the line, it’s hard to imagine who could.
But amidst all the doom and gloom and all the hand-wringing to come, it’s important to remember that football can still flourish in Australia.
There are enough people passionate about the game to ensure that, and hopefully the entire bidding process has rekindled some interest in those who have fallen off the wagon.
Yet, it’s hard to feel upbeat after months of anticipation and hope ended so abruptly in the hands of one Sepp Blatter.
The World Cup will be played in Qatar in 2022, and let’s wish our Asian colleagues all the very best for a wonderful month of football.
It may be a dark day for the game in Australia, but it’s not the end of the road – we’ll bounce back.
We always do.