FIFA president: "Controversy surrounding Qatar 2022 is motivated by racism"

[PorkChop]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27762435

Of course, it's nothing to do with the fact that Qatar has an awful human rights record and that FIFA received several bribes to have it played in Qatar. It's just simple racism, that's all.

[HFX]

If the World Cup was in Turkey or even Egypt(though they have a lot of issues right now) I bet it would have got a much warmer reception. Qatar and the rest of the Arabian peninsula are completely terrible choices.

[Viazon]

God I hate Sepp Blatter.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Interesting to hear how he expands on these claims of racism.

Hopefully he will be challenged strongly and tbh, absolute poor move to say this with the WC few days away. Probably a disguising move to avoid attention some stadiums in Brazil, such as Sao Paulo, STILL not finished.

[Everlong]

Ah yes, play the race card to distract from the real issues at hand here.

[Daz]

Classic deflection.

[Kirbi]

Surely, if everyone now chose to ignore it because that was said, that would be racism.