Legendary coach Arsene Wenger lauds Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup plans
During a visit to Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the former Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger, who won 10 major honors during his 22-years with the Gunners, spoke highly of the preparations made by Qatar in the lead up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Frenchman, who secured seven FA Cups with Arsenal, lauded Qatar’s commitment to football development.
The 69-year-old football veteran was left thoroughly impressed with the planning and execution displayed by Qatar with respect to developing the infrastructure needed to host the world’s biggest football event, reported Goal.
Qatar’s World Cup plans will bring a new experience to players, fans, and officials, Wenger said.
The former Arsenal coach hailed Qatar’s recent AFC Asian Cup victory, stressing that it speaks volumes for the quality of education, planning and coaching the country has to offer, according to Gulf Times.
“I’m impressed with the quality of the planning for the World Cup, including the thinking that is behind it,” Wegner said, adding that the development of infrastructure is particularly commendable as it repurposes some of the modular stadiums and transforms them into sporting facilities.
“This World Cup is integrated in the community and there are a lot of plans to make sure it is not wasted after the tournament. The project for the event is fantastic – but the community will take advantage of it after the World Cup, which is a great idea,” Wegner is quoted to have said by Qatar Tribune.
He further mentioned the fact that the longest distance between stadiums in 2022 will be just 55km, reported Sportstar. This is something particularly attractive for fans, as they would have the opportunity to attend more than one match in a day during the early stages of the tournament, he said.
“When I think back to the many World Cups I’ve been to, you always plan your flights. It will be a new experience for supporters here – once you’re in Qatar you just have to move from one stadium to another without taking a flight. For the players and delegations too – the national teams can stay at one place during the whole World Cup and that will be a much more comfortable experience than before,” he added, according to The Peninsula.
While praising Qatar’s efforts in the domain of sports education, training and coaching, Wegner said, “the most important thing is that Qatar has won the Asian Cup. Nobody, even in Qatar, could have planned that when Aspire was opened. The most positive aspect, apart from the pride of everyone in the country after winning such a huge competition, is the fact it’s encouragement for education and coaching young players. It’s a remarkable lesson for all the countries that love football."
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