Legendary Italian Midfielder Surprised at Criticism of 2022 Qatar World Cup

Doha, October 11 (QNA) - Former Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso expressed Thursday his surprise at the criticism directed toward World Cup 2022 for being held in Qatar, with the legendary player not seeing a legitimate criticism so far. Speaking on the sidelines of the Aspire Global Summit which concluded a few days ago in Paris, Gattuso wondered what was the problem with holding the World Cup in Qatar. He stressed that FIFA can address the weather issue by holding the World Cup in winter during that year. The former AC Milan player said that Qataris showcased their ability in holding sporting events in previous years. He highlighted the Aspire Global Summit as a live example of the Qatari capabilities. On the media campaigns held against the Qatari World Cup bid, Gattuso said that some of the journalists were surprised due to the country's size and small population. He dismissed such viewpoints saying that Qatar stood out from all competing countries due to its strong investment in football, which reflected the state's keenness to promote the sport. On his dream to manage the Italian national team in World Cup 2022, Gattuso said that he entered the world of coaching two years ago and will need a lot of time to shape his management identity. (QNA)