the men s football world cup is a week or so away and normally at this stage, we would be entirely focused on the squads, the tactics, the soap opera of it all. not so much this time. on monday, the former head of fifa, sepp blatter, said holding the world cup in qatar is a mistake. the world cup, with 32 teams, is a big, big organisation which needs also a big country. qatar is too small to do that. also on tuesday, a qatari world cup ambassador described homosexuality as damage in the mind . qatar says everyone is welcome at the world cup at the furore has been growing this week and one question keeps coming up how did a country of 3 million people with summer temperatures above 45 degrees, where homosexuality is illegal, get the tournament? qatar has never qualified for a world cup, let alone hosted one, but that would change in 2010.
the world cup, with 32 teams, is a big, big organisation which needs also a big country. qatar is too small to do that. also on tuesday, a qatari world cup ambassador described homosexuality as damage in the mind . qatar says everyone is welcome at the world cup at the furore has been growing this week and one question keeps coming up how did a country of 3 million people with summer temperatures above a5 degrees, where homosexuality is illegal, get the tournament? qatar has never qualified for a world cup, let alone hosted one, but that would change in 2010. the winner to organise the 2022 fifa world cup is qatar! that decision was taken by fifa s executive committee and in 201a, one of those who voted,
it is a big, big organisation, it needs, also, a big country. qatar is too small to do that, i said to myself. i was right at a certain time to say we should not go there. we can get more on this now. we re joined now by ryan atkin, england s first openly gay professional football referee. good morning. good morning. can i aet our good morning. good morning. can i get your reflection good morning. good morning. can i get your reflection and good morning. good morning. can i get your reflection and reaction to those comments that we heard there? it is extremely damaging, and let s be honest, it is not an open invite to tell. we have seen comments from an acetate representing their organisation, in qatar, we know that i was actually that homosexuality is illegal. if you have got to stand up is illegal. if you have got to stand up and be counted because they are taking the world cup 201, it is happening and all of the media interest is not on the football which is such a shame but
the 2022 fifa world cup is qatar! it s been controversial from the start. there was widespread criticism 12 years ago when qatar was announced as the hosts. the then fifa resident sepp blatter has since been banned from football over a corruption scandal. speaking to the bbc for an upcoming 5live podcast, blatter admitted it had been a mistake, not because homosexuality is outlawed or their poor human rights record, but because of the size of the country. it s a big, big organisation which needs also a big country. qatar is too small to do that, i said to myself. i was right at a certain time to say it is. we should not go there. the danger to lgbt people has prompted england captain harry kane to join with wales captain gareth bale in announcing they will wear a one love armband for the tournament. it has prompted a wider debate
today at six: further controversy and concerns over qatar s strict laws as thousands of football fans prepare to travel to the world cup in less than a fortnight. it damages the mind the verdict on homosexuality from one of the tournament s ambassadors as the former fifa president says the world cup shouldn t have gone to qatar. the world cup, it s 32 teams. it s a big, big organisation. it needs also a big country. qatar is too small to do that. the gulf state has also been criticised for its human rights record and treatment of migrant workers. also on the programme: caring for loved ones with dementia the families struggling to cope amid a record number