A real kick in the balls -.-

We have just entered the month of December. People all over the world are preparing themselves for a well deserved vacation and holidays such as Christmas and Hanukkah. Here in Norway the weather have grown mean and cold. Little did I know, that I was about to feel even colder. A cold shower disguised as a seemingly innocent news article. Which delivered a revelation so devastating it shook the very foundation of the football world. Yes, it is football I am talking about. Furthermore, to fully understand why my reaction to a news article was so intense, you have to understand one simple fact. I love football.

What was the news article about? Russia and Qatar will host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022. This was made official at 5.pm (Norway), when Russia and Qatar received the majority of votes. This left huge football nations out in the cold, among them are England, Holland and Spain. These are countries where football is forged into the very soul of the country. Football IS their culture. You can see it in the streets before a match; they are filled with the team colors, flags attached to buildings and cars and people drinking and singing till dawn even when faced with defeat. This is something Qatar lacks, a country with 1.7 million inhabitants only known for its oil export. Russia has a little more football soul, but a 6 hour flight between stadiums is inconvenient for supporters. The process which chooses the nations to host the World Cup is simple. FIFA Executive Committee consists of 25 elected and appointed members who represent different nations. Each member has one vote and the country with the majority of votes hosts the World Cup for that year.

This is obviously a way for FIFA to increase the interest for football in Asia, by letting two countries with strong economy host the World Cup. The only thing to do is to enjoy the World Cup in 2014 located in Brazil to all it is worth. A chance to experience true love and passion for football before it is replaced with modern stadiums without soul. Stadiums in Qatar, built only for the World Cup without history but with air conditioning.