Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Former France defender Mikaël Silvestre believes Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be a significant milestone in the process of the globalisation of football, of which he is both a staunch proponent and a beneficiary.
Silvestre – who was part of the France squad that reached the 2006 FIFA World Cup™final – first made his mark on the international stage in 1997 at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia, and wound up his decorated professional career in 2014 with a season-long stint in the inaugural edition of the Indian Super League.
During a visit this week to the offices of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the 39-year-old former Manchester United and Arsenal player also said the passion for football in the host nation of what will be the first ever FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East has impressed him during his regular visits as guest speaker and media pundit.
“The 2022 FIFA World Cup is very important for the globalisation of football, as an Arab country will be hosting it for the first time ever,” the five-time English Premier League winner said in an exclusive interview with www.sc.qa. “The entire Arab world will be making an important statement if Qatar delivers the best ever World Cup from an organisational point of view. I am happy to see that a lot of effort is going into the preparations to ensure the competition will be a success.”
The 2008 UEFA Champions League winner also reminisced about his international tournament bow in Malaysia, to underpin the strategic importance of awarding hosting rights of major tournaments to countries outside Europe.
“The tournament was a big success because of the huge passion for the game in Malaysia. A lot of future stars were born there. Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, David Trezeguet, William Gallas and Willy Sagnol were my teammates,” he said.
“Malaysia was the first big stage for all of us. We were at the threshold of turning professional – some of us had almost signed professional contracts. Argentina also had a gifted generation coming through the ranks.”
The man with 40 international caps and 361 appearances in a decorated nine-year career with Manchester United said Qatar, like Malaysia, is equally passionate about football.
“As a regular visitor to Qatar, I am amazed to witness the rich football culture in Doha concentrated in a compact geographical space,” said the Frenchman. “I have been here in 2013 as a speaker at the Doha Goals event and visit the country periodically as a media pundit for beIN’s live football broadcasts, and whenever I am here I admire the overwhelming passion for the sport.”
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/mikael-silvestre_1_scqa_jpg.html
