Japan sorry for Qatar World Cup 'misunderstanding'

So who will investigate the allegation of corruption & worker deaths? FIFA investigating itself? What a laugh. An independent legal group should investigate this throughtly and if Qatar is found quilty, they should be banned forever and kicked out of FIFA...and oh, those guilty FIFA officials should also be banned.

And yet again Japan's comments were 'misunderstood'. Sorry, but how is saying, "We are ready to step in" misunderstood? Better yet, what did you intend to say?

I don't understand why the Japanese are so keen and ambitious to host these international mega-events. Nagano 98 was an anti-climatic financial flop and World Cup 2002 was surrounded by paranoia over gaijin hooliganism, with platoons of riot police patrolling the streets.

I imagine it's all about vanity...and nothing else.

Daini, when asked what would happen if Qatar lost hosting rights,

What a loaded question.

"Mr. Biden, what would happen if President Bush is assassinated?" "I would take over his Presidency." Headline "Biden to take over presidency"

Jeff, all about wanting to appear to be "international". There was not misunderstanding. He said it, he meant it. Laughing at the corruption comments. Like Japan is any better.

And yes, last time it was ALL about the gaijin hooligans. After a "Japanese only" sign, you'd think Japan would get a clue that no one is really interested in them having anything to do with foreigners and soccer.

Sorry, I meant President Obama. It seems he is already disappearing from my memory.

CH3CHO: what on earth are you talking about? If the US President died the VP would take over -- that is why there is a VP. How does that relate to Japan 'taking over' -- oops, that was misinterpreted... Or mistranslated... I forget what the excuse was -- the WC? Is Japan VP and lawfully to inherit the presidency... err .... wC... If Qatar doesn't work out? What a moronic comparison!

Ditto that, smith ! (5/2/14, 3:02PM JST)

Over 500 Indian migrant workers have died in Qatar since January 2012, add to that 185 Nepalese workers that died in 2013, up to 4500 migrant workers will have perished before a single ball is kicked in 2022.

The European parliament in January passed a resolution calling for action, as the scale of the deaths and the publication of damning report from Amnesty international provided clear evidence that workers were be forced to work 14 hour days in sweltering conditions whilst living in squalid, overcrowded accommodation, passports were confiscated essentially they are modern day slaves.

What is truly shocking Fifa's own ethics committee admits that former vice-president Jack Warner was paid £720,000 five days after Qatar was awarded 2022 World Cup.

Both Mohammed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner have been accused in a FBI investigation, as the senior people within Fifa's organisation involved in making corrupt payments to influence the outcome the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Over the last 3 years half of the executive committee members have had to resign because of one allegation after another.

Japan Football Association (JFA) president Kuniya Daini, should be calling for FIFA to reopen the 2022 bidding process, and hold an independent and transparent inquiry into the previous bidding process and the future of the whole organisation of world football.

Another day, another fly off the handle story. The key word was 'IF' Qatar lost it. Let's face it, they only 'won' it in the first place thanks to a Qatar guy on the FIFA management, until he was exposed as a bung-taking fraudster after deciding to run for pres against the totally honest, above-board current president Sepp Blatter. There was talk of Britain stepping in to host the 2014 WC if Brazil couldn't sort out their problems, no-one took any issue with that, as they were prepared. I wouldn't be surprised if people like these are not aroused by the sincerity of Japanese apology.

We have the Olympics in 2020.

Would be quite the irony should Japan be found unfit to host the Olympics due to... (insert potential reason here)

Daini, when asked what would happen if Qatar lost hosting rights, said at the time: “If FIFA look for an alternative country, we already have the stadiums that would meet the criteria to host it.

Seems like a reasonable answer to the question.

HowardStern: "Seems like a reasonable answer to the question."

So then why the attempt to distance themselves from the comment and claim, as politicians always do here, that the comment was 'misinterpreted'? What did he mean to say?

Because I think they realised it is better to not piss off the West Asian powerbrokers of the AFC.

gotta stop using words

I don't know why he had to apologize. He didn't say anything wrong at all.