United Arab Emirates coach Bert van Marwijk
Doha: Dutchman Bert van Marwijk travelled to South Africa two years before the FIFA World Cup 2010 to ensure the Netherlands get the best facilities at the showpiece. As a manager, he successfully guided his team to the final there before his team lost to Spain in the title clash in extra time.
For Van Marwijk, a seasoned manager who coached various national and club sides, close proximity between places particularly the hotel and training facilitates are vital for teams in long tournaments like the World Cups.
The 69-year-old, who traveled to Qatar for the ongoing FIFA Arab Cup 2021 where he guided the United Arab Emirates to the quarter-finals, found conditions suited best for the teams in the Gulf state, which will host the FIFA World Cup next year.
“The distance from the hotel to the training pitches is important. For us [during the Arab Cup] it was good as I think it was a 20 minute [drive],” the UAE manager said when asked about Qatar’s World Cup preparations and facilities in the country.
“If you are in a tournament for four weeks like we were in South Africa [World Cup], and if you have to travel for 45 minutes and back 45 minutes, it becomes difficult. When I was a coach of Holland I went to Johannesburg two years before the World Cup in 2008 to find suitable training facility and hotel. I managed to do that because for me those things are very important,” he added.
The UAE coach also praised the training facilities provided by the organisers to all the competing teams during the Arab Cup.
“So far so good. The training pitches are fantastic and if you are at the World Cup every team gets another pitch but here the pitches are same for everybody. That’s new and I am sure that all the teams will like that,” said Van Marwijk, while replying to a query ahead of the quarter-final against Qatar, which his team lost 5-0.
The Dutchman, however, said he didn’t get much time to check the World Cup preparations in detail but was impressed with the stadiums where his team played their Arab Cup matches.
“As far as stadiums are concerned in which we played in Qatar, they are beautiful stadiums and their pitches are also everywhere the same. So the circumstances for football players are very good [in Qatar],” he said.
Qatar has used six of its eight FIFA World Cup 2022 venues - Al Bayt, Al Thumama, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City and Al Janoub stadiums during the FIFA Arab Cup, which is seen as a test event for the next year’s showpiece.
Qatar 2022 will be exceptional: Algerian coach Bougherra
Meanwhile, Algerian coach Madjid Bougherra also gave thumbs up to Qatar’s preparations for the World Cup.
“As a player, I played two World Cups and based on that experience I can say that I see exactly the same quality and preparedness which I saw before. Everything is perfect here,” the Algerian coach ahead of the semi-final against Qatar.
“The stadiums are beautiful the pitches as well. The training facilities are the best. I don’t have anything bad to say. I would like to congratulate Qatar for their efforts in preparations for the World Cup. I think the World Cup next year will be exceptional,” he added.
