As Qatar "moves full speed ahead on construction of half a dozen World Cup stadiums," FIFA Head of Planning & Infrastructure Jürgen Müller cautioned a Doha audience against building "white elephant" facilities that will "sit empty once the tournament ends," according to Peter Kovessy of DOHA NEWS. Müller made the remarks at the annual World Stadium Congress. When it comes to World Cup stadiums, FIFA has its "own unique venue requirements." Müller’s message was that stadiums "should also take into account local needs." He said, "Don’t build stadiums that (will) not (be) filled by your leagues or your teams. FIFA would like to avoid, by all means, white elephants." While the FIFA exec’s remarks "were not directed at Qatar, they raise the question" of how the country’s World Cup stadiums will be used after '22. One strategy "is to attract other large-scale sporting events to Qatar." Qatar’s stadium plans also include "modular" designs so that "parts of the venues can be disassembled and scaled down after the World Cup." The upper tiers "are expected to be donated to developing countries that can then, in turn, build new football facilities" (DOHA NEWS, 5/17).
