The legendary FC Barcelona coach, Josep Guardiola, will become an ambassador for the Qatar 2022 Bid, Qatar’s bid to host the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East.

Guardiola, whose team won the 2009 UEFA Champions League, spent two years playing for Qatar’s Al Ahli Club, and recently returned to the country after leading his team to the FIFA Club World Cup title in Abu Dhabi, the sixth trophy of an historic season.

“I am very pleased to be representing Qatar’s 2022 World Cup Bid,” Guardiola said.

“I believe this is a truly unique bid, and a wonderful opportunity to spread the magic and the benefits of the world’s favourite game across the globe.”

“Having played in Qatar myself between 2003 and 2005, and having grown to love the country and greatly appreciate Qatar’s football development and infrastructure investment, I believe the time is ripe for the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East,” Guardiola added.

“My experience in Qatar, as well as the outstanding organisation and football passion we witnessed in the UAE during the Clubs World Cup, makes me confident that Qatar and the Middle East can host a spectacular, passionate and unforgettable World Cup that embraces all the FIFA ideals.”

As a Bid ambassador, Guardiola will be attending events to voice his support for Qatar’s World Cup ambitions, as well as giving the leadership technical advice on staging the world’s biggest tournament.

He joins a high profile list of Bid ambassadors including the World Cup legends Gabriel Batistuta, Ronald De Boer, Roger Milla, Sami Al Jaber and Bora Milutinovic.

“More than any of his astonishing successes, though, we are delighted to have Josep on our team because of his continued commitment to youth development in football,” said Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi, Qatar’s Bid Committee CEO.

“As the coach of FC Barcelona, he has won every title with a team based on Barcelona youth academy players, a philosophy we are most familiar with from his time helping youth development here in Qatar,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service