Former CSKA head coach Valery Gazzaev criticized the preparation of the Qatar team for the home World Cup, citing the Russian team at the 2018 World Cup as an example.

The Qataris lost two matches of the group stage of the 2022 World Cup – against Ecuador (0:2) and Senegal (1:3) – and lost their chances of reaching the playoffs of the tournament.

– The Qatar national team needed to be better prepared, the team is not weak. They are the hosts of the World Cup, they had to prepare, as our team did in 2018. Therefore, I believe that all these conversations are superfluous.

I think Qatar is the weakest team in the tournament. Nothing but effort. We played as much as possible. They lost in all respects: in terms of functional readiness, tactical flexibility, and technical equipment. The fans tried to support the owners, but this is not enough, ”Gazzaev told Sport Day after Day.

In his opinion, holding the World Cup in Qatar cannot be considered a wrong decision.

– It is always necessary to develop football. It is necessary to develop it not only in Europe and North America. We need to promote it to the Arab countries and the Middle East.

I believe that Qatar has done everything possible to host the tournament. We see excellent stadiums and organization at the highest level. Yes, the team did not leave the group. But this does not mean that the championship had to be stopped. Nobody is immune from this. This is sport, this is football. Here, no one will concede anything to anyone, ”Gazzaev emphasized.

The Saudi Arabia national team in their first match at the World Cup sensationally beat the Argentines – 2: 1.

– In the first round of the World Cup, I would single out three teams: Brazil, France and Saudi Arabia. She played very modern football. All the time I tried to cover the opponent on someone else’s half of the field. Very dense play in the lines: no gaps. Look at how they acted in creating an artificial offside position: the Argentines ended up in it 7-8 times. This means that everything has been worked out. Look with what passion they played,” said Gazzaev.

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