Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal said it was ridiculous that this year’s World Cup was being played in Qatar, accusing FIFA of taking the tournament to the Middle East emirate for money and commercial reasons.
Van Gaal said the world soccer governing body’s reasons for awarding the finals to Qatar were spurious.
“We will be playing in a country where FIFA say we are going to help develop football. That is bulls—,” he told a news conference on Monday.
The friendlies form part of the Dutch preparations for the finals after they qualified last November.
“The tournament in Qatar is about money and commercial interest. That is what matters to FIFA,” van Gaal said.
The 70-year-old said he is part of a commission within the Dutch FA (KNVB) which meets every month to evaluate the ongoing situation in Qatar with regards to human rights.
The KNVB has been among the few football associations to criticise human rights and working conditions in Qatar.
