The debate over the venue for the 2030 World Cup final continues, amid the ongoing competition between the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid and the future stadium (Hassan II) in Casablanca.
According to the British newspaper "The Times", FIFA president Gianni Infantino had offered Morocco the chance to host the final in return for support to help him remain in his post.
FIFA branded the information "false and misleading", yet the row over where the final will be played has escalated in recent weeks.
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Former Spain international goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares waded into the debate during his appearance on the programme "el partidazo de cope". He voiced his scepticism about the decisions taken inside football's offices, while warning of the repercussions of holding the final on Moroccan soil.
Cañizares began by stressing that he had no interest in the power struggles at the top of the game, saying: "The matters of neckties are not something I have much analysis of, because they bore me a great deal."
He would rather focus on what happens on the pitch, adding: "I am more inclined to watch what happens on the football field."
Decisions taken inside the offices, the former Spain goalkeeper believes, are often tied to personal interests and ambitions. He criticised "all those who wear neckties and do nothing but look at their own interests and ambitions", instead of putting the interest of football first.
Attack on Morocco
His most controversial words came when he turned to the possibility of holding the 2030 World Cup final in Morocco: "Morocco is a very bad opponent, isn't it? A very bad opponent."
He argued that "the geopolitical situation matters too", stressing the need to weigh it in a decision as big as choosing the venue for the World Cup final.
Relations between countries, he added, "have a major impact", a nod to the strained ties between Spain and Morocco.
The former Valencia and Real Madrid goalkeeper signed off with: "We are already seeing that Morocco, frankly, is not a country with which we enjoy a...", leaving the sentence hanging.