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August 4 – Leading Belgium politicians have joined their colleagues in the Netherlands and and raised doubts about their country’s joint campaign to host the 2018 World Cup less than a week before a team of FIFA inspectors are due to arrive to evaluate their bid.
The leader of the LDD party and a top socialist politician have both questioned whether FIFA should be granted tax-free status during the World Cup and be allowed to impose marketing rules around stadiums.
The Belgium-Netherlands bid team says organising the World Cup will boost the credibility and produce a profit for each nation.
Both Belgium and the Netherlands have caretaker Governments at the moment that have previously backed the World Cup bid.
It is unclear what the position of the new Governments will be.
Some critics are unhappy with the all-powerful position of FIFA in staging the World Cup and its ability to make demands on organisers to accommodate the biggest single-sport event in the world.
“FIFA rules over the world and seems to have in every country privileges that are denied to others,” said senator Bert Anciaux of the SP.A socialist party.
He said it should be unthinkable during the current economic crisis to give world football’s governing body tax privileges.
Anciaux was joined by the LDD leader Jean-Marie De Decker in criticising any possible taxation leeway.
And he insisted that any Government backing of the World Cup go through Parliament first.
“If you want to organise such a large project, you have to create sufficient clarity around,” said Bruno Tobback, from the SP.A.
“I wonder what the legal basis of the promises that the Government has made to FIFA.”
As reported on insideworldfootball last month, MPs in the Dutch Lower House had already raised doubts over the amount of powers FIFA would have if they are awarded the World Cup.
The matter will be near the top of the agenda when FIFA’s inspection team, led by Chilean Football Federation President Harold Mayne-Nicholls, arrive to look at the bid on Monday (August 9).
Nine candidates are seeking to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022.
Beyond Belgium and the Netherlands, Europe also has bids from Spain-Portugal, Russia and England.
FIFA, which earns 95 per cent of its income from the World Cup, collected at least $3.2 billion (£2 billion) in television, marketing, licensing and hospitality deals from the 2007-10 South Africa World Cup cycle.
The exact figures and profit will be revealed next March in the 2010 financial report
It has budgeted for $3.8 billion (£2.3 billion) for the 2011-2014 World Cup cycle, when the finals are due to take place in Brazil.
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July 2010: Dutch MPs fear FIFA regulations if they host 2018 World Cup