By Andrew Warshaw
November 26 – Prime Minister David Cameron today stepped into the row over the forthcoming BBC Panorama programme that threatens to heap embarrassment on FIFA three days before the 2018 World Cup vote is taken.
England 2018 bid chiefs fear the programme will cause a backlash among the 22 FIFA Executive Committee members who will vote on the World Cup hosts and Cameron, who will spend three days in Zurich next week trying to win over FIFA, said he had already spoken to some of them about the issue.
In an interview with the BBC’s Football Focus programme to be shown tomorrow, Cameron said: “Is it frustrating that Panorama’s doing this programme a few days before?
“Of course it is.”
“But it’s a free country and you have to roll with that.
“I think FIFA will understand that and I think we also have to try and convince them that, yes we’ve got a robust and independent media, but our media love football and when it comes to the World Cup in terms of audience, in terms of the press coverage around the world, actually the media will give it a fantastic boost here in this country.”
The Panorama broadcast, already described as “unpatriotic” by bid leaders, is expected to re-open the debate over alleged vote-trading corruption started by the recent Sunday Times expose that led to two FIFA Executive Comittee members being suspended.
Cameron said he and others would try to focus FIFA members’ minds on the technical merits of England’s campaign.
“I think the job that Andy Anson and others and myself are going to have in Zurich is to say to FIFA, let’s look at the bids on their merits, look at the technical aspects, look at the stadia, look at the fans, look at the country, look at what England can offer and yes of course we have a free media, a democracy, but look at the upsides and the advantages and we just have to make that case.”
One of the targets of Panorama’s investigation is FIFA’s long-serving vice-president Jack Warner.
Earlier this week Warner, whose vote England badly need, said that Panorama appeared to be deliberately undermining England’s bid and has now renewed his attack on the programme.
He told Trinidad newspaper Newsday: “I think they [Panorama] have a death-wish for the English FA and I hope that they fail because it isn’t too correct what they’re trying to do.”
The importance of Warner to England’s chances explains why Cameron has invited him to lunch in Zurich next week, most likely on Tuesday just hours after Panorama has been screened.
Warner said he and his two CONCACAF colleagues had not yet decided who to vote for.
“I know that, in some ways, our votes are key to what’s happening,” he said.
“On Monday, I’ll meet my team and then we shall decide.”
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