Exclusive: Ethics member warns FIFA "in big trouble" over "lunacy" of Qatar decision

By Andrew Warshaw

December 7 – A member of FIFA’s own Ethics Committee has sensationally questioned Qatar being awarded the 2022 World Cup as suspicions continue to plague the tiny Middle East state’s credentials.

Speaking in his native Australia, Les Murray fuelled growing collusion claims against Qatar by saying FIFA was “in big trouble” for voting for the “lunacy” of the oil and gas-rich nation.

Being from a fellow bidding nation, Murray is understood to have been excluded from last month’s Ethics Committee hearing at which collusion claims between Spain-Portugal and Qatar were dismissed through lack of evidence.

At the same hearing, the Committee suspended two voting members of the FIFA Executive Committee for their roles in the alleged corruption scandal flagged up by the Sunday Times, reducing last week’s vote to 22 members.

Speaking on SBS radio, Murray, who made a point of saying he was not speaking for the Ethics Committee, nevertheless warned a global backlash against Qatar was now inevitable.

“As a private individual I’m convinced there was collusion,” he said.

“That Qatar should hold the World Cup is a notion that borders on the ludicrous.

“If you are going to take the World Cup to new lands, why not take it to Australia?”

“FIFA is in big trouble.

“Nobody will believe that Qatar won this process legitimately – people will probe away asking questions.”

Although a ruling was made two weeks before the vote to retain the controversial double ballot for 2018 and 2022, Murray (pictured above with microphone) revealed that several Executive Committee members wanted the latter ballot to be postponed for a year – but not enough of them could get the idea through.

Some even wanted Qatar dismissed altogether.

“Rather than have Qatar get up, people on the ExCo wanted to move to postpone,” Murray said.

“People on the ExCo were fearing that Qatar’s…got the numbers.

“The Australian camp were really worried at that point.

“There was another motion being contemplated.

“That would have dismissed Qatar altogether purely on the basis of the lunacy of their bid.”

Although the ethics committee is an independent judicial body, Murray’s remarks will heap further embarrassment on the whole bid process.

Commenting on Australia and, for 2018, England being knocked out in the first round with three votes between them, he said there was a concerted effort to get Russia and Qatar past the winning post.

“There were those within the Committee who were strategically orchestrating the victories of Russia and Qatar,” Murray said.

“They wanted England and Australia out in the first round because they were the biggest threats.

“Japan and Korea got votes in early rounds in order to make sure Australia did not have enough to go into second round.

“It’s astounding that 11 men and eventually 14 – reasonable men one would assume – would vote for the Qatar bid which was easily weakest of the lot across the two World Cups.”

Speaking about both the “unbearable” heat of Qatar and its human rights record, he continued: “The World Cup’s oxygen is the vibrancy the fans create.

“That’s what gives it life.

“This is a global event and there are minimums in what is acceptable cultural behaviour.”

Murray also questioned the effectiveness of the secrecy of the ballot in Zurich.

“We were told that only the team who polled the least would not take part in the next round.

“But they obviously knew more than that because one hour before the voting was due to be completed, Al Jazeera was reporting that Qatar had won and Russia had won.

“So you tell me.

“Six people shook hands with [Australian bid chief] Frank Lowy the day before the bid.

“Five of them double-crossed us.”

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