By Andrew Warshaw
July 9 – Match Hospitality, part of the Byrom group that is one of FIFA’s key partners, is standing by its British director arrested as part of the investigation by Brazilian authorities into the illegal sale of World Cup tickets.
Ray Whelan was detained earlier this week, allegedly in possession of eight World Cup tickets, and released later on bail on surrender of his passport.
Match previously said it had suspended tickets acquired by several companies including Reliance Industries Ltd, Jet Set Sports and Pamodzi Sports “pending further investigations” and had cancelled tickets acquired by another company, Atlanta Sportif Management. It said the four companies bought World Cup tickets valued at $2.7 million and had signed up to ‘strict’ terms and conditions of use and distribution.
If Reliance, Jet Set and Pamodzi and their customers did not cooperate with the police investigation, the semi-final and final tickets they bought would also be cancelled.
Last week, 11 people were arrested in a probe dubbed Operation Jules Rimet. Whelan was the twelth after, according to police claims, being heard in tapped phone calls negotiating with Algerian national Lamine Fofana – suspected of being the ringleader of the gang responsible.
But in a statement, Match said it was confident Whelan, who has returned to work, was innocent of any wrongdoing and that it had “complete faith that the facts will establish that he has not violated any laws.”
It added: “Match will continue to fully support all police investigations, which we firmly believe will fully exonerate Ray. In the meantime, Ray Whelan, as well as the rest of the Match personnel will continue to work on our operational areas of responsibility in order to deliver a successful 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.”
MATCH’s parent company Byrom have worked with FIFA for some 30 years and have rights until 2023 for World Cup travel, tickets, hospitality, IT and accommodation. Whelan, who Brazilian reports claim helped facilitate the scam according to police, is reported to be a brother-in-law of MATCH founders Jaime and Enrique Byrom.
Reselling tickets for profit is illegal in Brazil but Byrom have made it clear Whelan, a familiar face at recent World Cups, was involved in the accommodation side, not tickets or hospitality.
FIFA spokesperson Delia Fischer was grilled about Whelan’s arrest by reporters on Tuesday but declined to provide details until the investigation was complete. “We need all the proof,” Fischer said. “We want the matter solved quickly and investigated to its fullest extent.”
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