By Paul Nicholson
November 13 – While the inquiry into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process clears all the bidders of any wrongdoing that affected the outcome of the December 2012 vote, it is likely that there will be individual casualties as a result of the investigation.
The very last paragraph in the summary statement by Hans Joachim Eckert, chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, on the report into the 2018/22 bidding inquiry, says that it is “prepared to examine specific cases if the Investigatory Chamber opens Ethics proceedings against officials based on information obtained during the FIFA World Cup investigation.”
The Investigatory Chamber is the body, led by chief investigator Michael Garcia, that conducted the inquiry just completed into the 2018/22 World Cup bidding process.
In the detail on the Australian, English, Korean and Qatari bids, unnamed individuals are identified of potentially problematic conduct. While not regarded as affecting the voting outcome, Eckert’s statement says: “The Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee trusts that the Investigatory Chamber will take appropriate steps if it deems such measures appropriate and feasible.”
With the investigation into the bid process now complete, some football officials look certain to face further investigation, and probable sanctions.
The summary concludes with a set of recommendations that include:
– maximum of two four-year terms for executive committee members
– members recused from participation in venue-selection votes where they share a nationality with the bidding nation
– a more open and transparent rotation for Confederations regarding hosting World Cups
– strict limits on executive committee members’ travel to bidding nations
– incorporation of independent experts and an objective criteria into the process of evaluating and selecting venues
– enhanced reporting criteria concerning gifts
– naming of any outside consultants working on the bid to FIFA
– greater detail and disclosure of arrangements of any friendly matches played by bidding nations
FIFA has already said that in future only one World Cup will be bid for at a time, and that future votes will be made by Congress after an initial selection of three bidders to go forward by the executive committee.
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