December 2 – UEFA President Michel Platini has vehemently denied a report that he was given a Picasso painting as an inducement to vote for Russia as 2018 World Cup hosts.
The Sunday Times published the allegation as part of its report into the existence of a database of serious claims linked to the joint 2018 and 2022 ballot and compiled by the failed English bid team that went head to head with Russia.
“I’d like to point out that the Sunday Times allegations are totally fictitious and the newspaper themselves admit that they don’t have any proof to support this ridiculous rumour,” Platini said in a statement.
“This affair is now in the hands of my legal advisers in case of any eventual defamation case.”
The claims regarding Platini were just part of a series of allegations made in the latest expose by the paper including Russian President Vladimir Putin enlisting FIFA President Sepp Blatter to help lobby for votes and Qatar using its influence in the natural gas industry to secure votes through bilateral trade deals.
Nasser al Khater, who runs communications for the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, told reporters that the finger-pointing towards his country was becoming repetitive.
“Our opinion is this report isn’t in relation to Qatar, as a lot of people make it sound,” he told reporters in Manila on the fringes of the 60th anniversary of the Asian Football Confederation. “I’m pretty sure people are feeling tired of this story already, I think there is reader fatigue in terms of this story. I think the same stuff is being regurgitated so many times people are questioning the motive now, not the story.”
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