Exclusive: New twist in FIFA World Cup corruption probe

By Andrew Warshaw

November 10 – The contents of an infamous hand-written note could hold the key to Spain-Portugal and Qatar being exonerated of any World Cup bidding collusion next week.

Insideworldfootball has learned that the Spanish and Qatari members of FIFA’s Executive Committee openly exchanged information at last month’s meeting in Zurich revealing they would be given the all-clear to persue their respective bids for the 2018 and 2022 tournament.

FIFA’ss Ethics Committee is due to rule on alleged collusion between the two bidding parties, reported to involve the trading of up to seven votes, on November 17.

Both contenders have flatly denied the allegations which have made worldwide headlines.

According to a Swiss newspaper, Spain’s FIFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar Llona (pictured) passed a slip of paper to his Qatari colleague, Mohamed Bin Hammam, during last week’s Executive Committee meeting telling him they would escape punishment.

Insideworldfootball has been told that the exact wording, in Spanish, was “Congratulations, Vamos a Ganar”.

Bin Hammam, who does not speak Spanish, had the message translated by the United States’ Chuck Blazer as “we are going to win.”

Suggestions that the message constituted collusion evidence or meant they were going to win the actual 2018 and 2022 votes on December 2 are wide of the mark.

Villar Llona was apparently referring to the Ethics Committee case itself, the inference being the two candidates would have no case to answer on November 17 since nobody had provided hard evidence.

Blazer confirmed to insideworldfootball that he had translated the note as a matter of course.

“Bin Hammam doesn’t speak Spanish and I was sitting next to him,” said Blazer.

Asked whether he was surprised by such behaviour, Blazer, whose country is bidding for 2022, replied: “Sure.

“I don’t think it was the time or place.

“I think Mohamed was slightly embarrassed.

“It’s the type of thing that shouldn’t have happened but nothing more than that.”

Yet the confident and seemingly smug wording of Villar Llona’s note, seen by other Executive Committee members, will only serve to inflame an already red-hot topic.

The Ethics Committee is a totally independent body and it is understood that Belgium’s Michel d’Hooghe, whose country is bidding jointly with Holland against Spain-Portugal for 2018, was highly displeased with Villar Llona’s action.

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