Sunday Times and Panorama sunk England 2018 World Cup bid says FIFA Executive Committee member

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

December 7 – Some FIFA Executive Committee members believed that the accusations of corruption levelled at them by the Sunday Times·were motivated by racism, Japan’s World Cup bid leader·Junji Ogura claimed today.

Ogura, a member of the the FIFA Executive Committee, claimed that taking legal action against the newspaper was considered after Nigeria’s·Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti were suspended for three years and a year respectively following the undercover investigation by the newspaper.

“The African members of the Executive Committee were furious over the Sunday Times report,” said Ogura, the President of the Japanese Football Association.

“They even suggested suing the paper at the Executive Committee meeting.

“The people being accused were from Africa and Oceania, not Europe or Asia, and some felt racism was behind it.

“I read the story, but the truth is, I don’t really know what went on

“Temarii, Adamu, they weren’t out for personal gain but for the benefit of their associations.

“Temarii said he will appeal, which hopefully will shed the light on everything.

“They were set up, and it’s hard for us to understand what really happened.

“We received letters from both members protesting their innocence and hopefully their appeals will uncover the truth.

“If the reports are true, then that would be sad.

“But until they can present the evidence, then it’s hard for any of us to definitively say anything.

“But what I can say is that the reports definitely had an impact on the England bid.

“There’s no mistake about that.”

Ogura, who reportedly was one of only two FIFA Executive Committee members to vote for England’s, also hit out at the timing of the Panorama programme on BBC that alleged·three Executive Committee members were involved in taking bribes from ISL, the sports marketing firm that represented FIFA before it collapsed in 2001.·

Paraguay’s Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira of Brazil and Issa Hayatou of Cameroon were all implicated in the programme broadcast four days before the vote in Zurich.

“I have a hard time understanding why a network as prestigious as the BBC would go with a story like that at that particular time,” said Ogura.

“The money mentioned in it is massive, and I can’t figure out why they would dig up a case that’s already been resolved in court.”

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