Select Committee calls for FIFA to reform bidding processes

By David Gold

July 4 – A report by Britain’s Culture, Media and Sport select Committee into England’s failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup has attacked FIFA and renewed calls for world football’s governing body to review its bidding process, as well as the decision to drop an investigation into former CONCACAF power broker Jack Warner.

Warner last month resigned from the organisation after having been suspended for alleged bribery of FIFA delegates ahead of the Presidential election in favour of Qatari candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.

The Committee also calls on FIFA to publish the results of their Ethics Committee’s report into Warner’s alleged involvement in the affair.

“We urge FIFA to conduct a thorough review of its governance of bidding processes, incorporating independent input,” said the report.

Criticising the current FIFA President, the committee said that “the record of Sepp Blatter does not inspire confidence that this will occur.”

Another angle of attack came from FIFA’s failure to hold an investigation into the claims from the Sunday Times that three members of the FIFA Executive Committee – one of whom was suspended at the time – had been bribed by a third party to vote for Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

“On the eve of our evidence session, we received a written submission from the Sunday Times which included allegations that Qatar, the winning bid for the 2022 World Cup, had bought the votes of three FIFA Executive Committee members.

“FIFA had not launched a proper investigation, despite having had these allegations brought to its attention.

“FIFA has given every impression of wishing to sweep all allegations of misconduct under the carpet and of dismissing anyone bringing allegations to them with an approach bordering on contempt.”

Criticism was also levelled at former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman, who led the English campaign team until being forced to quit both posts after being recorded making accusations about the rival Spanish and Russian bids, for failing to raise the issue of corruption in FIFA when it arose during the 2018 bid campaign.

“It is frustrating and disappointing that Lord Triesman did not see fit to raise his allegations of corruption against four members of FIFA’s Executive Committee with FIFA when he first became aware of them,” the report.

“We welcome the undertaking he gave us that he would now raise his allegations with FIFA so that it could conduct an investigation.”

Since the allegations, an investigation by British lawyer James Dingemans into Triesman’s accusations avoided casting judgement and instead called on FIFA to conduct their own inquiry.

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