The FIFA ineptitude and corruption thread

BBC wrote:Fifa: Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar ends presidential bid

Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar says he has pulled out of the race to head football's world governing body, Fifa.

The move came hours before the 62-year-old Asian Football Confederation chief was due to face an ethics committee hearing into bribery claims.

He said he did not want to see Fifa's name "dragged more in the mud".

Mr Bin Hammam had been due to stand against incumbent Fifa chief Sepp Blatter, who is also facing the inquiry. Both deny corruption claims.

Mr Bin Hammam stressed his withdrawal must not "be tied to the investigation held by the Fifa ethics committee", pledging that he would appear before the panel to clear his name.

His decision not to run means that Mr Blatter is the only remaining candidate in the election of the new Fifa president, scheduled for Wednesday.

'Great price'
The bribery allegations against Mr Bin Hammam stem from a report by Fifa executive committee member Chuck Blazer.

He alleges that the Qatari and Fifa Vice-President Jack Warner jointly organised a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) earlier in May. The meeting was "linked to the upcoming Fifa presidential election", the organisation said in a statement earlier this week.

CFU members are reported to have told Fifa they were offered sums of cash for "development projects" at the meeting.

In a statement announcing his intention to withdraw from the presidential race, Mr Bin Hammam said he "was and remains committed to change within Fifa" in order to "further the cause of democracy" within the organisation.

But he added that "recent events have left me hurt and disappointed - on a professional and personal level".

"It saddens me that standing up for the causes that I believed in has come at a great price - the degradation of Fifa's reputation. This is not what I had in mind for Fifa and this is unacceptable.


"I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals. The game itself and the people who love it around the world must come first."

The Fifa's ethics committee hearing is due to start in Zurich, Switzerland, later on Sunday.

A news conference has been scheduled for 1600 GMT, where the hearing's outcome could be announced.

Both Mr Bin Hammam and Mr Warner are facing allegations from Chuck Blazer that they offered bribes at the meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) on 10 and 11 May.

A file of evidence claims bundles of cash of up to $40,000 (£24,200) were handed over to members of the CFU at the meeting in Trinidad.

Both Mr Bin Hammam and Mr Warner deny the allegations.

In turn, Mr Bin Hammam has effectively claimed that Mr Blatter - who is bidding for a fourth term in office - failed to report the payment of alleged bribes, in itself a breach of Fifa's ethics code.

Mr Blatter, 75, denies any wrongdoing. In a statement on Friday, he said: "I cannot comment on the proceedings that have been opened against me today. The facts will speak for themselves."

The latest twist in the bitter fight for Fifa presidency follows weeks of damaging headlines and allegations in the wake of the vote for the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The former was awarded to Russia and the latter to Qatar.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13587449

TheCrazy58 wrote:Bin Hamamm must finished but I suspect Warner probably knows where the bodies are buried and Blatter may deal with him more carefully.

What a farce. How many terms are FIFA presidents allowed to serve?

BBC wrote:Fifa suspends Bin Hammam & Warner after ethics hearing

David Bond reports from Zurich
Fifa has provisionally suspended executive committee members Mohamed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner after a meeting of its ethics committee on Sunday.

Football's governing body will now open a full investigation into allegations that financial incentives were offered to members of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester have also been suspended.

But Fifa president Sepp Blatter was found to have no case to answer.

Petrus Damaseb, deputy chairman of the ethics committee, said of Bin Hammam and Warner: "We are satisfied that there is a case to be answered."

However, Fifa insists that they are innocent until proven guilty.

If found guilty, they could be expelled from the organisation and banned from all football activity.

Bin Hammam was the only candidate due to oppose Blatter in the forthcoming election for the Fifa presidency but he withdrew in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke confirmed that Wednesday's election would go ahead unless three-quarters of the 208 delegates voted to change the agenda.

It leaves Blatter clear to seek a fourth term in charge of the organisation, which he has run since 1998, unopposed.

"I am not Fifa, I can't change the agenda," Valcke said. "It is up to the delegates - they have the final say."

"I don't see what is wrong with this election with Mr Sepp Blatter.

"I think the most important thing is a commitment from all the members of the Fifa ExCo with the president to support a change within Fifa and in his last mandate make sure that Fifa is stronger and cleaner than it was.

"Maybe we can have the top guys around the world come to put things in place to stop these things from happening again."

The Qatari and his colleague, Fifa vice-president Warner, were forced to answer charges of bribery over allegations from executive committee member Chuck Blazer in Zurich on Sunday.

It was alleged that they offered bribes at a meeting of the CFU on 10 and 11 May.

A file of evidence claimed bundles of cash of up to $40,000 (£24,200) were handed over to members of the CFU at the meeting in Trinidad.

The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for Bin Hammam in his campaign to challenge Blatter for the presidency.

In turn, Bin Hammam effectively claimed Blatter was aware of some wrongdoing but did not report it, in itself a breach of Fifa's ethics code.

But Damaseb said the committee took the view that the obligation to report did not arise because at that stage no wrongdoing had occurred.

After the meeting, Blatter said in a statement: "The Fifa ethics committee has reached its decisions.

"I do not wish to comment in detail. But simply to say that I regret what has happened in the last few days and weeks.

"Fifa's image has suffered a great deal as a result, much to the disappointment of Fifa itself and all football fans."

Warner said he was shocked and surprised by the decision to provisionally suspend him.

"I will vigorously defend my reputation as well as the reputation of the rest of the Caribbean members," he said in a lengthy statement.

Bin Hammam also expressed his unhappiness with the verdict.

"I'm very disappointed about the way the status of the proceeding has been presented at the media conference," he said. "This is not how I understand fair play. I'm reserving all my rights."

Asked if this was the lowest point in Fifa's 107-year history, Valcke replied: "The reputation of Fifa? Maybe it's not at the highest, that's clear. It's sad.

"Definitely, there is a need for change. I'm not the Fifa president so he is the one who must decide what he wants to do and Fifa must make the necessary changes so that the institution has systems in place to avoid something like this happening again.

"This is the pattern of the work which we have to do very quickly in the next few months."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13590264.stm

COTR wrote:This is heating up nicely into a real shitstorm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13592684.stm

Surely it isn't beyond question that another vote takes place if these sorts of allegations are backed by the evidence that supposedly exists. Let's face it, how the hell else were Qatar ever going to get a World Cup.

Murray wrote:I'll eat my hat if the 2022 World Cup is actually played in Qatar

Pinky und der Brain wrote:FIFA has been corrupt for decades, but it is only when an Arab country takes advantage of this corruption that anyone sits up and takes notice...

BBC wrote:Football Association wants Fifa to delay election

The Football Association wants Fifa to postpone its presidential election scheduled for Wednesday 1 June.

Current Fifa president Sepp Blatter is the only candidate in the running after the withdrawal of Mohamed Bin Hammam.

The FA recently chose to abstain from voting following allegations of corruption against world football's governing body.

It now wants the vote delayed and an independent body to recommend "improved governance" of Fifa.

FA chairman David Bernstein said in a statement: "On 19 May, 2011 the Football Association announced it would be abstaining in the forthcoming election for the Fifa presidency.

"There were two main reasons for this decision. First, a concern, that a series of allegations relating to Fifa ExCo Members made it difficult to support either candidate.

"Events of the last few days have reinforced our views, and we call on Fifa and ask other national associations to support us with two initiatives.

"First, to postpone the election and give credibility to this process, so any alternative reforming candidate could have the opportunity to stand for president.

"Secondly, to appoint a genuinely independent external party to make recommendations regarding improved governance and compliance procedures and structures throughout the Fifa decision-making processes for consideration by the full membership.

"This has been a very damaging time for the reputation of Fifa and therefore the whole of football.

"To improve confidence in the way the game is governed at the very top, we believe these requests would be a positive step forward and the minimum that should take place."

Whether the FA will receive the support of their counterparts remains to be seen but Blatter, speaking defiantly at a news conference on Monday, seemed set on making sure the presidential election went ahead unless three quarters of Fifa's congress of 208 voted otherwise.

Blatter, 75, is vying to be re-elected for a fourth term and, despite insisting Fifa was not in crisis, the FA's latest move comes amid world football's governing body being undermined by a series of corruption allegations.

Following question marks being raised over the legitimacy of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process, the Fifa presidential election race has been tarnished by further claims of wrongdoings.

Bin Hammam, president of the Asian Football Federation (AFC), and Fifa vice-president Jack Warner have been provisionally suspended by Fifa's ethics committee over allegations that financial incentives were offered to Caribbean Football Union members.

Blatter was also investigated following a charge against him by Bin Hammam, although Fifa's ethics committee did not find their president had a case to answer.

Bin Hammam has appealed his ban, while Warner revealed an e-mail in which Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke suggested Bin Hammam "bought" the 2022 World Cup, which will be held in Qatar.

Valcke responded by saying his remarks were taken out of context before the latest twist to the turmoil surrounding Fifa resulted in major sponsors Coca-Cola, Adidas and Emirates expressing their concern at the damage being done to Fifa by the alleged claims of corruption.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13599008.stm

Pinky und der Brain wrote:FIFA has been corrupt for decades, but it is only when an Arab country takes advantage of this corruption that anyone sits up and takes notice...

COTR wrote:Just to point out a minor flaw there Puro

England weren't up against Qatar

BBC wrote:German Federation asks Fifa for inquiry into Qatar 2022

The president of the German Football Federation Theo Zwanziger has called upon Fifa to re-examine the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Zwanziger, who is running for a place on Fifa's executive committee, said: "There is a considerable degree of suspicion that one cannot sweep aside.

"I must expect that awarding this World Cup under these conditions needs to be examined anew."

Qatar defeated bids from South Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States.

The Gulf state was accused in May by British MPs - with evidence submitted by the Sunday Times newspaper- of paying bribes in return for votes.

Qatar 2022 officials described the allegations as "distressing, insulting and incomprehensible" and attacked the source of the evidence.

But Zwanziger added: "I first would like to comment on how that should be done when I know more about the facts. I'm an outsider and was not a member of the executive.

"If Fifa behaves the way people expect, that is by clearly taking action against this cancerous tumour of bribery, then there is no need for these concerns.

"None of us could have imagined such a scandal. There is no end to the suspicions falling on members of the Fifa executive.

"The task now is to shed light in a determined fashion, punish the guilty and develop mechanisms that prevent something like this from ever happening again."

Sepp Blatter is expected to be re-elected as president of Fifa on Wednesday, with the 75-year-old the only candidate as his rival Mohammed Bin Hammam is suspended over allegations that financial incentives were offered to Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members.

The English and Scottish Football Associations called for the election to be postponed, but the other associations rejected that bid, with Zwanziger saying it would leave the body without a leader to take charge and get to the bottom of the allegations.

Zwanziger did say he was pushing for a secret ballot, though, so any critics could submit a protest vote without fear of any reprisals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13613314.stm

BBC wrote:Chuck Blazer 'survives sacking attempt', says Concacaf

Lisle Austin, the acting president of Concacaf, had sent Blazer a letter saying he was "terminated as general secretary with immediate effect".

But Concacaf's executive committee has said the sacking was "unauthorised".

Concacaf is the continental governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

In a statement issued in New York, Concacaf said Austin does not have the authority to fire Blazer, the whistleblower who sparked the Fifa corruption row.

"Today, an unauthorised declaration was made by Lisle Austin attempting to remove Chuck Blazer as general secretary of Concacaf," the statement said.

"This attempted action was taken without any authority. Under the Concacaf statutes, jurisdiction over the general secretary rests solely with the executive committee which has taken no action.

"Chuck Blazer continues as Concacaf general secretary and with the full authority of his office."

Blazer, an American who is also a member of Fifa's executive committee, accused fellow executives Jack Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam of bribery last Thursday.

The pair were temporarily suspended, a move that effectively ended Bin Hammam's bid to challenge Blatter for the Fifa presidency.

Blazer subsequently reported Warner for breaching the terms of his suspension by urging Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members to vote for incumbent Sepp Blatter in Wednesday's Fifa presidential elections.

"We have clear evidence of a violation of his suspension and we have reported that to the Fifa secretary general," said Blazer of Warner's actions.

"He has also been meeting with Concacaf members, which is against the rules of the suspension."

Austin, who is standing in for the suspended Warner, said Blazer's conduct was "inexcusable and a gross misconduct of duty and judgment". He also said that the American was no longer fit to hold the post.

Blazer originally accused Warner and Bin Hammam of offering financial incentives to CFU members, which led to the pair being banned.

The payments were allegedly made to secure votes for Bin Hammam in his campaign to challenge Blatter for the presidency.

Bin Hammam pulled out of the presidential race on 29 May but Fifa's ethics committee subsequently suspended both him and Warner, leaving Blatter to stand unopposed for the presidency.

Bin Hamman, a Qatari, is appealing against his suspension, claiming it was a deliberate plot to influence the outcome of the elections, while Warner said his ban was "the worst form of justice by any sporting organisation".

Warner also accused Blatter of making a gifts to Concacaf officials but is now backing the 75-year-old Swiss for the Fifa presidency.

In a letter, Warner asked CFU members to "desist from initiating any protest action at Wednesday's Fifa Congress".

He continued: "At our last meeting, we agreed as a union to support the incumbent Joseph Sepp Blatter in his quest to regain the presidency.

"I wish to assure you nothing has changed - our mandate was set then and despite it all we must fulfil it.

"The battles I have fought over the last week are my burdens to bear; my shoulders are broad and skin is insulated to the verbal attacks I am subjected to daily."

The English and Scottish football associations have both called for Fifa to postpone Wednesday's presidential election.

The English FA has already announced that it is abstaining from the voting in the Fifa presidency elections.

BBC wrote:Timeline of events surrounding Fifa corruption claims

In light of the bribery and corruption allegations currently surrounding Fifa, here is a timeline of how events have unfolded for football's governing body in the last eight months.

October 2010

The Sunday Times claims two members of Fifa's executive committee, Reynald Temarii of Tahiti and Amos Adamu of Nigeria, offered to sell their votes in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting contest to undercover reporters.

The duo are provisionally suspended by Fifa's ethics committee, pending further investigations. Four other officials, all former executive committee members, are also provisionally suspended.

November 2010

Temarii is banned for one year and fined 5,000 Swiss francs (£3,552) for breaching the ethics code. Adamu is banned for three years and fined 10,000 Swiss francs (£7,005) for breaching five articles of the ethics code, including one on bribery. The four others are all banned and fined.

The ethics committee decides allegations of vote-trading between Spain and Portugal, who are bidding for 2018, and Qatar, who are bidding for 2022, are unfounded.

Fifa dismisses allegations made by a BBC programme against three more executive committee members. The governing body stated that the matters had already been investigated by Swiss authorities and the case is closed.

December 2010

Russia is awarded the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 tournament is controversially awarded to Qatar despite Fifa's own technical report saying that high temperatures could pose a health risk to players, officials and spectators.

May 2011

A UK parliamentary inquiry into why England failed to secure the 2018 finals is told by member of parliament Damian Collins that there was evidence from the Sunday Times newspaper that Issa Hayatou of Cameroon and Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast were paid by Qatar.

At the same hearing, former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman accuses Fifa executive committee members Jack Warner, Ricardo Teixeira, Nicolas Leoz and Worawi Makudi of asking for favours in return for their votes. Fifa later says all four men have been cleared of the allegations in an independent report commissioned by the FA.

An ethics investigation is opened into confederation presidents Mohamed Bin Hammam of Asia, Blatter's only challenger in the Fifa presidential election on 1 June, and Jack Warner of Concacaf concerning a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union.

Blatter is also summoned to appear before the ethics committee hearing following a request from Bin Hammam because he may have been aware of the cash payments.

Bin Hammam withdraws his candidacy hours before the ethics committee hearing.

An ethics committee hearing clears Blatter but provisionally suspends Bin Hammam and Warner pending a further inquiry into claims they paid Caribbean delegates $40,000 (£24,250) each to vote for Bin Hammam in the election.

Fifa confirms that the 1 June election will go ahead with Blatter as the only candidate.

A leaked email from Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke claims Qatar had "bought" hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup. Qatar denies the claims and Valcke says his comments were misconstrued.

Blatter denies Fifa is in crisis and tells a news conference there was no case to answer against four Fifa executive committee members accused of corruption during a British parliamentary hearing. He also says there had been no evidence from the Sunday Times over allegations that Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma had been paid to vote for Qatar's World Cup bid.

The FA announces it will abstain from voting in the elections and, along with anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, urges Fifa to postpone the presidential election because of a deepening corruption scandal.

Sponsors associated with Fifa, including Coca-Cola, Adidas, Emirates and Visa, express their concern at the damage allegations of corruption are causing world football's governing body.

Blatter warns of the dangers facing Fifa at the 61st Fifa Congress and says he will outline his plan to tackle the 'threat' when he opens the Congress agenda on 1 June.

June 2011

Concacaf general secretary Chuck Blazer, who made bribery allegations against Fifa, appears to have survived an attempt to sack him. Lisle Austin, the acting president of Concacaf, had sent Blazer a letter saying he was "terminated as general secretary with immediate effect." But Concacaf's executive committe has said the sacking was "unauthorised".

German football federation president Theo Zwanziger called for Fifa to re-examine the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Suspended Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam was denied entry to the Fifa congress after being unable to file his appeal.

A proposal by the English and Scottish Football Associations that the presidential vote should be delayed is defeated by 172 votes to 17, leaving Blatter as the only candidate standing and his appointment to a fourth term in office as a mere formality.

Addressing Fifa congress delegates, Blatter announces that in future, the location for World Cups will be decided by a congress vote, from a shortlist of candidates drawn up by the Executive Committee, but without any guidance or preference.

"I would like to show I am the one who is able to take on my the responibility football lays on my shoudlers and that you lay on my shoulders," said Blatter.

"I am ready and I can do it because I want to get the ship out of troubled waters and once again in a safe harbour so we can yet again build this pyramid whose base is national associations."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13601803.stm

Hlebagone wrote:I imagine because Blatter has a lot of dirt on lots of the presidents of various FAs. Imagine the German FA and the FA are less in the thralls of Blatter, but i'm sure lots of the Presidents of developing countries FAs would be taken down, if Blatter was.