[FIFA] Fallout from the release of the 42-page report by FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert (PDF) into how the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids were conducted wasswift. Within hours, Michael Garcia, the former Federal prosecutor who served as the FIFA investigator, slammed the report, saying it was a “materiallyincomplete and erroneous” interpretation of his […]
world cup 2022
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Sepp and the gang that can't shoot straight
By Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) Not a day goes by, it seems, without some more craziness from FIFAland. On Monday, the German magazine Spiegel reported that at dinner with Norwegian soccer federationofficials in October, Sepp Blatter had ripped into the Qatari World Cup organizers, saying Arabs were “arrogant” and they thought they “could buy anything withtheir […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Report: FBI Could Bring Charges Against FIFA
The FBI is reportedly ramping up its investigation into potential corruption in the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, and according to CNN, the investigation, which has been goingon for three years, could trigger charges being brought against senior FIFA officials. While FIFA on Thursday released a 42-page summary of the report […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Qatar and Russia cleared in bid investigation
[FIFA] The 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be headed to Russia and Qatar after all. A FIFA ethics judge ruled out corruption on the part of the bidding committeesrepresenting Russia and Qatar, saying violations were “of very limited scope” and the bidding process was not generally compromised. In a twist to the report released […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Reports: USSF Wants Guardiola for 2022
Football Espana cites an MLSSoccer.com report claiming that the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) wants Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola to take the men’s national team to the 2022 WorldCup in Qatar. Apparently, President Sunil Gulati & Co. see the former Barcelona coach as the ideal man to replace Jurgen Klinsmann, whose contract as head coach […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Olympics Official: Winter Games Won't Move for 2022 World Cup
A senior Olympics official thinks the Qatar 2022 World Cup should have to fit around the Winter Olympic Games, and not the other way around, pouring cold water on the idea that the Winter Olympicsthat year, which will be in either Beijing or the Kazakh capital Almaty, might shift its dates to accommodate a winter […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Emirates Drops FIFA Sponsorship
Dubai-based airline Emirates on Tuesday announced that it will not be renewing its World Cup sponsorship with FIFA for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Emirates was FIFA’s official airlinepartner for the past three World Cups. “This decision was made following an evaluation of FIFA’s contract proposal which did not meet Emirates’ expectations,” the airline said […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
FIFA: World Cup Corruption Report Cannot Be Published in Full
The German judge overseeing FIFA’s investigation into the controversial bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups says the report cannot be published in full for legal reasons, thoughhe promised an overview of the main findings by the middle of November. Hans-Joachim Eckert, chair of the adjudicatory arm of FIFA’s ethics committee, received the […]
Posted inSection 2 Around the Net, Story
Platini: Corruption Would Mean New 2022 Vote
Michel Platini on Wednesday backed a new vote on the 2022 World Cup if It ever emerged that corruption influenced FIFA’s awarding of the tournament to Qatar. Platini, the UEFA President andFIFA Vice President who openly admits to voting for Qatar in 2010, again reiterated his innocence: “As for Qatar 2022, I wasn’t influenced,” he […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
What They're Saying: Michel Platini
“[The perception of FIFA] is not good because there is a lot of problems with corruption. If the report of Mr. Garcia shows that Qatar’s bid was corrupt, we have to come back to the rotation, and haveanother rotation.” — UEFA president Michel Platini in his Fox Sports 1 interview with Rob Stone on FIFA […]