Report to claim awarding of 2022 World Cup to Qatar was “completely illegitimate”

Ex-president of FIFA Sepp Blatter. (REUTERS)

LONDON: FIFA is set to come under yet more pressure to strip Qatar of the 2022 World Cup with a new sports watchdog set to publish a damning report that claims Qatar paid millions to members of FIFA’s executive committee just before the controversial vote in 2010.
The Foundation for Sports Integrity said Qatar’s awarding of the 2022 hosting rights was “completely illegitimate” in a new investigation that alleges that then-Argentine FIFA executive Julio Grondona received a payment of £3.6 million ($4.7 million) into his Swiss bank account just before the 2010 vote.
The report, the findings of which were published by The Sun newspaper, said: “The 2018/2022 bidding process was the most blatant example of FIFA’s corruption. We believe the 2010 decision cannot last.
“The bribes of Qatar were not only the most substantial, but also reached the largest number of FIFA executive committee members.
“Qatar’s victory was completely illegitimate.”
On top of other questionable deals, the Foundation also alleges that a £1.1bn deal between Qatar Airways and French firm Airbus Industries followed talks between the Emir of Qatar, then-French president Nicolas Sarkozy and former UEFA president Michael Platini in the weeks leading up to the vote. As well that it is alleged that Thailand’s FA president Worawi Makudi was involved in a multi-million pound deal that saw Qatar supply two million tons of liquefield natural gas to Makudi’s country.
All parties involved in the bid deny any wrongdoing, but FIFA will doubtless come under increased pressure to properly investigate the Qatar bid.
And with the 68th FIFA Congress set to be held on June 12 two days before the Russia World Cup kicks off, the pressure on the game’s governing body to reevaluate the controversial 2022 vote will likely only increase once the report is published in full on Thursday.