THE BIDDING process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups remained mired in confusion and controversy last night after Fifa provisionally suspended two of the 24 members of its executive committee who will make the decision.
The president, Sepp Blatter, whose chances of re-election next spring could depend on his handling of the crisis, said it was “a sad day for football” and appealed to be allowed time to “bring back the credibility of Fifa”.
In the wake of the allegations in the Sunday Times that the Nigerian Amos Adamu and the Oceania representative Reynald Temarii had effectively agreed to sell their vote to undercover reporters, its ethics committee last night provisionally suspended both men from “all football-related activities”, but said it would take a month to come to a final decision.
That will leave the bidders for both tournaments, including England, in limbo over their strategy until a fortnight before the final vote on December 2nd.
Claudio Sulser, the ethics commission chairman, refused to say whether the two members would be replaced if they were suspended permanently.
Four Fifa officials who appeared in the undercover footage – Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi and Ismael Bhamjee – were also suspended on the same terms.
Sulser said the decision to provisionally suspend all six for 30 days, which can be extended by a further 20, did not imply guilt, but would allow the committee to complete a full investigation.
Following an extended meeting of the ethics committee Sulser and the general secretary, Jerome Valcke, were guarded, but the Fifa president was typically florid as he attempted to regain the initiative following a torrid week.
“It’s a sad day for football and a sad day for life,” said Blatter. “This is the bad side of football. But the good side of football is that we have immediately reacted.
“Our society is full of devils and these devils you find them in football, and we have to fight for fair play, we have to fight for respect and especially we have to fight that the people in charge of Fifa behave as they should do.”
Meanwhile, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) yesterday moved a step closer to the introduction of goalline technology. Companies with viable technology will be invited to present to the IFAB board by next month with trials planned before its next full meeting in March.
The board said the winning solution would apply only to goalline technology and would have to communicate an accurate decision to the officials within one second.
Guardian Service
