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Two FIFA Members Offer to Sell World Cup Vote to 'Americans'0
10/16/2010 8:00 PM ET By Brian Straus
Brian Straus
Senior Soccer Writer
This just in: FIFA is probably corrupt.
British journalists working for The Times and posing as Americans claim to have caught two FIFA executive committee members -- Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti -- offering to sell their World Cup votes. The men sit on the 24-member panel that will determine the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments on Dec. 2.
The reporters staged their sting, which focused on the 2018 event (England is in the running) and was captured on video, before the U.S. pulled out of the race on Friday.
But the fact that they pretended to be "lobbyists for a consortium of private American companies who wanted to help secure the World Cup for the United States," according to the Daily Mail, should infuriate U.S. Soccer officials whose bid is the favorite to win the right to host in 2022. The Americans certainly will be eager to avoid anything that might even hint at the impropriety that stained the country ahead of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Adamu is one of four executive committee members from Africa, which does not have a country in the running for either 2018 or 2022. As a result, those votes are uncommitted and priceless.
Well, not exactly priceless.
The undercover reporters asked Adamu if £500,000 ($799,300) for a "private project" would influence his vote. Inside World Football said the "project" involved the construction of soccer fields.
"Obviously, it will have an effect. Of course it will. Because certainly if you are to invest in that, that means you also want the vote. That is the proposal if you are going to spend money on it," Adamu said, adding that he wanted the money paid directly to him and not the Nigerian Football Federation.
Temarii reportedly wanted even more.
The Tahitian's told The Times he wanted £1.5 million to fund a sports academy, and Inside World Football claimed to have seen an email from a Times editor to Temarii saying, "You made it clear that your vote would be based on the financial benefit to the Oceania region." Temarii apparently told the reporters, "For me I just tell you that when the people come to see me I usually say, 'Ok, what will be the impact of your bid in my region?'"
Temarii's 2022 vote, if he retains it, likely will go to former Oceania Football Confederation member Australia.
FIFA already has issued a statement. From the Daily Mail:
"FIFA and the FIFA Ethics Committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and will continue to do so. FIFA has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material," the governing body said.
"In any case, FIFA will immediately analyze the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will FIFA be able to decide on any potential next steps. In the meantime, FIFA is not in a position to provide any further comments on this matter."
The Times report is behind a pay wall, but other UK news services have picked up the story. We're confident it will go worldwide before too long.
Two FIFA Members Offer to Sell World Cup Vote to 'Americans'0
10/16/2010 8:00 PM ET By Brian Straus
Brian Straus
Senior Soccer Writer
This just in: FIFA is probably corrupt.
British journalists working for The Times and posing as Americans claim to have caught two FIFA executive committee members -- Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii of Tahiti -- offering to sell their World Cup votes. The men sit on the 24-member panel that will determine the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments on Dec. 2.
The reporters staged their sting, which focused on the 2018 event (England is in the running) and was captured on video, before the U.S. pulled out of the race on Friday.
But the fact that they pretended to be "lobbyists for a consortium of private American companies who wanted to help secure the World Cup for the United States," according to the Daily Mail, should infuriate U.S. Soccer officials whose bid is the favorite to win the right to host in 2022. The Americans certainly will be eager to avoid anything that might even hint at the impropriety that stained the country ahead of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Adamu is one of four executive committee members from Africa, which does not have a country in the running for either 2018 or 2022. As a result, those votes are uncommitted and priceless.
Well, not exactly priceless.
The undercover reporters asked Adamu if £500,000 ($799,300) for a "private project" would influence his vote. Inside World Football said the "project" involved the construction of soccer fields.
"Obviously, it will have an effect. Of course it will. Because certainly if you are to invest in that, that means you also want the vote. That is the proposal if you are going to spend money on it," Adamu said, adding that he wanted the money paid directly to him and not the Nigerian Football Federation.
Temarii reportedly wanted even more.
The Tahitian's told The Times he wanted £1.5 million to fund a sports academy, and Inside World Football claimed to have seen an email from a Times editor to Temarii saying, "You made it clear that your vote would be based on the financial benefit to the Oceania region." Temarii apparently told the reporters, "For me I just tell you that when the people come to see me I usually say, 'Ok, what will be the impact of your bid in my region?'"
Temarii's 2022 vote, if he retains it, likely will go to former Oceania Football Confederation member Australia.
FIFA already has issued a statement. From the Daily Mail:
"FIFA and the FIFA Ethics Committee have closely monitored the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups and will continue to do so. FIFA has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter, and is awaiting to receive this material," the governing body said.
"In any case, FIFA will immediately analyze the material available and only once this analysis has concluded will FIFA be able to decide on any potential next steps. In the meantime, FIFA is not in a position to provide any further comments on this matter."
The Times report is behind a pay wall, but other UK news services have picked up the story. We're confident it will go worldwide before too long.
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