FIFA clears Blatter, suspends Bin Hammam
Story from BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13590264.stm
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." . . . .
Story from CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/05/29/fifa.hammam.warner/inde...
(CNN) -- FIFA's ethics committee Sunday suspended two men, one of whom had been the sole challenger to the association's president until earlier in the day.
The committee cleared FIFA President Sepp Blatter who, like the other two, had been called into question at Sunday's ethics hearing, which centered on a bribery allegation.
"All charges were dismissed in full" against the Swiss national, who has led FIFA since 1998 and is now set to win another term as the lone contestant in Wednesday's FIFA presidential election, the FIFA statement said.
Bin Hammam has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the allegations are all part of a conspiracy to discredit his bid to become FIFA president. Blatter wrote in his column for the Inside World Football website that he feels it is "ludicrous and completely reprehensible" to suggest he is behind the investigation. . . .
Do lawyers have crisis? They only see problems everywhere.
Can someone tell Sepp Blatter what crisis means! It seems that the dictionary he has does not have that word.
Arf;Arf;Arf:
Blatter as usual stuck two fingers at the world and what happened ?
Adidas, Coca Cola and Emirates came out and issued statements saying they were happy to be associated with FIFA ..
I wonder if like Teflon Tony, he should be nicknamed Slippery Sepp!
If (Big IF, hope not happening) the 2022 host decision is revoked, then I really think that Turkey should put on a bid.
There are no rule dictating that it can only go to one of the original bidding countries. If anything, tradition showed that countries from the same or nearby region have advantage such is in the case of Mexico winning the hosting right in 1986 after the original host Columbia resigned due to economic difficulty.
I'd say Turkey has many things for a great WC: Large and (sometimes overly) passionate fan base, respectable WC record (3rd place in Korea-Japan), rising economic power, playable summer weather and plenty of things to see and do in between matches.
More importantly, it can be viewed as a 'middle eastern' countries to appease the dismay of fans and governments in the region.....
I'm not Turkish BTW
it is wishful thinking Brit. Will the corporates be willing to abandon FIFA? No way. They also are in the same boat with regards to corruption
I would like to see ALL journalists boycott the presidential election and any future conference..
dont you know they are all in cahoots with each other?
The guardian reporter has been denied permission to ask questions :)
i'm getting pissed off with Blatter, but even more with the journalists - who refuse to ask searching questions of this snake :o(
He is there skipping around all the events. not saying much. Looks like a compromise has been thrashed around and someone is going to be the fall guy.
He's Saddam/Qadafi in Soccer, who first served for their western master and later on bitten by them when the purpose served.
He helped Blatter the first time round when there were allegations against him the first time he tried to become president.
I think the best option is to arrange a rendition flight for Volcke.. Fill him with Scopolamine and hear him sing :o)
Well if Blatter is caught, then for Platini its game over. Its in his interests to make sure that Blatter survives.
Hence those crypic answers.
Hammam to appeal and Qatar bid team to take Volcke to court?
Still more twists to come after Blatter's conference any time from now.
Platini is being very cagey.. he's probably waiting for his chance
Do you think Blatter will survive :P
Question: Do you think rental prices for houses will go down? :P
...................
tsunami starts now.
It all looks like the Platini, Blatter and Jerome are all going to be pulled down.
Fifa has been rocked further as Sepp Blatter and Jérôme Valcke, its two most senior figures, were accused of a "politically motivated" subversion of the presidential election process by one of the men suspended in the ethics committee inquiry.
Jack Warner was the vice-president who had spent almost 30 years on Fifa's executive committee until his provisional suspension on Sunday. Now he threatens to tear Fifa apart from within, challenging his suspension through the courts.
As a first step he has opened a front on Valcke, who is Fifa's top mandarin as its general secretary. Warner has disclosed an incendiary email in which Valcke discussed the presidential election campaign of the Qatari Fifa executive-committee member Mohamed bin Hammam, who was suspended on Sunday. In the message Valcke appears to accuse Qatar of "buying" the World Cup.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/may/30/fifa-in-crisis-live-blog
Surprise, surprise.
Just two guys standing for the FIFA elections was a joke and now that there is just one guy left to contest for that seat makes it a real mockery. FIFA and all its members and associations worldwide look like a bunch of schoolchildren who would willing say yes and agree to anything and everything to safeguard their own seats and interests.
O_o
judge Qatar! It seems that WC is solely for certain countries only? Is this what you called "Western Uprising" as far as football is concern or just to get a consensus about getting more from Qatar!
Politics have eaten up the sports and it seems that the pressure exerted by certain groups was not to exposed a wrong-doing (as in the mindset of other) but to exert more of a business deal with the 2022 bid winner! The ethics investigation was a test!
when you are freezing!
:)
I agree Myke.
is better anyway.......
It might disappear for the next 10 years Uranus, but come 2022 it will be rehashed in the papers and become a major issue again.
I'll also don't think losing the 2022 bid would be bad for all expats. I for one would be glad not to have the increase in construction traffic.
I'm somewhere between Genesis and nic on this. It will be embarrassing for Qatar because it put so much into the bid, but it will only be embarrassing until the next major news story comes along.
For those complaining about discrimination--if the evidence points to Qatar, how is it discrimination. Provide the evidence against Russia, and if it is ignored THEN whine foul.
genesis,
I personally find it a quite damaging message for future generations, if you show them that corruption is ok, no matter if it’s only in football or any other international body.
No one should grow up thinking that personal effort, talent and merit can be bypassed or replaced with money.
The funniest thing is that The Kaizer , Franz Beckenbauer
thinks that Blatter is doing a wonderful job :o)
Now, Don't get too carried away with words...what humanity future!
It's just football. If corruption is proven, it would be embarrassing for Qatar in the sport business. But that's it. Plus the allegation speaks about 3 million dollars! I'm sure that won't be counted for " violation of universal values" as you exaggeratedly describe it ;)
Double Standards or is Qatar actually guilty of bribery. However certain people will never admit to wrong doing no matter how much evidence is against them. Blame the accuser instead of accept the crime.
This is Discrimination....
Both should have been suspended if there was any Corruption involved...
were the other bids not corrupt?
When FA complained about corruption, it was related to the 2018 bid not the 2022 bid. This infers that the 2018 bid was also corrupted.
Only because Qatar got it, the media is aiming at it.
No one has claimed the same about Russia the way they are doing with Qatar.
Double standards?
2022...gone....
RefinedSoul,
We all know that Qatar 2022 is best for all of us expats in Qatar, but this is not about us expats in Qatar, it’s about ethics, a violation of universal values.
The world does not want any party to be condemned innocently but it also cannot accept the guilty ones to get away with it.
For the good of humanity's future.
the Fifa event has its own speciality & values, taking back games from qatar by re-voting procedure or by imposing allegations will effect the fifa fan. let it go towards the betterment. we all wish qatar host the 2022 cup as the event gives many of us opportunities to work & what we are here for!
Qatar, as a nation, needs to separate itself from this bidding process. Or at least, it needs to project that distance to the world.
The smart thing for Qatar to do at this point is the following:
1. Champion the cause for the 2022 bids to be reconsidered. This puts Qatar ahead of the curve and helps put it in the driver's seat. Qatar played the game of bribery and it appears to have lost. Now is the time to change the game to something Qatar can when. If handled correctly (i.e. vet anything a Qatari official states through a good Western PR firm) such a move also shows real class and will win world respect, sympathy and support for when Qatar resubmits its bid.
If Qatar continues to deny everything and hope to retain the bid the result will be one of two things: Qatar loses the bid in disgrace; its victory is tainted forever by allegations of corruption.
2. Create its own internal investigation. Identify any foreign corruption and hand over the evidence to FIFA. Leak this to the press to embarrass any competing nations that were acting corruptly and to highlight that FIFA created a context in which bribery was expect (i.e. Qatar was playing by the unofficial rules).
3. Argue that any corruption on the part of Qatar was the guilt of an isolated few acting without the consent of the country. Let these people fall on their swords to protect the perception of the integrity of Qatar.
4. Campaign hard, but fairly for the bid.
If the above is followed, I have no doubt Qatar will re-win the 2022 and with it world respect. People love Bill Clinton because he apologized, suffered publicly and promised to reform; they hate W. Bush because he is smug, refuses apologize, and seems to be getting off free.
The Qataris are amateurs when it comes to world politics and media, and thus far it is showing. Qatar played this game its own way, and it is being trampled. It's time for Qatar to get smart, find some quality media advisors who know what they are doing, and listen to them.
For many Qataris and expats too winning the bid was like a dream come true..a huge opportunity..a host of possibilities!So many hopes were built up. And all of a sudden they are now facing the very large probability of seeing it all end..terribly at that! But I do agree with NIC on this(quoted from another thread on this topic)"At the end, you’ll get what you deserve" and if Qatar deserves better then thats what they'll get so will hold onto the optimism yet!
If the allegations of bribery turn out to be true than WHY would Qatar still host 2022. Ethically they would have to submit to a revote or risk a boycott of the event and international embarrassment.
S-Isale...stop trolling, make a contribution to the post or get back to your brown nosing!
This voting system is not a fare method to choose World Cup host. It should be an open bid and should go to the highest bidder. Then definitely Qatar has a fair chance.
I don't agree on that. In fact I know many Qataris who share Nic same sentiment. If corruption is proven , what's the use of hosting the tournament ?
after all, the objective of hosting this event in the first place was to gain international recognition
host FIFA WC 2022 finals...
Scandals, allegations will arise and then die with the pace of time.
why Sepp had been spared?????
the whole FIFA Comittee need revamp..
Ethics Committee will investigate the scandal and if they get solid proof on the bribery scandal they will ofcourse think of a revoting.
NIc - you seem to have an agenda when it comes to Qatar. Whereas you have no qualms regarding corruption anywhere else.
Warner singing like a canary .......Blatter still "unaffected" by all the mud slinging....aaah FiFA is becoming more explosive than a soap opera
If indeed there was corruption in the award of Qatar 2022, and if this is proven, removing Qatar from the right to organize WC2022, would be a great and crucial lesson to all those who think that buying can replace talent and merit!
I sure hope the world won’t let this one go away easily!
From my understanding of the process..
The Ethics committee will only investigate if an issue is brought before it by "a member"..
Now, if the buggers are corrupt in the first place ..... :o)
Britexpat the secretary general has said a great many things over the past few months. SOME of which has turned out to be true.
Of course the 2018 and 2022 bids are no longer a sure thing. That has been part of the agenda for some from the start.
Genesis--the contracts will not go away if the bids are redone. And if they did, someone else would pick up the slack. The game is too popular in the region. Besides if they awarded 2022 to the US, FIFA would make a fortune vs. keeping it with Qatar. The selection committee acknowledged as much.
qatar 2022 is almost gone it seems...hammam was the last hope for qatar. now as he is disqualified, blatter will come again and seize it to europe or usa or australlia. of course,if qatar did bribe,they dont deserve to host it..!!
Qatar 2022 may not be that "safe":
"The Sunday Times newspaper said it seen fresh evidence showing how Qatar plotted to get round Fifa rules in its successful bid to host the 2022 football World Cup.
The broadsheet alleged that the Qataris offered voters cash for projects in its efforts to land the tournament.
It said it had seen a whistleblower's evidence alleging that Qatari bid considered setting up certain "initiatives" regardless of whether they were allowed under Fifa rules.
(...)"
source: http://www.supersport.com/football/article.aspx?Id=419312
"The situation is so chaotic within FIFA that Blatter has not ruled out a revote to award the 2022 World Cup. The United States finished second to Qatar in a vote that was compromised by charges of vote-trading and bribery.
Sunil Gulati, president of the United States Soccer Federation, has been tight-lipped in comments about the FIFA scandals, wanting to keep the United States in the best standing possible in case there is a revote for the World Cup."
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/sports/soccer/two-fifa-officials-suspended-panel-clears-blatter.html?_r=1
maybe, just maybe, FIFA actually read my letter of complaint after the Asian Cup debacle.
everything is falling into place so far.
The Qatar2022 issue is not up for discussion. The General Secretary said as much yesterday..
This also was reported
CONCACAF president Jack Warner threatened a "football tsunami" would soon hit FIFA, unleashed the first storm.
In Warner's rambling, cut-throat response to his punishment, he shared a message from FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke (pictured above, center) that casts even further doubt over how Qatar managed to win the 2022 World Cup, which has already been subjected to one round of vote buying accusations.
Says the utterly unreliable source that is FIFA vice president Jack Warner:
On May 18 when I realised that the political battle between Blatter and Bin Hammam was getting out of hand I wrote Secretary General Valcke telling him, among other things, that the outcome of the elections may cause some fracture in the Arab world which we can ill afford now and that I will like to ask Bin Hammam to withdraw from the race. To which Jerome replied to me and I quote :
"For MBH [Mohamed Bin Hammam], I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB [Sepp Blatter]. Or he thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC [World Cup]. I have a bet since day one, he will withdraw but on June 1st after his 10 min speech. By doing so he can say he push Blatter to make new commitments bla bla bla and get out under applause. Before means he is a looser. So...He will get some votes. Less than 60 today after CAF support. It will be the "coup de grace" if you would officially send a message as the CONCACAF President by saying CONCACAF supports unanimously. So I am not giving you an advice but just my feeling about what I think is the situation."
http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Warner-quotes-FIFA-exec-as-saying-Qatar-8216-b?urn=sow-wp2066
As a nation I don't see how this can harm us. The question is can the EU ( in particularly SPain, Germany & france) afford losing billion euros contracts over the the upcoming 10 years?
Qatar 2022 is no longer safe, and clearly FIFA needs a new governing constitution.
I don't think anybody in this world is surprised with the outcome.
It's just so sad that these big shots are trying to full the entire world.
Where does this leave Qatar 2022?????
being discussed last night ... :o)
For me , Its a total farce. I sat watching the news conference and was embarrassed. It was a farce. perhaps even worse than the Blair enquiry ;o)
This enquiry is like Goldilocks being asked to investigate who ate the porridge.
Sadly, the whole thing is a sham to placate the public and ensure that Blatter gets his fourth term.
The ethics Committee acknowledged that Blatter was informed of the payments, yet under FIFA rules as President, he does not have to inform the ethics committee or call an enquiry - as long as he tells the culprit that what he/she is doing is unethical.