Domenico Scala, chairman of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee, has told the Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung that 2018 World Cup host Russia and 2022 World Cup host Qatar could be stripped of their hosting rights if allegations of bribery come to light.
“If evidence should emerge that the awards to Qatar and Russia only came about thanks to bought votes, then the awards could be invalidated. This evidence has not yet been brought forth,” Scala said Sunday.
While the Russian President Vladimir Putin has cast the bribery concerns as American overreach and a conspiracy against Russia, Qatar’s foreign minister Khaled al-Attiyah has called the allegations of a corrupt bid “prejudice” and “racism”.
“It is very difficult for some to digest that an Arab Islamic country has this tournament, as if this right can’t be for an Arab state. I believe it is because of prejudice and racism that we have this bashing campaign against Qatar,” Khaled al-Attiyah told Reuters.
The FBI’s investigation of bribery and corruption at FIFA includes scrutiny of how soccer’s governing body awarded World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar. Swiss judicial authorities are also probing the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar as part of a corruption scandal that has also raised questions about the 2010 event in South Africa.
Former FIFA vice president Jack Warner, arrested on May 29 and currently out on $400,000 bail, is accused of seeking a $7 million bribe from Egypt for votes in the bidding process for the 2010 World Cup, and pocketing $10 million payment from South Africa – the eventual host.
Could Russia lose the 2018 World Cup? Probably – No. Could Qatar lose the 2022 World Cup? In practical terms – Yes. Legally – Nobody really knows.
