FIFA suspends executive committee members Amos Adamu and *Reynald Temarii over claims

[Biscuit]

...made in the Sunday Times.

Cash for votes saga continues.

From BBC:
Fifa has suspended Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii from the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting vote after completing a corruption investigation.

Adamu was banned from football activity for three years and Temarii for one year over claims they asked for money in exchange for World Cup votes.

Meanwhile, bid candidates Qatar and Spain-Portugal were cleared of colluding to share votes.

The ballot will proceed on 2 December with 22 voters and nine candidates.

More to follow.

 

[Rookie]

Was a strange press conference had the FIFA bloke reading from their book on ethics then started to read out all the bans and fines.
Also found no link between Spain and Qatar (I think it was Qatar anyway)

 

[Danny-Boy]

What reason did they justify the decision to award two World Cup venues at the same time, then?

It's obvious that that would lead to monumental back-scratching.

 

[Easy 10]

Shit timing by the BBC. Why air this programme 3 days before the vote, and torpedo what (few) hopes we had left of winning the bid ? They could've sat on it till afterwards surely.

I think Russia was always a done deal regardless, but its crummy timing for maximum controversy and impact. Would have been great to have a WC here for once, but its never gonna happen now.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Easy, f*** 'em. An application from an incompetent organisation to a biased, corrupt one was never going to work.

 

[severnside gull]

An application from an incompetent organisation to a biased, corrupt one was never going to work.

how does that square with Russia winning?




oh yeah, sorry.....a corrupt organisation bidding to an equally corrupt one

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Shit timing by the BBC. Why air this programme 3 days before the vote, and torpedo what (few) hopes we had left of winning the bid ? They could've sat on it till afterwards surely.

I think Russia was always a done deal regardless, but its crummy timing for maximum controversy and impact. Would have been great to have a WC here for once, but its never gonna happen now.

I think you may well be right there, Easy.

Still, at least Moscow isn't "full of drunks and criminals...".

 

[Biscuit]

Full Article for BBC:
BBC Sport - Football - Fifa bans Adamu & Temarii over World Cup vote claims

Fifa executive committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii have been banned from voting in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosting ballot.

Adamu was banned from football activity for three years and Temarii for one year over claims they asked for money in exchange for World Cup votes.

The 2018 Spain-Portugal and 2022 Qatar bids were also cleared of collusion.

The ballot will proceed on 2 December with 22 voters - instead of 24 - and nine candidates across the two votes.

Adamu was fined 10,000 Swiss francs and Temarii 5,000, while four other Fifa officials, all of whom are former executive committee members, were also suspended.

Ismael Bhamjee of Botswana was handed a four-year ban, Amadou Diakite of Mali and Ahongalu Fusimalohi of Tonga three-year punishments and Tunisia's Slim Aloulou a two-year suspension. Controversial Fifa president Sepp Blatter called the incident "A sad day for corruption." Adding "I look forward to meeting representatives of all the bids for further negotiations and high stakes poker in international waters."

All four were fined 10,000 Swiss francs.

The developments follow an English newspaper's accusation that Nigerian Adamu and Tahitian Temarii, who is the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) president, allegedly asked for payments for votes.

Adamu and Temarii were secretly filmed by reporters from the Sunday Times, who posed as lobbyists for a consortium of American companies that wanted to bring the tournament to the US.

Adamu allegedly said he wanted $800,000 (£500,000) to build four artificial football pitches. This would be against Fifa's rules.

The Sunday Times footage appears to show him asking for money to be paid to him directly for endorsing a US bid.

Temarii is also alleged to have asked for a payment, in his case to finance a sports academy.

"I am profoundly disappointed with the ethics committee's findings and had honestly believed I would be exonerated of any charges by now," said Adamu.

"I am innocent of all the charges levelled against me by the ethics committee and I completely refute the decision they have made.

"As yet I have not been advised of the grounds of the ethics committee's decision but regardless, I will be lodging a full appeal against it with immediate effect."

England, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium are competing to stage the 2018 World Cup, while the United States, Australia, Qatar, Japan and South Korea are all in the hunt for 2022.

 

[Gwylan]

Shit timing by the BBC. Why air this programme 3 days before the vote, and torpedo what (few) hopes we had left of winning the bid ? They could've sat on it till afterwards surely.

Don't get this. Surely a programme before the vote is exactly when it should be aired. What's the point of old news?

 

[SE4 GULL]

I don't think we'll get it. We've had too many journalists digging up dirt on FIFA, now they just don't like us. Simples.

 

[Dave the OAP]

so do you not now require a visa to go to russia....this was a nightmare when chelsea plyed manu a few years back. imagine thousands of fans from all over the world needing visas

 

[ROSM]

so do you not now require a visa to go to russia....this was a nightmare when chelsea plyed manu a few years back. imagine thousands of fans from all over the world needing visas

To be fair there's a few man u fans who've never gone back to lancashire since then

 

[hans kraay fan club]

To be fair there's a few man u fans who've never gone to lancashire ever

Fixed your post

 

[Hotchilidog]

Russia would be a purely political pick by FIFA, but it would be a terrible world cup. Very difficult to get to, difficult to get around, not even a handful of decent stadia.

We have the best bid by far and FIFA know it, if we do get snubbed then expect Spain/Portugal to benefit.

 

[Easy 10]

Don't get this. Surely a programme before the vote is exactly when it should be aired. What's the point of old news?

Well if they wanted to cause maximum damage then yes, airing it 3 days before the votes are cast is certainly the perfect time to do it.

It would hardly be "old news" if they'd just waited till the following week though would it ? Between the BBC, the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday in setting up these "stings", they've done their utmost to ensure this country is nowhere near the running to host the World Cup.

"FIFA IS CORRUPT" - hold the front page. Not even news really, is it ?

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Don't get this. Surely a programme before the vote is exactly when it should be aired. What's the point of old news?

Absolutely. I also don't like all this blame of the British Press if, as expected, we don't get it. Blame FIFA for being corrupt, not the press for highlighting it.

 

[Gritt23]

"FIFA IS CORRUPT" - hold the front page. Not even news really, is it ?

And unfortunately they are SO corrupt that they will punish us for our media highlighting the corruption. You would hope that they would appreciate our help in weeding out the undesirables, but unfortunately it is an inherantly corrupt organisation that would just be a big empty building if the corruption was eradicated.

It's rotten from top to toe. They are not there to advance the game, but to advance their own bank accounts.

 

[Gritt23]

not even a handful of decent stadia.

Why do you think these announcements are made 7 and a half years ahead of the tournament, when all decent hosts would be able to get everything sorted between World Cups. At the end of one World Cup we could decide there and then where the next one will be, and all the decent hosts would have plenty of time to sort it.

Oh no, by making it over 7 years, then ANY country could plan, design and build the stadia that are necessary, and thereby FIFA have ensured that any country in the World who sufficiently lines their pockets .... sorry, I meant .... gives the BEST presentation, can be awarded it.

Rotten from top to toe.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

so do you not now require a visa to go to russia....this was a nightmare when chelsea plyed manu a few years back. imagine thousands of fans from all over the world needing visas

Is that not the case for previous world cups and future world cups anyway??

 

[Tooting Gull]

Well if they wanted to cause maximum damage then yes, airing it 3 days before the votes are cast is certainly the perfect time to do it.

It would hardly be "old news" if they'd just waited till the following week though would it ? Between the BBC, the Sunday Times and the Mail on Sunday in setting up these "stings", they've done their utmost to ensure this country is nowhere near the running to host the World Cup.

"FIFA IS CORRUPT" - hold the front page. Not even news really, is it ?

Come on Easy, that doesn't stack up at all. Let's not forget who the villains are here, and it certainly isn't the BBC. If f**king FIFA can only award a tournament these days to a country where journalists get shot if they don't toe the party line (eg Russia) then it's not worth having, and I say that as someone who would love it be here. The problem is not the BBC, it is FIFA itself. I'd probably agree with you on the Mail on Sunday - although right now you'd have to say maybe Lord Triesman was right all along.

You can't have free speech and freedom of the press just when it suits, you either have it or you don't. Many people have turned a blind eye to FIFA over the years out of self-interest, personally I think it's something to be proud of that out country is exposing them for what they are. There could be a big price, but if the alternative is to play their corrupt game then it is a price well worth paying.

Timing wise, in news terms by far and away the best time to run such a programme is just before the vote. I don't see how delaying a week, potentially winning, showering FIFA with grovelling thanks for the honour, and then running it would show anyone in a better light.