Qatar World Cup: '$5m payments to officials' corruption claim

[Chicog]

If it was in Australia, I'd go. The fact that it's in Qatar guarantees I won't, even if it is only a stones throw away.

[silver sea]

Can we shut up with this useless and irrelevant sideshow some retarded convict started?

I'm more interested in how much Platini is likely to use this to leverage his way into Blatter's job.

I.e. "I'll go along with this charade as long as you retire after the world cup and I get your job, otherwise I'm going to start making veiled threats about pulling UEFA countries out of WC2022", etc.

Actually scumbag I am Aboriginal and have never been convicted of any offence so your racist profiling is offensive to us koories. We where here before England took over our lands and slaughtered our people out of greed.

Second you racist, I didn't start the side show but merely answered questions you imperialist.

How dare you refer to me as a piece of European garbage as being a convict when you know absolutely nothing about me. I am a proud Aboriginal Australian and will always be the same as my Luk Krung Children will be.

Hello chooka

Sorry you're getting a lot of stuff thrown at you.

I appreciate that you don't have much interest in footie. The whole point of this thread though is that Qatar should never have been awarded the 2022 Tournament in the first place. Qatar has no tradition of playing football. It should have been awarded to Australia but when the votes were revealed Australia received nil votes!!! So you can see the whole thing stank from the outset.

See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_2022_FIFA_World_Cup_bid

The World Cup is a summer event, but The Qatari summer will be too hot for the players and spectators. FIFA is trying to wriggle out of this by suggesting that the World Cup is held in the Winter months which is bang in the middle of the European football season! As you can imagine, that is not a popular idea with the various national football associations in Europe. How stupid can you get?! FIFA's in this mess though because of their corruption by Qatari money. A love of money is the root of all evil and all that.

Anyway, it may be as more evidence comes out, FIFA will have to rerun the vote and it is likely Australia will this time win the vote and will then host the competition in 2022 ... which will be great for your kids, chooka! Ha ha!

[chooka]

Back on topic ,this whole Qatar selection had a bad smell about from the time it was announced. Why would some small, insignificant country ever be selected to host the worlds biggest sporting tournament. I think it has far surpassed the Olympic games in profile.

Why this corruption claim has taken so long to emerge is beyond me, hardly good timing.

I remember some years go a BBC Panorama expose on Blatter was to go to air but it was withdrawn I think following a legal challenge.

Blatter is a pumped up little fraud,his longevity only possible with the palms he has greased over time.

Just give the tournament to Australia, we have the stadiums already existing and we know how to run a sporting tournament if you remember the Olympic Game, still rated by neutrals the best ever.

Besides we have great weather ,cold beer and the best looking sheilas around.

Finally Chooka ,posing as a supposed Australian, you are a total embarrassment get back on your medication.

let's hope and pray we never get it. The last thing Australia needs is an influx of soccer hooligans arriving, causing mass destruction and violence as is witnessed at soccer games around the world. The cost for the clean up and reconstruction of the cities would be enormous to the Australian taxpayer. Keep the violence outside of Australia as we don't need the worlds scum trashing our house. The stadiums are already owned and being used by the AFL the largest sport in the country and fans would be pissed if the AFL season was cancelled for some foreigners to come and watch their little game.

[StevieH]

Back on topic ,this whole Qatar selection had a bad smell about from the time it was announced. Why would some small, insignificant country ever be selected to host the worlds biggest sporting tournament. I think it has far surpassed the Olympic games in profile.

Why this corruption claim has taken so long to emerge is beyond me, hardly good timing.

I remember some years go a BBC Panorama expose on Blatter was to go to air but it was withdrawn I think following a legal challenge.

Blatter is a pumped up little fraud,his longevity only possible with the palms he has greased over time.

Just give the tournament to Australia, we have the stadiums already existing and we know how to run a sporting tournament if you remember the Olympic Game, still rated by neutrals the best ever.

Besides we have great weather ,cold beer and the best looking sheilas around.

Finally Chooka ,posing as a supposed Australian, you are a total embarrassment get back on your medication.

this is the biggest scandal about this qatar world cup. they're just killing migrant workers to get it done. and they've barely begun work yet.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117818/qatar-2022-world-cup-pace-kill-4000-migrant-workers-says-espn

The 2022 World Cup, which will be held in the Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar, is more than eight years away. But it is already making a lot of news—and not the sort of news the oil-rich nation hoped to make when it landed the tournament.

ESPN conducted a special investigation into the human rights abuses in Qatar as part of its E:60 documentary series. The investigation, E:60: Trapped in Qatar, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the living and working conditions of the mainly migrant workers who have been building the massive new infrastructure that will allow a nation the size of Connecticut to host a tournament usually spread across host countries the size of Brazil, South Africa, or the United States.

Since Qatar has only 278,000 nationals, the labor is imported from poor countries like Nepal, the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka. ESPN's alarming account reports that, in the last year alone, 184 Nepali migrant workersdied from “cardiac arrest” caused by the working conditions and extreme heat. That’s only Nepalis. The documentary estimates that, at the current rate, more than 4,000 migrant workers will die by the time Qatar puts on the 2022 World Cup.

The scariest part is that ESPN’s calculation is at the current rate. So far, Qatar has only broken ground on one new stadium. By 2022, it needs to construct 12 of them. What happens when Qatar falls behind on construction, as every country hosting a major tournament does?

The Qatari government denies that any worker has died on projects for the World Cup. Instead, they say that those deaths occurred on separate construction and infrastructure projects. Even if that were the case—which is highly unlikely based on the E:60 documentary—the high number of deaths would be infuriating. It’s telling that the Qatari government only denies that the deaths occurred on World Cup projects. They freely admit that the deaths have happened.

On Friday, when FIFA President Sepp Blatter was asked whether selecting Qatar as a host country—done in an incredibly shady process—was a mistake, Blatter replied, “Of course.” But the reason Blatter now regrets giving the 2022 World Cup to Qatar has nothing to do with the violations that ESPN revealed. Rather, he said he was worried about the professional athletes who would be playing the games in the extreme heat. That's outrageous.

Contrast the scene in Qatar with that of this year's host. Eight construction workers have died in Brazil in preparation for the World Cup next month. That comparatively puny number has provoked outrage from both those within and outside the country.

There is no reason that FIFA cannot rescind Qatar’s right to host the 2022 World Cup and assign it to another country. Eight years is enough time to design and build stadiums to host the games, particularly if the country already has significant infrastructure in place. By refusing to do so, FIFA is abetting the deaths of these migrant workers. How many Nepalis should die for a soccer tournament?

[StevieH]

Back on topic ,this whole Qatar selection had a bad smell about from the time it was announced. Why would some small, insignificant country ever be selected to host the worlds biggest sporting tournament. I think it has far surpassed the Olympic games in profile.

Why this corruption claim has taken so long to emerge is beyond me, hardly good timing.

I remember some years go a BBC Panorama expose on Blatter was to go to air but it was withdrawn I think following a legal challenge.

Blatter is a pumped up little fraud,his longevity only possible with the palms he has greased over time.

Just give the tournament to Australia, we have the stadiums already existing and we know how to run a sporting tournament if you remember the Olympic Game, still rated by neutrals the best ever.

Besides we have great weather ,cold beer and the best looking sheilas around.

Finally Chooka ,posing as a supposed Australian, you are a total embarrassment get back on your medication.

let's hope and pray we never get it. The last thing Australia needs is an influx of soccer hooligans arriving, causing mass destruction and violence as is witnessed at soccer games around the world. The cost for the clean up and reconstruction of the cities would be enormous to the Australian taxpayer. Keep the violence outside of Australia as we don't need the worlds scum trashing our house. The stadiums are already owned and being used by the AFL the largest sport in the country and fans would be pissed if the AFL season was cancelled for some foreigners to come and watch their little game.

you're just proving that you don't know what you're talking about now mate. influx of soccer hooligans? mass destruction and violence? reconstruction of cities? are you talking about hosting a world cup or being invaded by the USA? stop being silly eh?

[khunken]

Back on topic ,this whole Qatar selection had a bad smell about from the time it was announced. Why would some small, insignificant country ever be selected to host the worlds biggest sporting tournament. I think it has far surpassed the Olympic games in profile.

Why this corruption claim has taken so long to emerge is beyond me, hardly good timing.

I remember some years go a BBC Panorama expose on Blatter was to go to air but it was withdrawn I think following a legal challenge.

Blatter is a pumped up little fraud,his longevity only possible with the palms he has greased over time.

Just give the tournament to Australia, we have the stadiums already existing and we know how to run a sporting tournament if you remember the Olympic Game, still rated by neutrals the best ever.

Besides we have great weather ,cold beer and the best looking sheilas around.

Finally Chooka ,posing as a supposed Australian, you are a total embarrassment get back on your medication.

let's hope and pray we never get it. The last thing Australia needs is an influx of soccer hooligans arriving, causing mass destruction and violence as is witnessed at soccer games around the world. The cost for the clean up and reconstruction of the cities would be enormous to the Australian taxpayer. Keep the violence outside of Australia as we don't need the worlds scum trashing our house. The stadiums are already owned and being used by the AFL the largest sport in the country and fans would be pissed if the AFL season was cancelled for some foreigners to come and watch their little game.

I sympathise with you about the personal attacks - totally unwarranted.

But you started throwing the dirt in this thread - a lot of it from ignorance of the sport - also unwarranted,

You are years out of date about football hooligans. Many countries have cleaned it up, jailed the worst and banned the bulk of the rest from the stadiums. Police forces exchange information to ensure that the offenders are even prevented from travelling to other countries.

It's not totally stopped and there will always be new thugs appearing. Australia has applied on occasions to host the World Cup and Ozzie football standards have improved so much that they moved to the Asian group to find better competition.

It is sad that your closed mind cannot allow Australia to be the proud host of the biggest sporting event in the world.

[332]

I presume when you say "football" you mean that American game which you play with a kind of lozenge which hardly ever touches the foot and which can only be played with loads of body armour, helmets, on a grass pitch with complicated markings, etc etc. Whilst real football is a game played with the feet and with a ball whose main elements can be improvised on any reasonably flat surface, allowing kids of all social levels to play the game and enjoy themsleves, which is one reason why it is the world's greatest team game and always will be, eat your heart out, USA.

Nah I mean more like this. None of this nancy pancy wearing body armour and helmets but real mans football. None of the tippy tappy soccer stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlG3qqtWNy8&feature=player_detailpage

didn't you begin this thread with a comment about "Violence and corruption, the backbone of soccer"? make your mind up.

He's probably on the grog.

[mrbojangles]

I don't even know where to start cleaning up this thread, or whether to close it but has i's gone almost full circle and back on track(ish) I'll see how it goes.

However, enough of the mud slinging and insults please or warnings will be given.

[bigbamboo]

Can we shut up with this useless and irrelevant sideshow some retarded convict started?

I'm more interested in how much Platini is likely to use this to leverage his way into Blatter's job.

I.e. "I'll go along with this charade as long as you retire after the world cup and I get your job, otherwise I'm going to start making veiled threats about pulling UEFA countries out of WC2022", etc.

Platini isn't in the race (at the moment anyway) Another French guy called Champagne is the only rival afaik.

Actually this Champagne guy is quite a bubbly chap with some sparkling ideas for a football administrator. His problem is Blatter's powerbase built up over two decades of being in control of FIFA's purse strings. Also Platini would rather Blatter hang on for yet another term so he can start bidding for the top job after Euro 2016 in France.

All football fans should thank the Sunday Times for this latest and very timely expose of FIFA shenanigans. If they turn out to be true and more importantly if the charges stick then Blatter's position as overlord will be untenable. The slippery old Swiss has dodged the bullet before but surely no more.

[Kooweerup]

Let Qatar have it, what is the problem. Australia doesn't deserve it as soccer is not really a big sport in Australia. It is a minor sport behind rugby league, rugby union, AFL, cricket, motor racing and things like horse racing ie Melbourne Cup. It is was down the list when it comes to sports in Australia. It will not provide a return for Australia and will be a huge loss to the taxpayer.

[Kooweerup]

Let Qatar have it, what is the problem. Australia doesn't deserve it as soccer is not really a big sport in Australia. It is a minor sport behind rugby league, rugby union, AFL, cricket, motor racing and things like horse racing ie Melbourne Cup. It is was down the list when it comes to sports in Australia. It will not provide a return for Australia and will be a huge loss to the taxpayer.

[Fisherman194]

My previous post will be my only comment on this thread,because chooka titanium member or tit anal member we know which part of the body the member in his case refers to.Is a total idiot and should not be encouraged.

[Kooweerup]

My previous post will be my only comment on this thread,because chooka titanium member or tit anal member we know which part of the body the member in his case refers to.Is a total idiot and should not be encouraged.

I take it you hate the person. why do people on here be so nasty if others have a different opinion. If people don't support and agree with other views then some become so vile and attack them, not just this topic but many topics on thaivisa.

[Chicog]

Let Qatar have it, what is the problem.

If you have to ask, you do not understand the sport. Stick to didgeridoo throwing or whatever.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kooweerup]

Let Qatar have it, what is the problem.

If you have to ask, you do not understand the sport. Stick to didgeridoo throwing or whatever.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That's an extremely racist comment

[bigbamboo]

OK, Chooka is copping it just now for being a 'footy' fan and being perceived as the baddest Australian since that harridan who shipped up in the UK decades ago to terrorise us peace loving poms. No, not Germaine Greer, the other one....... Lillian Thomson.

But in one respect that strange game they call Aussie Rules can match football for is a decent movies about the sport. After years of embarrassing efforts football finally gave us Mike Bassett England Manager (you don't have to be English to get it but it really, really helps) and the Aussies came up The Club, which was brilliant.

[SantiSuk]

Oz would make a lot of sense as a stand-in. Not because it has ready made stadia - I could name another country that has 10 stadia over 60,000 or thereabouts (including Twickenham and Glasgow) that has not held the World Cup for 50 years. Rather, because it fits so perfectly with Blatter's supposed (and laudable) aims of broadening the game out worldwide.

Qatar just showed what a nasty little fraud he is - no point in bringing the game to a country with a tiny population built on a handkerchief where many of the population regularly fly to London and Manchester to watch their football anyway!

[StevieH]

Let Qatar have it, what is the problem. Australia doesn't deserve it as soccer is not really a big sport in Australia. It is a minor sport behind rugby league, rugby union, AFL, cricket, motor racing and things like horse racing ie Melbourne Cup. It is was down the list when it comes to sports in Australia. It will not provide a return for Australia and will be a huge loss to the taxpayer.

soccer is a bigger sport in australia than it is or ever will be in qatar. has a lot of fans there and the league is gaining momentum all the time. but you're right about a world cup not providing a return. that's FIFA for you.

[SantiSuk]

Sunday Times journo on Sky says that they are going to demonstrate over coming weeks how Bin Hammin worked closely with the Qatari bid officials. This one is going to get very bloody. Hooray.

Lovely clip on Sky showing Bin Hammin defending giving gifts (albeit non-cash bids) as being a perfectly normal and acceptable practice. Yes sunshine, but not when you get found out!

[BangrakBob]

It makes a lot of sense knowing that players, officials and fans will be collapsing and perhaps some dying in the summer heat because of corruption rather than the fact a 2 bob Arab state was believed to be the best showcase stage for football and its fans

[mrbojangles]

Even if it is proved there was bribery and corruption, is it too late for them to change it anyway? I would imagine that financial commitments and contracts have already been done, so I would presume if FIFA tries to pull out, there would be huge cancelation costs that they would have to pay.

[StevieH]

Even if it is proved there was bribery and corruption, is it too late for them to change it anyway? I would imagine that financial commitments and contracts have already been done, so I would presume if FIFA tries to pull out, there would be huge cancelation costs that they would have to pay.

FIFA could afford it. the tax-exempt swiss-registered 'charity' is sitting on billions of dollars in assets. they won't like, but hey.

[BangrakBob]

Even if it is proved there was bribery and corruption, is it too late for them to change it anyway? I would imagine that financial commitments and contracts have already been done, so I would presume if FIFA tries to pull out, there would be huge cancelation costs that they would have to pay.

Investing companies could try and sue Qatar, but good look with that.

If it is proved the comp was awarded under false pretence and individuals are punished then you'd think FIFA could move the tournament without consequence. They would always have a contingency location and there is plenty of time.

325 hotels planned and partially underway in Doha. They've faffed about for so much since the announcement that frig all has been built yet.

Loving Sunday Times work on this...they messed with the wrong country when they screwed us in the 2018 vote.

[mrbojangles]

Even if it is proved there was bribery and corruption, is it too late for them to change it anyway? I would imagine that financial commitments and contracts have already been done, so I would presume if FIFA tries to pull out, there would be huge cancelation costs that they would have to pay.

FIFA could afford it. the tax-exempt swiss-registered 'charity' is sitting on billions of dollars in assets. they won't like, but hey.

I hope you are right. Absolutely daft idea in the first place and the last thing I want is the prem to be halted mid season.

[mrbojangles]

Even if it is proved there was bribery and corruption, is it too late for them to change it anyway? I would imagine that financial commitments and contracts have already been done, so I would presume if FIFA tries to pull out, there would be huge cancelation costs that they would have to pay.

Investing companies could try and sue Qatar, but good look with that.

If it is proved the comp was awarded under false pretence and individuals are punished then you'd think FIFA could move the tournament without consequence. They would always have a contingency location and there is plenty of time.

325 hotels planned and partially underway in Doha. They've faffed about for so much since the announcement that frig all has been built yet.

Loving Sunday Times work on this...they messed with the wrong country when they screwed us in the 2018 vote.

It's a tricky one when contracts are awarded but yeah, good luck to anyone trying to sue the Qataries. I don't think FIFA would get out scot free though. Particularly as the ones being bribed where in their employ or representing FIFA in an official capacity.

[BangrakBob]

Even if it is proved there was bribery and corruption, is it too late for them to change it anyway? I would imagine that financial commitments and contracts have already been done, so I would presume if FIFA tries to pull out, there would be huge cancelation costs that they would have to pay.

Investing companies could try and sue Qatar, but good look with that.

If it is proved the comp was awarded under false pretence and individuals are punished then you'd think FIFA could move the tournament without consequence. They would always have a contingency location and there is plenty of time.

325 hotels planned and partially underway in Doha. They've faffed about for so much since the announcement that frig all has been built yet.

Loving Sunday Times work on this...they messed with the wrong country when they screwed us in the 2018 vote.

It's a tricky one when contracts are awarded but yeah, good luck to anyone trying to sue the Qataries. I don't think FIFA would get out scot free though. Particularly as the ones being bribed where in their employ or representing FIFA in an official capacity.

That's what I'm wondering but surely there must be fine print exception clauses.

I'd wonder how many investing companies who could lose out would think to add a clause to their contract for change of venue damages or whether FIFA would accept such a clause. At the end of the day, clause or no clause on either side lawyers may still find grounds for action. Particularly as Stevie mentioned these boys sitting on a shit load of cash which lawyers would love to bleed out!

[blazes]

what I can't understand is why has there been no effort worldwide to begin a boycott of Qatar for the World Cup. In other words, when the time comes, in 2022, everyone all over the world just votes with their feet and says eff off to the World Cup and all its allied corruption.

It would help if a leading European football nation like , say, Spain or Germany, said to FIFA, we ain't taking part in this WC, so go and <deleted> yourselves.

Surely, that is not too difficult to organise amongst all the Supporters' Associations worldwide???

[wilai]

Let Qatar have it, what is the problem. Australia doesn't deserve it as soccer is not really a big sport in Australia. It is a minor sport behind rugby league, rugby union, AFL, cricket, motor racing and things like horse racing ie Melbourne Cup. It is was down the list when it comes to sports in Australia. It will not provide a return for Australia and will be a huge loss to the taxpayer.

Hosting a World Cup could ignite things over there though. Even in Victoria, the hotbed of the AFL, Liverpool FC filled the MCG to capacity.....for a friendly!

[SantiSuk]

FIFA vice-president confirms that if corruption is proved (ie presumably by the official bid team) then he would support a re-vote. Are you thinking that is a concession there buddy?

Keep your fingers crossed that this one finally unstitches the present FIFA set-up.

[Jonmarleesco]

Presumably, Bin Hammam will want his money back.