FIFA ethics report slams Australia’s dubious 2022 World Cup bid tactics
And Football Federation Australia (FFA) was “well aware of the ramifications” of the bid team’s conduct, a report by the ethics committee of world governing body FIFA says.
The summary by Judge Joachim Eckert, released in Paris on Thursday night (AEDT), found “potentially problematic facts and circumstances” in Australia’s bid — but ruled they didn’t affect the integrity of the vote.
FIFA staged a 2010 vote and awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.
Australia initially intended to bid for the 2018 Cup also, but withdrew to focus its efforts on the 2022 event.
Australia spent almost $46 million on a bid to host the 2022 World Cup but received just one vote.
The FFA said it would contact the committee about the “next steps in the process” and review the report’s findings before further commenting.
Meanwhile, the role and relevance of an Australian whistleblower who “was willing to disclose sensitive information to investigators” was also called into question.
The person’s evidence was described as “unreliable”.
The report read: “In May 2013, a source suggested that the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee contact a former senior member of the Australia 2022 bid team who would be willing to disclose specifically relevant and sensitive information to the investigators.
“The Investigatory Chamber subsequently interviewed the relevant individual twice, in New
York in November 2013 and in Australia in April 2014. At all times during the investigation process, the relevant individual was responsive to investigators’ requests for information and documentation. It also offered investigators direct access to its computer to obtain emails dating from its time on the bid team.”
“While the relevant individual provided some useful information regarding possible issues for the Investigatory Chamber to examine, the evidence often did not support its specific recollections and allegations.
“The relevant individual further undermined its own reliability by speaking with the press about its communications with the Investigatory Chamber, despite having agreed to refrain from doing so to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
“Given these circumstances, the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee has not relied on any statement, document, or other information provided by the relevant individual in reaching any conclusions or findings in the Report.
“However, where documents provided by the relevant individual were also obtained through reliable channels, those documents were considered.”
The ethics committee found “a prima facie case” that two consultants to Australia’s bid violated bidding and ethics rules. The report identified connections between financial and other support for supposed “football development” and the bidding process.
“The Report concludes that the Australia 2022 bid team did undertake specific efforts to gain the support of a particular then FIFA Executive Committee member and it suggests that there have been efforts to conceal certain key relationships in this context.
“Certain devices employed by the bid team and its consultants were seemingly aimed at hiding
ties with individuals close to the Executive Committee member concerned while taking advantage of their influence over the member to further the bid strategy.
“According to the Report, there is a prima facie case that two consultants violated the bidding and ethics rules that the bid team represented would bind its consultants. However, given the bid
team’s omission of specific language binding its consultants to FIFA statutes and regulations, the Investigatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee considers itself limited in what action it can take.
“According to the Report, there have been communications between one particular consultant of the Australia 2022 bid team that show that the relevant consultant executed his strategy of using his purported relationship with high-ranking FIFA officials to create the appearance that he was influencing the bidding process.”
The ethics committee also said the FFA made “certain payments” to the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).
“Moreover, the Report identified certain payments from the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) to CONCACAF which, according to the Report, appear to have been
comingled, at least in part, with personal funds of the then CONCACAF President who at the time also was a FIFA Executive Committee member,” the report said.
The report also identified connections between financial and other support for “football development” and the bidding process.
These included the Oceania Football Confederation seeking financial support from Australia during the bid period.
They also found Australia’s 2022 bid team attempted to divert funds the federal government had set aside for existing development projects in Africa “towards initiatives in countries with ties to FIFA executive committee members with the intention to advance its bid to host”.
According to the report, “the FFA was well aware of the ramifications such a pattern of conduct might imply”.
“Finally, according to the Report, the Australia 2022 bid team appears to have reached the conclusion to provide financial support under the title ‘(football) development projects’ preferably in areas home to FIFA Executive Committee members.” the report read.
“According to the findings contained in the Report regarding the Australia 2022 bid, there are certain indications of potentially problematic conduct of specific individuals in the light of relevant FIFA Ethics rules.”
