Fifa row has "harmed" England 2018 World Cup bid

[mulligan2k]

By David Bond

Sports Editor

England's 2018 World Cup bid has been "significantly harmed" by a newspaper investigation into the bidding process, says a key member of the campaign team.

A member of the Fifa executive committee previously claimed there would be no backlash against England.

But it now seems the Sunday Times probe into two members of the committee has left England with a mountain to climb ahead of the vote on 2 December.

"It has significantly harmed England's bid," a senior member told BBC Sport.

With four weeks to go to the decision, England's bid team has not given up all hope of turning the situation around.

But senior sources say that the prospect of any future media investigations into the conduct of Fifa officials - including a potential Panorama programme on the BBC - could be fatal for their chances.

The Fifa president Sepp Blatter signalled the start of a backlash against the British media last Friday when he said:

"One can ask whether such an action is appropriate, trying to set traps for people. It is a deeply rooted problem [with the English media].

"Who is benefitting from this situation and who is being harmed, we are asking ourselves why did it happen and why did it happen specifically by English journalists? We are looking at that."

bbc story

terrible news for us football fans in the uk if this is what stops us from hosting the 2018 world cup. we all know our newspapers are more 'tabloidy' than others, with personal gossip and relationship news seemingly filling almost every page, but to find out the current fad of newspaper entrapment could cost us holding the world cup for the first time since 1966...

[boo_star]

What? I hope FIFA carries on doing what they're doing (vote-rigging essentially) and we have no part in it.

It's all political nowadays anyway. If FIFA are going to throw their toys out of the pram because the Sunday Times (not a tabloid) and Panorama (not a tabloid) investigate them then so be it.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

So long as Switzerland don't host the World Cup, I don't care. Football has got ridiculously out of hand.

[Lovell]

bbc story

terrible news for us football fans in the uk if this is what stops us from hosting the 2018 world cup. we all know our newspapers are more 'tabloidy' than others, with personal gossip and relationship news seemingly filling almost every page, but to find out the current fad of newspaper entrapment could cost us holding the world cup for the first time since 1966...

There showing how corrupt FIFA is how is this a bad thing? also it's not entrapment, entrapment implies FIFA was forced to take bribes etc. it's disgusting how there trying to blackmail us for showing them how corrupt they are, hopefully they continue to show how corrupt FIFA is.

[Eddo89]

There showing how corrupt FIFA is how is this a bad thing? also it's not entrapment, entrapment implies FIFA was forced to take bribes etc. it's disgusting how there trying to blackmail us for showing them how corrupt they are, hopefully they continue to show how corrupt FIFA is.

Exactly. Why should this harm England's chance. If we go by moral points, then England should and must be the country that wins it as at least they are the country that exposed FIFA. But of course, acts of newspaper should not really affect a campaign.

This is typical FIFA, keep it hush hush. I hope that South Korean businessmen wins the next FIFA election and kick out Blatter. He clearly cannot deal with the corruption, and actually encouraged it by this dual process. It is clear as day FIFA do not want to have these corruption allegations go on further and will go on a revenge against that "ruined" their image. FIFA needs a change. They also need a more hands on approach on poorer federations that is more easily enticed by corruptions. Centralising things to avoid corruption seems weird, but fact is these smaller FAs need money and have no interest in whoever wins so their vote goes to the highest bidder.

And here in NZ, I've heard on the news that because the Oceania guy actually asked for funding of the academy instead of straight cash showed how institutionalised corruption had become.

[Subject Delta]

He's just lashing out at us for exposing the corruption within his own organisation and causing them worldwide embarassment. Really, he owes our media a debt of gratitude for exposing what was going on.

[rajputwarrior]

^ that's not it at all

fifa hates england, they blame the root of football violence on them. why are you people surprised? Hasn't the president said on multiple times that as long as he is in charge England will never get the world cup?

[Subject Delta]

^ that's not it at all

fifa hates england, they blame the root of football violence on them. why are you people surprised? Hasn't the president said on multiple times that as long as he is in charge England will never get the world cup?

Simple really... Because he is punishing us for the fact that his own organisation is corrupt. Euro '96 was a huge success, and in this day and age our supporters are no worse than anyone elses, so if that where to be his reason to try and stop us hosting the world cup, I'd say it's a lousy one, but then coming from a guy so stupid that he's refusing to allow the use of technology when the sport clearly needs it, not a surprise at all. Can't stand Platini at all, the guy is a total jackass.

[DanLeto]

Football? Eh, we wont win anyway so who cares.

[rajputwarrior]

Simple really... Because he is punishing us for the fact that his own organisation is corrupt. Euro '96 was a huge success, and in this day and age our supporters are no worse than anyone elses, so if that where to be his reason to try and stop us hosting the world cup, I'd say it's a lousy one, but then coming from a guy so stupid that he's refusing to allow the use of technology when the sport clearly needs it, not a surprise at all. Can't stand Platini at all, the guy is a total jackass.

+1 but as long as those two jackasses are running things it's how it's going to be

[Subject Delta]

+1 but as long as those two jackasses are running things it's how it's going to be

Sadly so. Whoever gets to host 2018 it's going to be tainted by this scandal now, so nobody really comes out of this in great shape.

[Kriz]

Why bother hosting something you're never going to win?

[acnpt]

Why bother hosting something you're never going to win?

:rofl:

Although going by that, I guess Wales should stop playing football altogether.

[Kriz]

Haha *cough*bale*cough*

:D

[rajputwarrior]

Sadly so. Whoever gets to host 2018 it's going to be tainted by this scandal now, so nobody really comes out of this in great shape.

honestly, it just sounds like they needed an excuse for screw over england other then the soccer violence one, which is moot at this point,*cough* italy on liverpool fans (who weren't even football fans)*cough*, and have found one with the media.

[Subject Delta]

honestly, it just sounds like they needed an excuse for screw over england other then the soccer violence one, which is moot at this point,*cough* italy on liverpool fans (who weren't even football fans)*cough*, and have found one with the media.

If Platini thinks blaming us is going to take the heat off FIFA he's an absolute moron. As evidenced by the recent Pakistan scandal, this kind of behaviour in modern sport comes under the spotlight in such a way that FIFA will lose credibility, and if we lose the rights to host the world cup, at least exposing Platini's ineptitude as a leader will give us the last laugh :D