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FIFA: The World Cups in Russia and Qatar will still go ahead
(YouTube/FIFA) FIFA director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio.
FIFA's director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio said in a press conference in Zurich on Wednesday that the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and the World Cup in Qatar will still go ahead, despite two separate corruption probes into football's governing body that has seen the arrest of several high-ranking FIFA officials on racketeering and corruption charges.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland said in a statement on Wednesday it had opened up criminal proceedings "against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 football World Cups."
A separate probe has been opened up by the US Attorney's office which resulted in the arrest of nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives on Wednesday on charges of racketeering conspiracy and corruption which dates back to the 1990s, and could result in their extradition to the US. Officials are being investigated by US authorities on the suspicion and acceptance of bribes and kickbacks for tournaments in the US and Latin America — including marketing, sponsorship, and media deals — that could total more than $100 million.
“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted both abroad and here in the United States,” US Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said in a statement.
The Swiss and US law enforcement have co-ordinated on the proceedings, to avoid possible collusion, but these are not joint investigations.
Speaking at FIFA's press conference on Wednesday, De Gregorio said in the Swiss case, FIFA is considered the "injured party." He added: "The timing may not be obviously the best but definitely FIFA welcomes this process and cooperates fully with the attorney general of Switzerland and the Federal Office of Justice."
Asked by a member of the press whether there should be a re-vote over where the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be held, De Gregorio responded: "Russia and Qatar will still be going ahead."
Pressed further by another journalist who asked how FIFA could categorically say those tournaments would still go ahead, De Gregorio said: "What do you expect from us? You start to speculate [that for] Qatar and Russia [we will] have to re-do voting. Russia and Qatar will be played. That is fact today. Not more and not less."
FIFA officials are in Zurich for the FIFA Congress where FIFA president Sepp Blatter faces a challenge from Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein in a presidential election on Friday. Blatter has not been charged, Gregorio confirmed, adding that FIFA does not plan to postpone either the Congress or the election following the events on Wednesday.
The bidding process surrounding the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups has been mired in controversy, which has seen members of FIFA's executive committee have been suspended following accusations they were given cash in exchange for voting for Qatar.
But a FIFA report published last fall, which has still yet to be published in full, from independent investigator and former federal prosecutor Michael Garcia into the alleged vote-buying, concluded there had not been enough wrong-doing to question the bidding process. It meant that Qatar and Russia would not face any sanctions from FIFA.
Garcia subsequently resigned from his role as FIFA independent investigator in December, protesting the way the governing body had handled the report, saying the 42-page summary FIFA did publish in November by German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert contained "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of facts and conclusions."
Several World Cup sponsors including Visa and Coca-Cola came out last year castigating FIFA's handling of its investigation into the bidding process.
Business Insider has contacted all the World Cup sponsors for comment on today's arrests, but at the time of writing, only a spokesman from Hyundai had responded, saying it would "not be making any comment at this time."
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