ExCo members banned, Spain and Qatar cleared

[usalion]

The two ExCo members have been suspended and will not vots on 2 December, meaning there are only 22 votes up for grabs in the race for 2018 and 2022.

Spain and Qatar have been cleared of collusion in the vote rigging allegations.

Full story through the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9203378.stm

Some of the FFA zealots were telling us this didn't matter, that FIFA would have replacements in place. Apparently not....and one wonders how this will shift the balance in the votes. Only 12 votes needed to win now.

 

[Pessimistic]

Game changer.

I wonder if spain and quatar will suffer "unoficially" ?

 

[Zidane98]

With the damning report released by FIFA on Qatar and 2 exco members being banned we can now be assured that corruption has been virtually eliminated. Good work by Sepp.

From what I have read, Adamu was backing the US and obviously Teymari was backing Australia. If anything, the only real winner out of this is South Korea who are now pushing a "peace" World Cup by hosting games in North Korea (whether FIFA will allow games hosted in another nation without it being an official joint bid remains to be seen).

Won't affect Qatar, they are buggered in any scenario.

 

[usalion]

With the damning report released by FIFA on Qatar and 2 exco members being banned we can now be assured that corruption has been virtually eliminated. Good work by Sepp.

From what I have read, Adamu was backing the US and obviously Teymari was backing Australia. If anything, the only real winner out of this is South Korea who are now pushing a "peace" World Cup by hosting games in North Korea (whether FIFA will allow games hosted in another nation without it being an official joint bid remains to be seen).

Won't affect Qatar, they are buggered in any scenario.

Think you are dreaming- isn't sepp counting on bin Hamman for sujpport for his next Presidency run? We'll see what happens with Spain and Qatar's votes for 2018 and 2022. May be listed as high risk, bu if deals have been struck....the word was "insufficient grounds," I believe. Hardly encouraging.....

 

[Checker Hughes]

ExCo meet today specifically to discuss the dismissal of the Qatari bid partly because of investigations by Kroll,but mainly because the 7 bids lobbied for their removal.Its why the Qatar -Haiti match was postponed

 

[Zidane98]

Seems as though Chuck Blazer has been leading the movement within FIFA to have the Qatari bid dismissed. Surely that's a dangerous game - if Qatar do get dismissed the US bid can effectively kiss goodbye any chance of Bin Hammam voting for them simply out of spite.

 

[usalion]

From the BBC:

Fifa knew its reputation was on the line and, in delivering bans for Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii, its ethics committee has shown it is prepared to act if members of the most exclusive football club in the world step out of line.

But its failure to investigate more thoroughly the claims of collusion between 2018 bidders Spain/Portugal and Qatar's bid for 2022 leave a lingering suspicion that this process still needs to be made more transparent.


Like maybe revealing the votes? I'm sure Sepp would love that!

 

[Checker Hughes]

Seems as though Chuck Blazer has been leading the movement within FIFA to have the Qatari bid dismissed. Surely that's a dangerous game - if Qatar do get dismissed the US bid can effectively kiss goodbye any chance of Bin Hammam voting for them simply out of spite.

Been leaking like a sieve the last week.Surprised he wasn't given a slap on the wrist but he's under immense pressure as he's seen things go from a very good position to one that meant an early exit.The decision re Temirii and Adamu has clawed back some ground though

 

[Pessimistic]

Tamaris removal is being seen as "hard" fo the Oz bid, in that it will make it harder to survive the early eliminations.

its fanciful to suggest that corruption has been removed.

As with all corruption hunts, its the slack ones which get whacked not the "real" players, the real movers and shakers

 

[Pessimistic]

Mind you, could Frank Lowy's quiet approach to the whole thing pay off ?

Nearly all the rivals (for 2018 and 2022) have been covered in controversy and sniping other bids.

Frank has only had "issues" with the AFL and the Age - and all that seems so long ago now.

Interestingly the BBC are planning a current affairs program "Panorama" into the whole affair - which FIFA are very pissed about.

I remember the french president famously lost the 2012 olypmics by one vote - Finlands - after a stupid aside saying "The only european country with worse cuisine than england is Finland"

 

[JD-Roo]

From what I have read, Adamu was backing the US and obviously Teymari was backing Australia. If anything, the only real winner out of this is South Korea who are now pushing a "peace" World Cup by hosting games in North Korea (whether FIFA will allow games hosted in another nation without it being an official joint bid remains to be seen).

I'd say not, given that any suggestion of a joint bid with NZ was always quickly tossed aside due to different 'group' status and such.

I'm not up on all the politics. Could someone (or two) give their breakdown of where votes may be heading now?

 

[usalion]

I'd say not, given that any suggestion of a joint bid with NZ was always quickly tossed aside due to different 'group' status and such.

I'm not up on all the politics. Could someone (or two) give their breakdown of where votes may be heading now?

1. It may be dicey, but not from a group stage- both Koreas are in the Asian confederation. Australia and New Zealand are NOT in the same confederation. Australia is now classified as part of Asia, while New Zealand is in Oceania.

2. You're dealing with 22 politicians- who will make a secret vote- doubt there is anyone who can speak with any certainty at all- despite what FIFA says, one can be fairly sure there are some deals in there.

 

[Zidane98]

Mind you, could Frank Lowy's quiet approach to the whole thing pay off ?

Nearly all the rivals (for 2018 and 2022) have been covered in controversy and sniping other bids.

Frank has only had "issues" with the AFL and the Age - and all that seems so long ago now.

Interestingly the BBC are planning a current affairs program "Panorama" into the whole affair - which FIFA are very pissed about.

I remember the french president famously lost the 2012 olypmics by one vote - Finlands - after a stupid aside saying "The only european country with worse cuisine than england is Finland"

You hit the nail on the head. Our biggest asset is Lowy's "no worries" approach. It was he who got us in to Asia when there was enormous opposition to us joining the AFC. Only Japan & Korea supported us initially but good old uncle Frank soon turned things around for us.

 

[usalion]

Have not read anything on FIFA meeting on Qatar- after the bannings and exonerations on Wednesday. Assume this means that their bid is good to go on 2 December, which will definitely make the Asian voting interesting. Wondering who bin hamman has lined up for Qatar? One would assume Spain is voting for Qatar- who else?

WC2002Oz' fear about a Qatari WC could become reality! Ouch.....I wouldn't ignore it like he claims he will, but it would say a lot about FIFA.....

 

[Zidane98]

Have not read anything on FIFA meeting on Qatar- after the bannings and exonerations on Wednesday. Assume this means that their bid is good to go on 2 December, which will definitely make the Asian voting interesting. Wondering who bin hamman has lined up for Qatar? One would assume Spain is voting for Qatar- who else?

WC2002Oz' fear about a Qatari WC could become reality! Ouch.....I wouldn't ignore it like he claims he will, but it would say a lot about FIFA.....

I can't see any way in the world now that Qatar are possibly going to get 12 votes (I seriously doubt Blatter would vote for them in a tie, all indications point towards him voting for Australia). They seem to have their own little faction of 6 exco members who are prepared to vote for them; enough to get them through the first round but not enough to net them victory.

Going back to Adamau & Temarii I read a report that FIFA is considering replacing them before Dec 2 on the premise that neither of them appeal their convictions. Will try and dig it up, stay tuned.

 

[Checker Hughes]

Have not read anything on FIFA meeting on Qatar- after the bannings and exonerations on Wednesday. Assume this means that their bid is good to go on 2 December, which will definitely make the Asian voting interesting. Wondering who bin hamman has lined up for Qatar? One would assume Spain is voting for Qatar- who else?

WC2002Oz' fear about a Qatari WC could become reality! Ouch.....I wouldn't ignore it like he claims he will, but it would say a lot about FIFA.....

It doesn't make Asian voting anywhere near the same problem as it does for the USA.It is after all their votes that have been stolen.

Qatar have got 9 votes

 

[usalion]

It doesn't make Asian voting anywhere near the same problem as it does for the USA.It is after all their votes that have been stolen.

Qatar have got 9 votes

Well, you have five members, but four countries in the bids- that will divide up things a bit. Still going to be interesting- hard to predict votes with various alliances and deals being made

 

[Checker Hughes]

Well, you have five members, but four countries in the bids- that will divide up things a bit. Still going to be interesting- hard to predict votes with various alliances and deals being made

Its not really.Its very complicated but understandable when you know the background to most 2 ,3 and 4 member alliances.There are definitely a few votes where those members have no solid grounding for voting that way and if the vote goes the way we think it will then there will be hell to pay for at least 1 gentleman

 

[mojito]

Has anyone else heard the soundbite from Teymarii about wanting to reform the FIFA internal structures?

I wonder if it's just lip service or an honest signal of intent? I hope it's the latter, I fear it's just the former.

 

[Checker Hughes]

Damn shame about him,he's the most progressive president the OFC has ever had