(MENAFN- Arab Times) Russia and Qatar could lose the 2018 and 2022 World Cups if irregularities are proven in them being awarded the hosting rights, a FIFA official told a Swiss newspaper published Sunday. "If evidence exists that Qatar and Russia received the (World Cup) awards only thanks to bribes, then the awards could be annulled," head of FIFA's auditing and compliance committee Domenico Scala told the Sonntagszeitung weekly. He stressed though that "this evidence has not been provided" so far.
His comments are the first by a senior FIFA official to even open up the possibility of either Russia or Qatar not hosting the football showpiece in the wake of the recent scandals that have engulfed football's world governing body. Scala's comments come amid a corruption scandal engulfing football's world governing body, centring around 14 current or former FIFA officials and sports marketing executives accused by US prosecutors of taking part in a sweeping kickbacks scheme going back 20 years involving a total of $150 million in bribes.
The scandal, which also involves a Swiss probe into the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, has led to the resignation of long serving FIFA president Sepp Blatter last week, just four days after his reelection for a fifth successive term. On Thursday, Britain said it was ready to step in and hold the 2022 World Cup if it was taken away from Qatar, whose hosting has consistently been dogged by controversy. Late last month, FIFA ruled out a revote for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, insisting the hosts would not change.
Russia and Qatar have denied wrongdoing in the conduct of their bids for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, which were not the subject of charges announced by US prosecutors last week against FIFA officials. Scala made similar comments in 2013 but events over the last two weeks, which included a dawn police raid in Zurich and the arrests of several FIFAofficials on US charges, have added urgency to his remarks.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he supported Qatar hosting the 2022 tournament but said Britain would work with another country if FIFA re-opened the bidding process. "We would offer our support to any country that has been chosen to host the World Cup," Hammond told BBC World Service radio, saying the final decision would be for FIFA to make. He ruled out any British bid to host the 2022 competition if Qatar was stripped of hosting rights.
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