It was a subzero afternoon when FIFA officials gathered at a pavilion in Zurich to select the venue for two World Cups. Following Russia’s announcement, FIFA President Sepp Blatter took the stage to remove the envelope to reveal Qatar’s name as hosts of the 2022 World Cup. There was a surprised murmur.
The scene I witnessed in December 2010 covering the event for Folha de S. Paulo is portrayed by the Netflix series Uncoverd FIFA (Fifa Schemes) with images of surprised, embarrassed and angry faces Jerome Valcke says, Blatter asked him to “smile”. The embarrassment was palpable, except for the ebullient Qataris and most of the FIFA Executive Committee members who chose the country.
In addition, the third chapter of the Netflix series tells about the suspicions about Qatar’s election. There are no new facts. But there are statements from all the main players, members of the Executive Committee, Blatter, Valcke, Qataris, whistleblowers.
“The decision to go to Qatar is very difficult to explain. It’s a disaster for FIFA, especially at a time when FIFA was in the spotlight for bribery,” said Guido Tognoni, a former Blatter adviser.
The former Fifa president did not want the country in the Middle East as the chosen one: he preferred the candidacy of the USA. But it was shielded by the other members of the Executive Committee: all the presidents of the continental confederations (South America, Central and North America, Europe, Africa and Asia) voted for Qatar.
The international media reaction of disbelief led to investigations into the voting decisions. The biggest scandal was the denunciation of the former media officer of the Qatar 2022 candidacy, Phaedra Almajid. She said she witnessed the offer of money to African federations in exchange for votes for Qatar for the cup.
“We had different members of the Executive Committee in the suite at different times of the night. (Issa) Hayattou, Jacques (Anouma), (Amos) Adamu. And we did South Africa and how Africa had its chance to host the Cup. And how the Arab world deserves this chance. And so Hassan offered the Football Association $1 million. And in return, we wanted your vote. I remember hearing laughter. And he said it wasn’t enough. And with no more or less, the price rose to $1.5 million. Sounds easy and it was easy. We’ll give the money to your association, and you give us your vote, and thank you, see you later. And gradually we did the same with Anouma and Adamu. $1.5 million was offered to each member in exchange for their vote,” says Phaedra in the show’s testimony. Africa had three votes on the Executive Committee.
This first report comes as an anonymous whistleblower for the English newspaper Sunday Times, which ran the headline ‘Qatar bought the trophy’. The leader of Qatar’s 2022 bid, Hassan Al Thawadi, denies the allegation, as do others against the country. “My reaction, especially to the situation, Phaedra? It was frustration for both of them. They are wrong and they have facts to prove them wrong.”
Other points raised by the documentary are political negotiations, which involve possible beneficial exchanges for voters or their countries with voters. In the case of Brazil, thenCBF President Ricardo Teixeira says his vote for Qatar was closed at a meeting with the Emir in Brazil.
“The Emir of Qatar came to Brazil. He stayed for a while, visiting President Lula, who also thought Qatar was a good solution. We had lunch in Rio de Janeiro. I was there, the Emir of Qatar, João Havelange, there about eight or nine people. There we agreed to support Qatar,” Teixeira said. “And favors are exchanged in every sphere of life. But bribes for something I never received,” Teixeira said.
The US Department of Justice points to the former president of the CBF as one of those who received an offer or even a bribe for his vote. This would be related to friendly selection. Teixeira denies it.
Another case involved thenUEFA President Michel Platini, who also voted for Qatar. He was called to a meeting with then French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The son of the Emir of Qatar was present unbeknownst to Platini.
“From what I understand, France wants me to vote for Qatar. I understood that, but nobody asked me for anything,” says Platini in the documentary. He then claimed that Sarkorzy may have sold his vote in favor of France, knowing he had previously voted for the Middle Eastern country.
There were other movements related to the voices of the representatives of Thailand and Turkey in the Executive Committee on suspicions of deals related to natural gas and the purchase of land by Qatar.
Hassan rejects all allegations and considers them unrealistic: “The facts are clear. Some are extremely unrealistic. Natural gas is our natural resource that will shape our future. It will not be used to vote for the World Cup,” he counters. “It feeds on the cliché of Arab sheikhs throwing money. That’s why this cup is important. We need to end stereotypes. We stick to the rules, we stick to our moral values. We won on the merits of our candidacy.”
Ultimately, FIFA’s investigative report by Micheal Garcia, a former member of the FBI, regarding bribery in favor of Qatar was inconclusive. There was no definitive evidence of corruption in the proceedings, although Garcia later criticized FIFA for not completing the investigation. As a result, there was no process to withdraw the Qatar Cup.
In conclusion, thenHead of FIFA World Cup Inspection Harolds MayneNicholls says he would never expect Qatar to win given the outcome of his report. The technical document identified the country as the worst candidate and an unviable candidature due to the summer heat.
“I never thought I would win Qatar. I didn’t have the football tradition, nor was I rated the best in the report. I would have to practically rebuild the city, build all the stadiums and build hotels for the tourists. But what was an insurmountable problem was how we were going to play in May, June and July,” he tells Netflix. None of the members of the executive committee who voted called him for details of the report.
In the 12 years following the FIFA Congress that chose Qatar, the organization experienced an earthquake that was investigated by US authorities. Blatter fell, Gianni Infantino took over. But Qatar will host the World Cup in November and December.