Corruption investigation of FIFA was overdue
International soccer corruption strikes closer to home than many American fans realize, according to a University of Idaho professor who’s also an expert in international sports politics.
Were it not for widespread corruption alleged this week, the United States could be looking forward to hosting the World Cup in 2022, said Bill Smith, the director of Idaho’s Martin Institute and Program in International Studies.
Instead, it will be held in Qatar, an oil-rich sheikdom in the Middle East. Allegations of corruption and vote-buying ensued shortly after Qatar edged out the United States in a 14-8 vote announced in December 2010.
“Corruption has come home to us,” said Smith, who predicted that the international scandal could overshadow the Women’s World Cup, which begins next week in Canada.
Smith said he fears that “FIFA will become the narrative, instead of the women.”
Smith noted that the American bid for the 2022 World Cup was rated highest on technical merit among the five entries, which also included Japan, South Korea and Australia; Qatar’s was rated low, mostly because of that nation’s intense summer heat and developing infrastructure.
However, Qatar “has been known to spread money around,” Smith said.
Indeed, following Wednesday’s arrest of seven FIFA officials in Zurich, Swiss authorities announced that they would investigate the last two World Cup elections, including Russia’s winning bid for 2018. Allegations are that Qatari officials directly or indirectly bribed committee members before the 2010 balloting.
The soccer officials are charged with conspiring to solicit and receive well over $150 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for their official support of the sports marketing executives who agreed to make the unlawful payments.
The charges announced on Wednesday stem from an FBI investigation, which alleges widespread corruption in FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, over the past 20 years.
Since some of the alleged crimes occurred on American soil, the U.S. will ask the Swiss government to extradite the executives, who would face as much as 20 years in prison.
“The FBI has long had a branch dedicated to corruption in sports, but usually this has meant targeting gambling and organized crime,” Smith said. “That FIFA – as powerful a sporting organization as there is, and long thought to be a corrupt one – is under investigation is a remarkable step.”
Smith said the action was overdue.
“We’ve given FIFA ample opportunity to clean their own house,” Smith said. Despite the scandal, Smith said he doubts FIFA will consider reversing the World Cup balloting; that would upset too many developing nations, he said.