By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 18 – The head of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid team today welcomed FIFA”s decision to clear them of any vote-trading collusion saying he always knew they had done nothing wrong.
By Duncan Mackay in Zurich
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
November 18 – British Prime Minister David Cameron has invited FIFA vice-president Jack Warner to lunch in Zurich next week as lobbying for the 2018 World Cup intensifies, it has been reported.
By Duncan Mackay in Zurich
November 18 – Two members of FIFA’s ruling Executive Committee accused of corruption were today prevented from voting in the decision to award the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 after they were banned for three and one years respectively by the organisation’s Ethics Committee.
By Tom Degun in London
November 17 – Andy Anson, the chief executive of the England 2018 World Cup bid, has hit out at the BBC accusing them of being “unpatriotic” in their plans to screen a Panorama documentary regarding allegations of FIFA corruption.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 17 – The most powerful man in Asian football insisted today that Qatar was still on track to host the World Cup despite an unfavourable assessment by FIFA but stressed the world governing body should “never again” vote on back to back tournaments at the same time.
By David Owen
November 16 – Qatar’s ambitious bid to bring the World Cup to the Middle East has been dealt a blow by FIFA inspectors, who have branded plans to play the competition there in June and July as “a potential health risk”.
By David Owen
November 16 – FIFA inspectors have criticised England’s 2018 World Cup bid for potentially exposing world football’s governing body to “excessive” hotel pricing and booking conditions.
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
November 15 – The head of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid has launched a passionate defence of his country’s campaign as the Gulf state readies itself for a verdict that could decide its fate two weeks before schedule.
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The FA have just written to FIFA to try and repair the damage caused by the Sunday Times and forthcoming BBC Panorama investigations into World Cup bidding. I’m sorry to say that I don’t think the letter will make an iota of difference, although I hope I’m wrong, because I would dearly love to see the World Cup come back to England.
But FIFA is desperate not to make a mistake in awarding the 2018 World Cup,
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November 15 – England 2018 have sent a letter to all FIFA Executive Committee members to try to repair the damage caused by two media investigations into World Cup bidding.
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Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous comment “football, bloody hell” made after Manchester United did the treble in 1999, could well apply to the World Cup bids. Had a script-writer presented this scenario, it would have been rejected out of hand.
The script has as a key player a man who scored the winning goal against England nearly 30 years ago, and has seen the English bid team effectively apologising for the UK media.
The key question is: can David Cameron do what Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær did for Manchester United in Barcelona and conjure up an England victory?
By Andrew Warshaw
November 14 – One of the two FIFA officials under investigation over World Cup bribery claims is taking legal action against the Sunday Times as he waits to be told whether he face further sanctions from the top table of world football.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 12 – The most powerful man in Asian football reacted furiously today at suggestions he had fuelled corruption allegations during a recent meeting of the FIFA executive committee.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 12 – Holland and Belgium’s joint 2018 World Cup bid rolled into France today and shook off the underdog status that has dogged them since the start of the campaign.
By David Owen
November 12 – A glittering array of VIPs is expected in Zurich next month for the climax of the high-stakes battles for the right to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.