FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke during an event in Russia said that it would be “nonsense” to proceed the bidding process for the tournament for the mean time.Meanwhile, FIFA said its executive committee would have an exceptional meeting in July to discuss “various dates options” for the Congress that will appoint the person who will replace Blatter.however,the FBI are making reasearch on bribery and corruption at FIFA, including investigation on how soccer’s governing body conferred the right to host the World Cup to Russia, which won the bidding for 2018, while Qatar, which is due to host the finals in 2022.The extent of the confusion surrounding FIFA was apparent in the emotional outbreak by Valcke who is always composed, he said the media in his native France destroyed him and gave a theatrical defence of his decision to sign off on a $10 million payment at the centre of the U.S. bribery investigation.
Pulsating his pen in front of journalists, an impatient Valcke asked:
“You want me to take this pen and to hit my head and say ‘Hey! I have been stupid,I should have asked many more questions?”
“You have decided that after Blatter I have to be next head to be cut?” said Valcke at a news conference in Samara, a city in Russia, which would be one of the 2018 host venues.Blatter aubmitted his resignation on June 2, which was the fourth day after having been re-elected for a fifth term.He wants to remain in office until his successor has been elected in order for him to carry out reforms at FIFA. Meanwhile there have been calls for him to step down at once due the weight of the crisis facing the 111-year-old organisation.His announcement came not up to a week after Swiss police staged a dawn raid on a luxury hotel in Zurich which saw many been arrested over corruption charges filed by U.S. prosecutors in New York.
Concerning the 2026 World Cup, Valcke said:
“Due to the situation, I think it’s nonsense to start any bidding process for the mean time. It will be postponed.”
The decision on who should host the 2026 finals had been set to be made in Kuala Lumpur in 2017. Vitaly Mutko who is the Russian sports minister said he saw no threat in Russia hosting the cup in 2018 and its bid was in line with the law.Valcke, Blatter’s right-hand man, said Russia’s plans were on track and there had been nothing in its bid to suggest it was not in line with the regulations.
UEFA president Michel Platini in Paris, holding his first news conference since Blatter resigned, agreed on the decision to postpone the bidding for 2026 world cup.
“It’s normal. There was a process that was launched for a vote in 2017,” said Platini, who has become a leading critic of Blatter and FIFA.
“There is no leadership at the moment, so it’s normal that it’s suspended. It’s good.”
Meanwhile the German Football Association came up with a vital plan for reform of FIFA which is likely to be rejected by many of FIFA’s officials outside Europe.Its president, Wolfgang Niersbach, said Blatter was not doing himself or football any good if he stays on.Niersbach requested for a clean-up at FIFA, with an end to corruption and greater transparency. Also saying FIFA’s voting structure should be based on the “size and sporting relevance” of its member federations.
As it stands, each of FIFA’s 209 members has a vote, with powerhouses Germany and Brazil having the same influence as small Pacific islands. On Blatter’s replacement, FIFA wont attest to a report made by BBC that the election would take place on Dec. 16 in Zurich. A week ago, Domenico Scala,who is the head of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee and the person responsible for the supervision of the election, said it could take place any time between December and March. Four months’ notice are needed for a presidential election to be held.
“It requires an extraordinary Executive Committee that needs to confirm a date and agenda for the extraordinary elective Congress,” one FIFA spokesperson said in a statement to Reuters.
“This extraordinary Executive Committee will convene in July, the precise date to be confirmed within this week. For this extraordinary elective Congress (to elect Blatter’s successor) there are currently various date options for discussion.”
The man Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, who lost to Blatter in the election, is tipped as a possible candidate and Chung Mong-joon, the billionaire scion of South Korea’s Hyundai conglomerate, is also weighing up a bid.In an early indication that the FIFA scandal is most likely to have a legal repercussions, the Dutch city of Eindhoven said it was considering suing FIFA to recover 1.5 million euros spent on the Dutch/Belgian bid for the 2018 cup.A lawsuit could ensue if the period is found to have been infected with corruption, spokeswoman Corine van der Putten said.
Source: Indianexpress.com