Egypt plans gold fund law, seeks to become regional refining hub    Egyptian pound dips against US dollar in early Thursday trade    Egypt's electricity minister, Copelouzos Group discuss progress on Egypt–Greece power interconnection    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Prime Developments, Osoul for Tourism Development launch EGP 1.25bn CLAN project in Hurghada    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Total financing by FRA-regulated entities hits EGP 640.1bn in June 2025    Egypt, Saudi Arabia reject Israeli plan to occupy Gaza    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    27 Western countries issue joint call for unimpeded aid access to Gaza    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Australia to recognise Palestinian state in September, New Zealand to decide    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Global matcha market to surpass $7bn by 2030: Nutrition expert    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Oil rises on Wednesday    Egypt, Uganda strengthen water cooperation, address Nile governance    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Egypt, Malawi explore pharmaceutical cooperation, export opportunities    Korean Cultural Centre in Cairo launches folk painting workshop    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



FIFA suspends 2026 World Cup's Bidding Process
Published in Amwal Al Ghad on 10 - 06 - 2015

Fifa has postponed the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup in light of the ongoing investigations into the award of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Its secretary general Jérôme Valcke, under pressure over a $10m payment from South African World Cup organisers to the former Fifa vice-president Jack Warner that US prosecutors say was a bribe, confirmed the move at a press conference in Russia, saying it would be "nonsense" to begin the process in the current climate.
Amid the crisis caused by US charges against 14 football officials, and guilty pleas from four more, Fifa decided that bidders from any confederation except Asia could bid for the 2026 tournament and that a decision would be made by the 209 member associations in May 2017.
However, Valcke said the process had now been postponed. The US, Mexico and Canada were expected to be among the bidders.
Swiss prosecutors and the FBI are both looking into the controversial bidding process for the 2018 tournament, to be played in Russia, and the 2022 World Cup, awarded to Qatar. A disputed summary of a Fifa ethics committee report last year ruled there was not sufficient evidence to strip either country of the World Cup but the head of the audit and compliance committee, Domenico Scala, has confirmed it remains a possibility if new evidence emerges.
The summary, which sparked the resignation of the report's author Michael Garcia, detailed a list of allegations against Qatar and said Russia had been unable to cooperate because the organising committee had lost all its emails.
Following a meeting of the World Cup organising committee in Samara, Valcke insisted the Russian World Cup was on track before the qualifying draw in St Petersburg in July. "Overall the preparations for the Fifa Confederations Cup and the Fifa World Cup as well as our first major event, the preliminary draw, are well under way and on schedule," said Valcke.
Russia's 2018 local organising committee chairman, Vitaly Mutko, also a member of the Fifa executive committee and the country's sports minister, said preparations were "well on track and on schedule". He added: "There's no doubt all the events of 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia will go through at top level."
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, had been critical of the US investigation, claiming it was a plot to oust the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, and destabilise the 2018 World Cup.
Valcke also defended Fifa's handling of a $10m payment to a Caribbean Football Union account controlled by Warner, the former Fifa vice-president whose deputy Chuck Blazer has pleaded guilty in court of taking some of the money as a bribe to vote for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup. The payment followed a 2008 letter from the South African Football Association to Valcke asking for the money to be deducted for the World Cup budget and sent as a legacy programme to be administered by Warner.
"It was not Fifa's money, it was a request from official South African authorities and SAFA," he said. "As long as it is in line with rules we do it. I don't understand what's the problem and why I am such a target in this question. You [the media] have decided that after Blatter I am the head to be cut, fine, but don't say it is because of this $10m."
A decision on the date for the election of Blatter's successor as president will be taken next month with 16 December one possible option. Fifa said an extraordinary meeting of its executive committee will take place in July when the date for a congress to hold the presidential election will be set.
A spokesman said: "It requires an extraordinary executive committee to confirm a date and agenda for the extraordinary elective congress. This extraordinary executive committee will convene in July, the precise date to be confirmed this week."
Blatter confirmed his departure at a hastily-arranged press conference in Zurich last Tuesday and said he would stay as president until the election which is due to be held between December and March.
Source: The Guardian


Clic here to read the story from its source.