A published report claims UEFA president Michel Platini was gifted a Picasso painting in return for support for the Russia 2018 World Cup bid. Platini strenuously denies the allegation. 
Russia and Qatar, the hosts of the two World Cups, have been cleared of allegations of corruption by FIFA. Russia, the 2018 host and Qatar, which will host the tournament in 2022, were absolved of wrongdoing. 
Michael Garcia (left) handed his report on the bidding process for the 2018 / 2022 World Cups to the FIFA Ethics Committee. Garcia has also called for the findings of his report to be made public. 
FIFA has been plagued by a series of problems and controversies since Russia and Qatar was awarded the right to stage the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. 
The announcement by FIFA in 2010 that Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup finals has brought greater exposure for the tiny emirate. 
It has also placed world governing body FIFA under pressure as to just when the tournament will be held. The organization's secretary general Jerome Valcke says he expects the 2022 World Cup to be played between November and January. 
It's not just when the 2022 World Cup will be played that has caused Qatar and FIFA problems. Qatar has come under pressure over the plight of the country's migrant workers, who make up 90 per cent of Qatar's population. 
This has been been highlighted by the International Trade Union Confederation, which has criticized Qatar's system of sponsorship which ties workers to employers and has been abused in the past. The ITUC also point to the high number of worker deaths and the conditions that many find themselves in. Temperatures on building sites in the summer months can hit 50 degree Celcius. 
Qatar's ambitious plans for the 2022 World Cup include building brand new, state of the art stadiums that would rival any in the world. 
But costs have spiraled and the technology has yet to be successfully deployed in full. 
But the new allegations by the Sunday Times could, if proven, see the vote for the 2022 final rerun, making questions about timing irrelevant. 
The Sunday Times report also claims Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) allegedly won the covert support of FIFA President Sepp Blatter (R) to enhance the claims of the Russia 2018 bid. 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
- FIFA holding two-day meeting in Morocco
- Vote expected to take place on publication of Garcia report on Friday
- Qatar and Russia cleared of alleged wrongdoing
- Michael Garcia resigned from his position on Wednesday
Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- It's the story that keeps on giving.
Just what happened on December 2, 2010 when football's world governing body FIFA decided to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar?
It's a decision that has subsequently forced FIFA to fight wave after wave of corruption allegations over the bidding process.
The world governing body had hoped a key report to investigate these corruption claims would end the speculation and allow it to get on with the job of running the biggest football show on earth.
Fat chance -- football fans, sponsors, politicians and celebrities are demanding that FIFA publish the report into the alleged wrongdoing surrounding the bidding process for those two tournaments. But will FIFA listen as it meets in Marrakech, Morocco?
Here's our guide on what to expect over the next couple of days.
Why is this important?
It's the meeting everyone has been waiting for -- the moment FIFA could finally decide to publish the report into the alleged wrongdoing during the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
FIFA has always maintained that it could not publish the full report, compiled by independent investigator Michael Garcia, because it would break witness confidentiality.
But it turns out that not everybody thinks that's the case.
In fact, one member of the executive committee, Theo Zwanziger, reckons the report can be published with a series of redactions and will propose such a measure on Friday.
He already has backing from a number of committee members including Michel Platini, the president of European football's governing body UEFA, and Sunil Gulati, the head of U.S. Soccer.
Several leading figures such as vice-president Jim Boyce, who told British Newspaper The Times that FIFA must take this "massive" opportunity to restore the public's trust in the organization.
Former adviser: FIFA 'a power unto itself' 
FIFA sponsorship troubles continue 
Was a Picasso offered as a kickback? The report has created tensions within the football world ever since Garcia said it should be published last September.
FIFA didn't like that at all; his request was rejected and it came close to disciplining the New York lawyer for speaking out, according to Garcia.
Instead, last month, Hans-Joachim Eckert, a FIFA judge, published a 42-page summary of the report -- only for Garcia to respond immediately by claiming the German's publication contained "numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations."
Eckert's summary cleared Russia and Qatar of any wrongdoing.
When Garcia appealed against Eckert's findings he was told his complaint was inadmissible. That was a decision which prompted the U.S. attorney to quit his role and launch a fierce attack on FIFA, accusing it of a "lack of leadership."
Aside from the politics, the World Cup is big business. According to Forbes, FIFA made $2 billion off the back of the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Not bad for a not-for-profit organization.
Who is Michael Garcia?
Garcia was the man chosen by FIFA to head up the investigation into alleged corruption during the World Cup bidding process.
He worked as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York between 2005 and 2008 on some of the highest profile cases in the city.
When he took on the role of FIFA's independent investigator in July 2012 he promised to get to the bottom of what had happened.
Over 19 months, he compiled a report examining each of the bidding teams and speaking to witnesses from across the world of football.
His 350-page report was delivered in September and given to Eckert to read.
He was charged with investigating the World Cup bidding process, but he's had enough: http://t.co/3UlbLfPWjI http://ift.tt/1ALPYTE
— CNN Football Club (@CNNFC) December 17, 2014 Why has he resigned?
Garcia quit on the eve of the meeting in Marrakech and didn't go quietly.
In a statement issued just 24 hours after his appeal was rejected, Garcia made public his frustration.
Thierry Henry has called time on a long and distinguished football career. The former French international, who turned 37 last August, announced his decision on Tuesday. He has spent the last four seasons playing for MLS side the New York Red Bulls. 
Henry began his career with Monaco, playing in the principality between 1994 to 1999.
He rose to prominence at the 1998 World Cup, scoring three goals as France won the tournament in front of their home supporters. 
France's all-time leading goalscorer with 51 goals, Henry called time on his international career in 2010 after 123 appearances.
After a year with Juventus, Henry's career took off when he signed for English side Arsenal in 1999. Here, he holds his newly pressed shirt with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger at the North London club's old ground, Highbury. 
Henry wheels away after scoring his 100th Premier League goal for Arsenal against Southampton in 2004. 
He is Arsenal's all-time record goalscorer, netting 175 times for the club. Henry helped Wenger's side win two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He was part of Arsenal's "Invincibles" team of 2003-04, which went through the season without losing a league match. 
In 2007, Henry moved to Spain, joining Barcelona. A successful spell included two La Liga titles, one Copa del Ray and a European Champions League title in 2009. 
Henry with Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi following the Champions League final win over Manchester United in 2009. Henry had picked up a runners-up medal with Arsenal in 2006. 
A bronze statue of Henry was unveiled outside Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in 2011. It became an instant hit with the North London club's fans. 
Henry returned to Arsenal for a brief last hurrah in 2012 playing four matches during a loan spell from the New York Red Bulls. He didn't disappoint scoring the winning goal in his first game back -- a third-round FA Cup tie against Leeds United. "He may be cast in bronze but he's still capable of producing truly golden moments," a TV commentator roared as the Frenchman celebrated. Thierry Henry: Career highlights 
Jurgen Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley as the U.S. manager in 2011. 
He came with a big reputation, scoring goals for Bayern Munich, Inter, Tottenham, Monaco, Stuttgart -- and of course the German national team. 
Under Klinsmann and assistant Joachim Low, second from left, Germany enjoyed a successful World Cup on home soil in 2006, too, reaching the semifinals. 
But Klinsmann, who would go on to become Bayern Munich's manager, was heavily criticized by Germany defender Philipp Lahm. 
Klinsmann didn't last one season at Bayern and was fired in April 2009. 
Klinsmann hasn't been given an easy ride by the U.S. media. A story last year citing unnamed people connected to the U.S. team came down harshly on the 49-year-old. 
In his biggest call yet, Klinsmann omitted Landon Donovan from the U.S. 2014 World Cup squad. 
With Klinsmann at the helm, however, the U.S. achieved historic wins against Mexico and, pictured here, Italy in pre-tournament matches. The USMNT reached the second round of Brazil 2014, before suffering extra-time elimination at the hands of Belgium. Klinsmann in hot seat 
Today's stadiums are architectural feats of design which must elevate the senses, capture the spirit of a community, and become an icon of the city long after a sports event ends. Here, the distinctive "spotty" Borisov Arena in Belarus is home to the country's football team. The space-age arena opened earlier this year and cost $37 million. 
"The shape of the arena works perfectly both in terms of acoustics, as well as creating an introverted atmosphere," said designer Spela Videcnik, from Ofis Architects. "This introversion helps players to focus on a match, and the acoustics create a great supporting atmosphere." 
Built for this year's World Cup in Manaus, Brazil, the Amazon Arena's reptilian facade was inspired by wildlife in the surrounding rainforest. 
"If you look into the structures of nature like a leaf, or the skin of a snake, there's always a logical system behind it," explained stadium designer Hubert Nienhoff, of GMP Architects. 
"We're not in direct dialogue with the supporters," said Nienhoff. "But we have to understand their social and cultural background, the region and its history. That way we capture the whole spirit of the place." 
Nienhoff also designed the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, for the 2010 South African World Cup. 
"The mayor asked us for something that would 'put Durban on the map,'" said Neinhoff. 
His architecture firm is also behind the $500m redevelopment of Real Madrid's home -- the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. 
"We were inspired by medieval cathedrals, with all their sculptures and paintings around the building telling their stories," architect Volkwin Marg told CNN. 
Housing a retail area, restaurants and hotel among the attractions under its metallic membrane, the multipurpose arena will transform a stadium where construction began 70 years ago. 
Celebrity Iraqi-born British architect, Zaha Hadid's design for the 2020 Olympic stadium in Tokyo was recently described Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki, as: "A turtle waiting for Japan to sink so that it can swim away." The 83-year-old warned: "Tokyo will surely be burdened with a gigantic white elephant." 
"While the New National Stadium in Tokyo will be used for the 2020 Olympic Games, the stadium is being built to host the widest variety of events in the future. Its first major international event will actually be as a venue for Japan's hosting of the 2019 Rugby World Cup -- the first country in Asia to host the event," said Jim Heverin, director at Zaha Hadid Architects which designed the arena. "The key to a successful stadium is to design for these long term requirements, rather than the one-off event such as the Olympics." 
Hadid's firm is also behind the 2020 World Cup stadium in Qatar. "The local Al Wakrah football team has been consulted throughout the design development by the client, as they will be the users of the stadium for generations after the 2020 Qatar World Cup," said Heverin. 
"There remains an ancient desire of humans to congregate together to watch others perform," said Jim Heverin, director at Zaha Hadid Architects. "So in many ways a stadium still needs to perform the same function as the Colosseum, and in many ways the success of future stadiums will be the ability to maintain the sense of collective congregation and a shared experience, whilst incorporating new demands." 
Shortlisted in the sports category at this year's World Architecture Festival, the Luanda Multisports Pavilion, in Angola may not appear particularly striking during the day... 
... but at night its exterior panels light up in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colors. "More important then capturing the spirit of a country or city, is to be able to read the dreams and hopes of its inhabitants," designers, Berger Architects, said of $90 million building. 
Winner of the sports category at this year's World Architecture Festival, the $1.3 billion Singapore Sports Hub features a 55,000-seater stadium, swimming pool complex and water sports facilities. 
"I don't think anyone had really designed a successful stadium for the tropics before," said architect Clive Lewis of Arup Assocites. "In the past, if they had a tropical rainstorm they pretty much had to cancel the event. And that's where the dome roof concept came from." 
One of the biggest challenges for a stadium is to continue surviving the community long after a major sports event has ended. The Olympic Stadium in Berlin was originally constructed for the 1936 Games. 
It was later redeveloped by GMP Architects and opened in 2004, eventually hosting games during the 2006 World Cup. 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Sports stadium architecture: Welcome to the new temples of pleasure "It now appears that, at least for the foreseeable future, the Eckert Decision will stand as the final word on the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process," he said.
"No independent governance committee, investigator, or arbitration panel can change the culture of an organization."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he was surprised by Garcia's resignation but that the "work of the Ethics Committee will nonetheless continue."
What is going on at FIFA?
FIFA is taking a battering in the press -- particularly the British press -- after its failure to deal with the furor surrounding the Garcia report.
Football fans are growing tired of the body's refusal to reform, while former players such as England's Gary Lineker have taken to Twitter to vent their frustration.
Sponsors such as Visa and Coca-Cola have both issued statements criticizing FIFA over its lack of transparency, while Sony will not be renewing its partnership with the organization when its endorsement deal ends in the near future.
There is still widespread skepticism at the way Russia and Qatar won the rights to host the next World Cup even though both were cleared of any wrongdoing and deny any allegations of wrongdoing.
FIFA's executive committee, which is made up of 25 people, now faces the conundrum of what to do about the Garcia report.
Meanwhile Blatter, the president who is still going strong at the age of 78, is expected to stand for a fifth term as head of FIFA. That plan has angered both UEFA and the English Football Association, which have said is time for the Swiss to stand down.
Blatter faces little competition to retain his presidency and is already assured of support from Asia, Africa and South America.
Jerome Champagne, the only man to have openly declared his candidacy, is unlikely to trouble Blatter at the polls.
What next in FIFA's ethics scandal? 
FIFA embroiled in controversy 
Former FIFA advisor on investigation Will the World Cup still be held in Qatar?
It looks likely at the moment, despite huge protests over the Gulf State's human rights record and the allegations of corruption which surrounded the bid, that Qatar will keep the tournament.
According to a report by DLA Piper and confirmed by the government, 964 workers from Bangladesh, India and Nepal died while living and working in the country in 2012 and 2013.
The International Trade Union Confederation has estimated that 4,000 workers could die while working on projects by the time the 2022 World Cup begins.
The Qatari government says there are more than over 1.4 million foreign workers currently plying their trade in the country and conditions are improving.
According to the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the organization responsible for the World Cup, huge progress has been made to improve the lives of migrant workers.
It says that it "is committed to improving labor conditions for workers employed on 2022 FIFA World Cup projects and the Workers' Welfare Committee works to achieve the highest possible standards for those employed on its projects -- this not only includes construction workers, but also workers of service suppliers."
What next?
So it's all eyes on FIFA's executive committee. If the proposal is rejected to publish the Garcia report with the redactions, FIFA will once again be questioned over its willingness to reform and provide greater transparency within the organization.
Whatever happens, it is unlikely to affect Blatter's position at the top of world football.
He is already, barring an almighty disaster, likely to retain his role as president for another four years in May.
The decision on whether the world gets to know what really happened will be made on Friday.
Read: Garcia resigns from FIFA role
Read: FIFA embroiled in civil war
No comments:
Post a Comment