The head of Germany’s soccer federation on Wednesday called for soccer’s governing body FIFA to re-examine the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, following a corruption scandal.
“There is a considerable degree of suspicion that one cannot simply sweep aside, and I must expect that awarding this World Cup under these conditions needs to be examined anew,” Theo Zwanziger told German television, referring to Qatar.
“I first would like to comment on how that should be done when I know more about the facts. Like I said, I’m an outsider and was not a member of the executive,” he said.
The game’s reputation has come intense scrutiny after a spate of corruption allegations, the suspension of two senior FIFA officials and suggestions Qatar bought the 2022 World Cup, accusations the Gulf state has strenuously denied.
“If FIFA behaves the way people expect, that is by clearly taking action against this cancerous tumour of bribery, then there is no need for these concerns,” Zwanziger said, referring to fears sponsors could start pulling out.
“None of us could have imagined such a scandal. There is no end to the suspicions falling on members the FIFA executive,” he said.
“The task now is to shed light in a determined fashion, punish the guilty and develop mechanisms that prevent something like this from ever happening again,” Zwanziger added.
In a statement given last week, Qatar’s bid team said the allegations of bribery was “wholly unsupported” by any first-hand evidence.
“These individuals… do not state when the alleged bribes were to be paid, how the negotiations with the individuals concerned had been conducted or crucially how they came to know of the alleged bribes,” the statement said.
“On any proper view, their evidence is worthless.”
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