The Netherlands and Belgium have sought legal advice over whether to seek compensation for the cost of their abortive World Cup bid after discovering the choice of Russia for the 2018 finals was pre-planned.
The Dutch and Belgian soccer associations on Tuesday announced they have contacted a legal firm after suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter said two weeks ago that soccer’s world governing body agreed Russia would be hosts long before the completion of the bidding process.
Blatter made the disclosure in an interview with Russian reporters, sparking uproar from the joint Belgian-Dutch bid and from England, who also bid for the right to host the finals.
Photo: AFP
“An interview is not enough to take steps, but we are preparing ourselves for the outcome of a continuing investigation,” a Royal Dutch Football Association spokesman said.
“In agreement with our Dutch colleagues, we have asked a legal firm to see if we can claim for compensation,” Royal Belgian Football Association president Francois de Keersmaecker said. “It was unethical to allow us to incur unnecessary costs while the outcome of the bidding process had already been determined.”
“On the basis of the advice we get, we’ll decide what steps to take next,” he said.
The joint bid, which cost the Dutch and Belgian associations 10 million euros (US$10.7 million), went up against another joint bid from Portugal and Spain, as well as individual bids from England and Russia in the vote to decide the hosts of the 2018 World Cup.
England were eliminated after the first round of voting, while the Dutch-Belgian bid finished third in the second round, where Russia received the necessary majority to be declared winners.
The Football Association, the governing body of English soccer, is also seeking legal advice and have sent FIFA questions about the 2018 bid process.
Blatter last month told Russia’s TASS news agency about the bidding process.
“It was agreed that we go to Russia [for 2018] ... and for 2022 we go back to America. And so we will have the World Cup in the two biggest political powers,” he said.
The 2022 tournament was awarded to Qatar.
Blatter has been suspended from FIFA, which has been rocked by a US Department of Justice investigation into bribery, money-laundering and wire fraud at the sport’s governing body.
Blatter is serving a 90-day suspension imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee, which is looking into a 2 million Swiss franc (US$2.03 million) payment Blatter made to Michel Platini in 2011 — a case that is part of a separate Swiss criminal investigation.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two