Mihir Bose's Blog, page 43

FIFA medical chief Michel D’Hooghe: Ignore the British press, there will be no re-vote on Qatar 2022

The British press clamour for it. British politicians, including the Prime Minister, demand it. But FIFA will not reopen the bidding for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The man telling me this, Michel D’Hooghe, speaks with great authority. A member of the FIFA executive since 1998, he took part in the vote four years ago which made the stunning decision to take the finals to the Gulf state.

Qatar 2022 and an Anglo-Saxon conspiracy

That the FIFA decision to award the World Cup to Qatar in 2022 is once again in the spotlight is no surprise but the manner in which it hogged the headlines last week has raised intriguing questions. These are how did the story emerge and is this an Anglo-Saxon conspiracy?

This is not to in any way suggest that the Daily Telegraph did not have a good story about the financial dealings between Jack Warner and Mohammed Bin Hammam just days after both, then members of the FIFA executive, voted on the Qatar bid. Claire Newell along with Jonathan Calvert, when the pair worked for the Sunday Times, exposed the corruption inside FIFA prior to the voting for the 2018 and 2002 bids. This led to two FIFA executive members being suspended with the result that only 22 sat round the table when the votes on the two bids took place in December 2010.

Heather Rabbatts: Sport is still a middle-aged white male society. We want girls to feel it is open to them

Heather Rabbatts may not have the instant name recognition of Karren Brady, West Ham vice-chair and star of The Apprentice but few women have been so successful in breaking football’s glass ceiling.

In December 2011, Rabbatts became the first woman to join the Football Association board — and the first black board member in the FA’s 150 years. But, when I suggest that her next step must surely be to chair the organisation, she bursts out laughing.

Football racism; personal or institutional?

You may think, if you live in England, enough has been said about Sol Campbell's extraordinary claim that had he been white he would been an automatic choice as England captain. Despite all those who have rubbished his claims he remains adamant, as he told me, that the colour of his face, as opposed to that of Michael Owen, just did not fit with the FA. All Campbell will budge on was that he did not mean to say he would have led the national side for ten years as originally reported but for a long time during the ten year period he played for his country.

US thinks it would win new vote on World Cup

The United States is confident it would win a vote to host the 2022 World Cup should FIFA reopen the bidding process in the wake of the latest allegations regarding the decision to make Qatar hosts.

The Gulf state beat the US 14-8 in the final round of voting of December 2010 but questions over that outcome intensified yesterday after the Daily Telegraph published claims regarding money paid to former FIFA vice president Jack Warner.

‘Bribe’ claims leave major issues for FIFA

The allegation that Jack Warner, the former FIFA vice‑president and his family, were paid almost $2million (£1.2m) by a Qatari firm within months of the Gulf state winning the right to host the 2022 World Cup is shocking but comes as little surprise.

Warner has form when it comes to corruption claims. In 2011 a FIFA ethics commission report found “compelling evidence” he was “an accessory to corruption”.

Giles Clarke: Utter nonsense to say England are at some sort of massive low ebb

There is a story going round that the reason Kevin Pietersen’s England contract was cancelled was a players’ revolt. Following the 5-0 Ashes debacle, the rest of the team told the mercurial star: “If you’re not going to win matches for us, you might as well go.”

As I narrate this story, Giles Clarke, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, creases up with laughter, saying: “I don’t think things got quite that cynical.”

Sol Campbell: I stand by my claims – Michael Owen’s face fitted more than mine – but I never said I should have been England captain for 10 years

Sol Campbell has always had a reputation for being a man of few words. Even then, it comes as a complete surprise to hear his response to those who have rubbished his claim he was not made England captain because of his colour.

“Good,” he tells me, then falls silent.

Sol Campbell: It hurt when FA said they did not want me

Sol Campbell has launched a stinging attack on the Football Association for rejecting his offer to work for them.

According to Campbell, English football’s governing body turned down his offer to work with the national team in the role Gary Neville was appointed to in 2012.

Geraghty: Bobs Worth’s in great form for Gold Cup, I couldn’t be any happier

Barry Geraghty gave Nicky Henderson a landmark triumph when he rode Bobs Worth to Gold Cup success last year.

It meant Henderson, already the most successful trainer in Cheltenham Festival history, was able to celebrate his 50th winner at the meeting and Geraghty is hopeful of adding to that tally when he partners Bobs Worth again in that race a week on Friday.