Adidas, Sony and Visa demand inquiry into WC Football 2022

5 million dollars in bribes

Electronics manufacturer Sony, sportswear manufacturer Adidas and credit card supplier Visa demand a quick resolution regarding the troubles that have arisen surrounding Qatar’s winning bid for the World Championship Football 2022. The three huge sponsors have asked, in separate statements, that the allegations (from the Sunday Times for example) are examined quickly. This particular newspaper claims to have documents that prove that former Fifa board member Mohamed Bin Hammam has paid out 5 million in bribes to get the World Championship to Qatar.

Adidas has stated in its press release that the “negative atmosphere is bad publicity for the Fifa and its partners” and that it has “faith that the issue will get the highest priority”. Sony demands an inquiry and “expects Fifa to adhere to its principles of ethical integrity and fair play in each and every aspect of its activities”. Visa follows that line of thought: “We do not doubt Fifa will draw the appropriate conclusions from the inquiry.”

Report after WC Brazil

Currently, the Fifa is examining the accusations, not only for Qatar but also for the 2018 Russian bid, whether these bids have followed the rules. Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, had already called the Qatar bid a “mistake”. Thierry Wil, Fifa’s marketing director, has stated that its current inquiry will do exactly what the advertisers requested.

The results of the inquiry will only be revealed after the World Championship in Brazil has finished. Jim Boyce (vice president) and Michel Platini (UEFA president) have already indicated that they would want to go through the voting process again if the inquiry shows that there have been issues with the previous bids.