The leader of England’s 2018 World Cup bid has questioned the logic behind the BBC’s programme scheduling.
Andy Anson is disappointed that the publicly funded broadcaster plans to push ahead with their plans to a air a Panorama documentary just days before Fifa announces the hosts of the next two World Cups.
The bid team have already written to Fifa’s executive committee members distancing themselves from the investigation, which they believe rakes ‘over old issues’ already dealt with by Swiss courts.
The programme is set to broadcast three days before the Fifa vote on 2nd December and Anson says he is ‘incredibly disappointed with the timing’.
He added that the decision to show the documentary at such a crucial stage ‘is not very patriotic of the BBC’.
Suspended
Meanwhile, the Fifa ethics committee is set to make an announcement on Thursday on whether it will be taking action against the two executive members accused of asking for money in exchange for votes.
Nigeria’s Amos Adamu and Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii are currently suspended following an investigative report by the Sunday Times.
Fifa will also confirm the outcome of their investigation into allegations that 2018 World Cup bidders Spain/Portugal and 2022 hopefuls Qatar colluded to trade votes, which is against bidding regulations.
In the cases of Adamu and Temarii, if they see their suspensions lengthened, they will be unable to vote on 2nd December when the hosts for the 2018 and 2022 events are revealed.
The ethics committee will also rule on four former executive members – Slim Aloulou, Amadu Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi and Ismael Bhamjee – who have also been suspended in the wake of the Sunday Times probe.
