Gary Lineker Criticises FIFA’s Stand Amidst World Cup Bid Allegations
Opeyemi Oladunjoye
Ex-England striker Gary Lineker has criticised corruption allegations around FIFA, describing them as “nauseating” while also questioning the role of its president, Sepp Blatter.
“It makes you feel sick, the whole Fifa thing, the corruption at the top level is nauseating,” said the BBC presenter.”Sepp Blatter has run it like a dictatorship for so long and he comes out with so much nonsense.”
The Qatar 2022 bid committee, which finds itself at the centre of corruption allegations, has denied any wrongdoing in the bidding process. FIFA’s investigation committee is expected to deliver their report on the case in the first week of September.
The former Leicester, Barcelona and Tottenham striker who was part of England’s bid team ahead of the draw for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in December 2010, revealed that even before the announcement was made, there was a sense that the battle was lost already. England lost out to Russia in the race for 2018, while Qatar was a surprise choice to stage the 2022 edition.
Lineker said he believes one way of forcing reform at FIFA would be for what he termed “clean” countries to boycott future World Cups – although he acknowledged that would be unlikely to happen.
“It is such a shame because it is a massive sport and means so much to so many people,” he said. “England are too straight in a way – and I am not saying that as a criticism.
“We should stand up for what is right and if that means never hosting the World Cup again, fine. The only way it might change is for the clean countries to turn around and say we are not taking part in your tournaments. But I can’t see it happening.
There is too much at stake.”
