World Football News: Roger Burden attacks FIFA as England lose the 2018 World Cup bid to Russia
Roger Burden, one of the most important football related individuals in England, the acting chairman of the English Football Association has lashed out against FIFA in the aftermath of England’s loss in Zurich to the Russian 2018 bid. England were in competition
with the likes of Russia, Portugal/Spain and Netherlands/Belgium to capture the hosting rights of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
After seemingly cementing themselves as favourites to capture the hosting rights in the final days leading up to the voting process thanks to some remarkable lobbying by Prince William and David Beckham, England were let down by FIFA’s executive committee
members as the England 2018 bid exited the voting process in the very first round.
England only managed to secure 2 votes out of a total 22 in the first round of voting and in the second round of voting, Russia obtained an outright majority of 13 votes to knockout rivals such as Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal. The western European
bids suffered a huge blow as FIFA’s members endorsed Russia as the right host for the 2018 World Cup. A lot of reaction has surfaced since Sepp Blatter’s announcement that Russia will be hosting the 2018 World Cup.
In the light of FIFA’s decision, the acting chairman of F.A has outlined that he is not prepared to deal with people whom he cannot trust and has withdrawn his candidacy for permanent independent chairmanship of the English F.A.
In a letter to F.A’s board members, Burden stated, "I had applied for the position of chairman. I recognize that an important part of the role is liaison with FIFA, our global governing body. I am not prepared to deal with people whom I cannot trust and
I have withdrawn my candidacy."
Since the 2018 World Cup has been give to the Russian Federation, F.A might now scrap plans for a friendly that was supposed to take place in June, 2011 between the English national team and the Thailand national team. The friendly match was seen as a means
to promote England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup. England’s 2018 delegation has revealed that over six members of the 22 members in FIFA’s executive committee promised to vote for England but in the end, only 2 did.
Burden also elaborated on the belief that BBC’S Panorama investigation coupled with Sunday Times’ investigative journalism foiled England’s 2018 bid.
F.A’s acting chairman added, "I am well aware that some of the UK media coverage could have upset some of the FIFA executive committee. We have a free press in our country and we all have to live with adverse comment from time to time. But there is no doubt
that English football benefits from the media coverage that it receives and would have been given great coverage if we had brought the World Cup to England. I have no issue with Russia's winning bid. I am sure they will put on a great World Cup and I have
congratulated them.”
Some people in England have blamed the corruption and bribery circles inside FIFA’s executive committee while others have pointed towards the English media’s overtly obsessive tone with regard to these bribery circles. Nonetheless, the defeat of the English
2018 campaign has come as a shock to most football fanatics in the British Isles.
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