Former English football chief David Bernstein calls on UEFA to boycott FIFA World Cup !
David Bernstein, who was FA chairman between 2011 and
2013, is the latest senior figure to call for united and dramatic European
action following the controversy surrounding FIFA's report into the bidding
process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
In an interview with the European Media,
Bernstein also criticized FIFA for being a "totalitarian" set-up and
said choosing Qatar as 2022 hosts was "one of the most ludicrous decisions
in the history of sport ... an Alice in Wonderland sort of decision".
Speaking after the findings of last week's report were questioned even by the man who conducted the investigation, Michael Garcia, Bernstein said football's credibility was "suffering enormously" under FIFA.
"England on its own cannot
influence this," he said. "I think England within UEFA undoubtedly
have the power to influence FIFA, but to do so they would have to consider
withdrawing from the World Cup, the next World Cup, unless proper reform – including
Blatter FIFA President not standing is
carried out at FIFA.
"If I was at the FA now, I would do everything I
could to encourage other nations within UEFA - and there are some who would
definitely be on side, others may be not - to take this line."
Asked directly if he was calling for
the FA to unite with UEFA to boycott FIFA and the World Cup, Bernstein replied:
"Unless (FIFA) could achieve the reforms that would bring FIFA back into
the respectable world community, yes I would.
"It sounds drastic, but,
frankly, this has gone on for years now, it's not improving, it's going from
bad to worse to worse.
"There are 54 countries within
UEFA. There's Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Holland - all powerful. You
can't hold a serious World Cup without them. They have the power to influence
if they have the will."
No comments:
Post a Comment