Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy says he should have known his nation’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup was doomed because of world soccer’s dirty politics.
Lowy says Australia’s $46-million bid, which received just one vote of support in a process unexpectedly won by Qatar, was clean of bribes and corruption but never stood a chance of winning.
“I have nightmares about all the work we did. And we didn’t get anywhere,” Lowy told Sky News in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.
“You just got to get on with it. I take the responsibility and I take the blame. I should have known better.
“Had I known that we had less than 50 per cent of a chance, I probably wouldn’t have been there.”
The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups is being freshly investigated by Swiss authorities amid a wider corruption scandal enveloping soccer’s world governing body, FIFA.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter will stand down from his role, despite winning re-election at a FIFA congress.
Seven FIFA officials were arrested in a dawn raid a Zurich hotel before the congress, part of 14 people charged by United States authorities.
The US allege the 14 people – current and former FIFA officials and sports marketeers – conspired to solicit and receive more than $US150 million ($A194 million) in bribes and kickbacks, in exchange for their support of marketing executives who agreed to make the illegal payments.
US authorities say those charged face up to 20 years in jail if found guilty.
One of the arrested men, Jack Warner, is alleged to have stolen $500,000 from Australia’s bid.
Warner, the chief of the north and central American football association CONCACAF, has denied any wrongdoing.
Lowy said last week in a statement the Australian money was paid to CONCACAF but was ultimately found that Warner “had committed fraud and misappropriated the funds – in other words he had stolen the money from CONCACAF”.
In his interview with Sky News, Lowy said he would cooperate with a flagged Senate inquiry and possible Australian Federal Police investigation into the failed bid.
“There were no bribes in this process,” Lowy said.
He said the Australian money paid to Warner was not part of a corrupt process.
“I have no concerns about that,” Lowy said.
“The money wasn’t sent or given to Warner, it was a cheque transferred to CONCACAF.
“Today is a major event because it was found out that Warner pocketed that money. But he took that money not from us, but took the money away from CONCACAF.
“I became aware a year, maybe 18 months, after the event, that he pocketed that money.”
Lowy said Australia was trying to claim the money back from CONCACAF but “I don’t know whether we are going to get it back”.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
Oh yes the AFL are perfectly clean. Money talks when you are the biggest, think Stadium for GWS (ghost town).
clipper
Guest
As I noted before, the AFL may have been more vocal about stadium use, but it is because they actually own or put a lot of money into one of the key ones - the NRL does not, so therefore they couldn't have much say about it. And yes, hopefully when there is a clean bidding process, the spreadsheet should come out.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
Clipper the thing is while NRL was seeking compensation, so was the AFL & from what I hear a lot more. Who was providing the compensation, yes the Federal government, the Australian taxpayer, ironic isn't it. However, the NRL were very quiet about the stadium use, as they knew this was the government bidding to get the biggest sporting event in the world to a sports crazy country, but it was the AFL who were claiming they would've have had to cancel their whole season, geez this was 12 years from that time, give me a spreadsheet & I could've work something out for them.
clipper
Guest
As AR has pointed out below, the NRL initiated talk of compensation, so that seems to have been quickly forgotten, but my whole point was that all the concern from AFL and NRL and all the angst it caused, were in hindsight, unnecessary, especially as we know what transpired.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
No there was no issues with the NRL. With the AFL they were flapping about threatening that they would have to cancel the whole season due to the World Cup, they had that ex Swans Coach from way back Barissi with a squashed soccer ball on the front of the Herald sun, it was bedlam in Melbourne for a week about the WC bid from the AFL media. Football supporters accused the AFL of not supporting the WC bid, but no football fan blamed the AFL for the failed bid, this is soley at the foot of the FFA. How quickly you forget Clipper, I expected the spin from AR, but from you I am surprised.
Bondy
Guest
clipper Why is bastardy being masked over as good old rivalry in particular the AFL's stance or behaviour ? ...
AR
Guest
"So you agree with Punter the NRL had no trouble and you should not have bracketed the AFL & NRL together …" The NRL was the body that initiated talk of compensation! Talk about re-writing history.
clipper
Guest
Bondy, I agree it was in the nation's interest, and therefore, if there was hope of securing the bid there should be no complaints of government funding, but why should another rival code actively support the bid - would the A league support a RWC submission? The best you can hope for is that they reschedule matches to fit in with the world cup conditions.
clipper
Guest
No - as I said above there was scheduling issues and complaints, there certainly wasn't no trouble, although, as I noted above they couldn't really do much as they don't own a large capacity stadium like the AFL.
Bondy
Guest
clipper The Fifa World Cup was in the Nations National interest though people like you saw it as a leg up for a rival sport ,dear oh dear ...
nordster
Guest
Hey im all in favour of an open and transparent market for vote selling! :)
Midfielder
Guest
N As is the Olympics, wheat contracts, construction contracts... and the world goes on... its called the market place and how capital works... your socialism views on how business should be conducted is out of date ... to the highest bidder the market thus decided...
Midfielder
Guest
MF hahaha read my post above ... as I said if the Lord above cleared Lowy many will scream and shout guilt ...
Uncle Junior
Guest
There is no evidence the money given by the FFA was misappropriated. If such evidence emerges, the FFA should have a very strong legal action to pursue.
Midfielder
Guest
So you agree with Punter the NRL had no trouble and you should not have bracketed the AFL & NRL together ...
clipper
Guest
Former Punter, the NRL had scheduling issues at the start and didn't own a stadium like the AFL. If you were on any article re the failed bid, there were many Football fans blaming the AFL and I don't know if it's the AFL's remit to give support to a rival code - did the ARU, Netball or Tennis Australia give a lot of support?
nordster
Guest
Yeah agree there, folks are always more haphazard with government money. The lobbying and 'development projects' are arguably just euphemisms for bribery and corruption anyway. Not sure if he contributes to the IPA though now he has his own super statist lowy institute to fund....
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Have you not just backed me up in saying that the FFA has zero chance of getting the money back?
Bondy
Guest
That's true Valcke has put a halt to things . What will the world make of things if America receives a World Cup 2018 , 2022 or 2026 and no Fifa delegates are prosecuted ? ....
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I've been reading from a number of different news agencies across the world that FIFA has suspended the 2026 bid process. I would have thought it was pretty early to be worrying about it. Anyway, heard that the US and Mexico were interested, but that Kazakhstan had also expressed interest. What an unholy trinity of hosts if we had ended up in consecutive years with Russia, Qatar and then Kazakhstan.