Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has labelled the date exactly five years ago when Russia and Qatar were awarded the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in a controversial vote as "the worst moment in FIFA's history".
The vote by FIFA's executive committee on December 2, 2010 awarded the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar. Since then there have been accusations that FIFA members were paid or given incentives to vote for Qatar, and earlier this year the Swiss attorney general launched an investigation into the bidding process for both tournaments.
The Swiss investigation is looking at more than 120 "suspicious activity reports" linked to FIFA's decision to award the tournaments to Russia and Qatar, including possible money-laundering. Both countries have strongly denied any wrongdoing during their World Cup bids but Dyke believes Qatar could still lose the tournament.
Dyke told Press Association Sport: "The truth is that I suspect it was the worst moment in FIFA's history and that we will be living with the consequences for at least another seven years.
"If the Swiss criminal investigation demonstrates that there was corruption then there still has to be doubt about whether the World Cup will be in Qatar. I personally still don't think it is certain.
"If the investigations going on by the Swiss authorities and the FBI demonstrate there were financial irregularities then a lot of people will be pushing for the 2022 World Cup to be re-bid."
Dyke pointed out the 22-strong FIFA executive committee at the time had been warned of the risks of the heat in Qatar in a report by technical inspectors. Only seven of that 22 will be at the FIFA ExCo meeting this week and many of the others have been provisionally suspended - including FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA president Michel Platini - banned or are under investigation.
The body is set to rule on reform proposals including term limits and an age limit of 74 for officials, plus one voting woman from each confederation.
Dyke also wants FIFA to make public the salaries paid to the president and senior executives - and disclosed that his own salary as FA chairman is £150,000 a year for what is nominally a three-day week, although he often spends four or five days a week on FA business.
The reform proposals have been drawn up by Francois Carrard, the former director general of the International Olympic Committee, and sponsors are keeping a watchful eye on developments.
Five sponsors have written an open letter calling for "independent oversight" of reforms.
The letter from Adidas, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Visa and Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch states: " We are aware of the positive work that the reform committee has been doing on governance reform, but we still believe any reforms should be subject to independent oversight. It has also become clear to us that such independent oversight needs to run long-term through the implementation and evolution of the reform process. We encourage you to become champions of this independent oversight as it will only enhance FIFA's credibility."
Source: PA
