List of 2018 FIFA World Cup controversies

As with the 2014 Winter Olympics, the choice of Russia as host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup has been challenged. Controversial issues have included the level of racism in Russian football and the discrimination against LGBT people in wider Russian society. Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has also caused calls for the tournament to be moved, particularly following the annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Eastern Ukraine, as well as Russia's alleged role in the destruction of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. The then FIFA President Sepp Blatter declined requests for the tournament to be moved.

The 2015 allegations and criminal investigations of corruption, including a Swiss inquiry into the bidding process for the 2018 World Cup, intensified the public discussion of the appropriateness of Russia as the World Cup venue. In late May 2015, Russia's president Vladimir Putin said that he viewed the corruption investigations as an attempt by the U.S. to oust Sepp Blatter from his post as punishment for his support of Russia as host for the 2018 World Cup.[1]

Discrimination in Russia

Racism

Yaya Touré said that black footballers could boycott the tournament if actions were not taken against racism in Russian football

After it was announced that Russia would host 2018 FIFA World Cup, Dr Rafał Pankowski, a head of UEFA FARE Monitoring Centre, accused the Russian Football Union of downplaying racist chants in stadiums.[2] In October 2013, after allegedly being racially abused by fans of the Russian club CSKA Moscow, Ivorian footballer Yaya Touré stated that black players might boycott the 2018 World Cup unless Russia tackles racism in football.[3]

On 13 July 2014, when the World Cup was handed over from Brazil to Russia, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin said: "President Blatter puts a lot of personal effort into addressing social issues, and we hope that the preparations for the World Cup in Russia will also contribute to tasks, such as fighting drugs, racism and other challenges we face today".[4]

In March 2015, Anatoly Vorobyov, the general secretary of the Russian Football Union, said that "not everything is going smoothly" in the campaign to eliminate the "virus" of racism from Russian football before the tournament.[5] Later that month, Vyacheslav Koloskov, a member of the Russian bid team and former Vice President of FIFA, said that too much is made of racism in Russia, and that monkey chanting is not racist.[6]

LGBT activism

In response to the perceived heavy amounts of discrimination against LGBT people in the country, a number of petitions have been circulated calling for FIFA to strip Russia of hosting rights. Thousands have signed these petitions, including United States senators Mark Kirk and Dan Coats and gay rights activists Greg Louganis, Stephen Fry and George Takei.[7][8]

Conflict in Ukraine

Crimea

U.S. Senator Dan Coats wrote to Sepp Blatter requesting that Russia be barred from the 2018 World Cup due to its annexation of Crimea

The annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014 led to several British and American politicians calling on FIFA to overturn its decision of hosting the 2018 World Cup in Russia — British Shadow Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham said that football's governing body should reconsider,[9] while two American Republican senators, Dan Coats and Mark Kirk, wrote a joint letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter saying Russia should not only be prevented from hosting a World Cup but also be banned from participating in it, bringing up the precedent of Yugoslavia being banned from Euro '92 and the 1994 World Cup as course of action to be followed in this case and proclaiming equivalence between Russia hosting the Cup with the appeasement of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler in the 1930s before World War II.[10] In March 2014 Blatter declined their request and responded by saying: "The World Cup has been given and voted to Russia and we are going forward with our work".[11]

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

In July 2014, after the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 for which Western leaders blamed Russia, there were again calls for the tournament to be moved. Michael Fuchs, a parliamentarian in the German government, stated his belief that moving the tournament would be more practical than sanctions on Russia.[12] The German FA (DFB) did not comment on the issue, although its Dutch counterpart (KNVB), representing the country with the most victims in the disaster, declared that such discussion should wait until the investigation of the accident.[12]

Nick Clegg, the then–Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, also stated his belief that due to the crash Russia should be stripped of the World Cup. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, did not share this idea, but appreciated the concern. Sepp Blatter said that the tournament should be a "force for good".[13]

Deployment of troops in Eastern Ukraine

Main article: War in Donbass

Following several reports of direct military involvement of Russian troops in Eastern Ukraine, European diplomats revealed on 29 August 2014 that British Prime Minister David Cameron was working for Russia to be stripped of its hosting of the World Cup, as part of an extended sanctions package.[14][15] Some days later it was revealed that this was on the list of proposals for extended EU sanctions against Russia. However, no immediate action was taken due to the fact that the proposal was made nearly four years before the tournament.[16]

Allegations of corruption

David Bernstein called for all UEFA nations to boycott the 2018 and 2022 World Cups due to allegations of corruption in the bidding processes

The English FA, which competed against Russia to host the tournament, was not satisfied by the 42 page summary released by FIFA, in November 2014, of the 350 page Garcia Report, which cleared both Russia and Qatar of corruption in the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. FA Chairman Greg Dyke called for a re-investigation of the claims,[17] while his predecessor David Bernstein called on all UEFA nations to boycott the two tournaments.[18]

Reinhard Rauball, President of the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL),[19] called on UEFA to secede from FIFA unless the corruption investigation was released in full.[20]

Anatoly Vorobyov said "We have enough disciplinary measures which are laid out in our regulations. On the other hand, perhaps they need to be used more strictly".[5]

In an interview published on 7 June 2015, Domenico Scala, the head of FIFA's Audit And Compliance Committee, stated that "should there be evidence that the awards to Qatar and Russia came only because of bought votes, then the awards could be cancelled".[21][22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Russia cries foul: Fifa arrests 'a conspiracy' says Moscow". BBC News. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  2. ↑ Syal, Rajeev (3 December 2010). "World Cup 2018 win raises Russian racism fears". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "Yaya Toure: Black players may boycott 2018 Russia World Cup". BBC Sport. 25 October 2013.
  4. ↑ Saakov, Rafael (22 July 2014). "Russia 2018: Major challenges for next World Cup hosts". BBC News. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Russian FA chief: Football must deal with 'virus' of racism". BBC Sport. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "'Too much made of racism in Russia', says former football head". BBC Sport. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  7. ↑ J.P. McCormick (25 March 2014). "Campaigns demand FIFA bans Russia from hosting 2018 World Cup due to anti-gay law". Pink News.
  8. ↑ J. Lavin (28 February 2014). "Why FIFA Needs to Move the World Cup". advocate.com.
  9. ↑ "Fifa urged to rethink staging 2018 World Cup in Russia". Bbc.com, 2014-03-21. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  10. ↑ Winter, Stuart (2014-03-23): "US calls for Fifa to drop Russia from hosting World Cup in 2018". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Sepp Blatter: Russia will host 2018 World Cup despite Crimea". Bbc.com, 2014-03-21. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  12. 1 2 "German politicians question Russia's suitability to host 2018 World Cup". The Guardian. Reuters. 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  13. ↑ "World Cup should not be held in Russia, Nick Clegg says". BBC News. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  14. ↑ Waterfield, Bruno (2014-08-29):"Ukraine crisis: Britain wants Russia stripped of right to host World Cup 2018". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  15. ↑ Simon, Nik (2014-08-30): "David Cameron wants FIFA to strip Russia of 2018 World Cup in political sanction move". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "EU says boycott of Russia's 2018 World Cup 'possible'". DW.de, 2014-09-03. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  17. ↑ Roan, Dan (17 November 2014). "Greg Dyke: FA demands full report findings into World Cup corruption". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  18. ↑ Ornstein, David (17 November 2014). "World Cup: Former FA chief David Bernstein calls for boycott". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  19. ↑ DFB - German Football Association (30 May 2015)
  20. ↑ "FIFA turbulence intensifies, Rauball moots UEFA split". Deutsche Welle. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  21. ↑ "'Russia & Qatar may lose World Cups' - Fifa official". BBC News. 7 June 2015.
  22. ↑ Owen Gibson (7 June 2015). "Russia and Qatar may lose World Cups if evidence of bribery is found". The Guardian.
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