Qatar's bid process was always viewed as unlikely.
Then prior to the vote, there were questions raised about the conduct of the bid team.
And then it won the bid, and people scratched their heads.
And now very high level, serious allegations, complete with names and dollar figures are being made about Qatar.
If FIFA now elects Bin Hammam as President in under 3 weeks, it will look very, very dodgy indeed.
And if a few shifty people signed some questionable checks to African football cronies on behalf of Qatar, that shouldn't taint the reputation of the whole country (or region).
But in my opinion, it will. Nic is dead right to suggest that just the whiff of allegations of misconduct and impropriety is just making Qatar look really, really bad. And this is the stink that don't wash off.
Qatar's bid process was always viewed as unlikely.
Then prior to the vote, there were questions raised about the conduct of the bid team.
And then it won the bid, and people scratched their heads.
And now very high level, serious allegations, complete with names and dollar figures are being made about Qatar.
If FIFA now elects Bin Hammam as President in under 3 weeks, it will look very, very dodgy indeed.
And if a few shifty people signed some questionable checks to African football cronies on behalf of Qatar, that shouldn't taint the reputation of the whole country (or region).
But in my opinion, it will. Nic is dead right to suggest that just the whiff of allegations of misconduct and impropriety is just making Qatar look really, really bad. And this is the stink that don't wash off.