FIFA has ‘not changed’ and decisions still lack transparency, says former governance chief

Published

2 years ago

November 1, 2023

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He was tasked with cleaning up FIFA.

And there is credit from Miguel Maduro for more rigorous spending controls since Gianni Infantino replaced the discredited Sepp Blatter.

But the former governance chief of football’s governing body has told Sky News of concerns FIFA has “backtracked” and the biggest decisions appear to lack transparency and openness again with World Cup hosts “cooked internally”.

The months of scrutiny and campaigning before a big reveal have been eradicated with opponents limited and deterred in a fast-tracked route for Saudi Arabia being handed the 2034 men’s showpiece.

Any pretence of a process after Mr Infantino undercut FIFA’s insistence bidding assessments were still required by effectively confirming the kingdom’s win on Instagram on Tuesday night.

“They have not changed with the reforms of 2015, unfortunately,” Mr Maduro, a former advocate general at the European Court of Justice, told Sky News.

“I thought it was only a matter of time until they will go back to publicly do things as they have always done in the past in this opaque, non-transparent, non-accountable way.”

FIFA provided no direct response to his claims, but the governing body last week insisted it is now run with the “highest ethical and governance standards” in a statement on a separate matter.

The World Cup is the jewel in FIFA’s crown – generating most of its £6.6bn revenue in the 2019-2022 cycle covering Qatar 2022.

Staging the tournament provides countries a platform to brandish their clout on the world stage beyond the sports sphere and attempt to cleanse their image.

The contentious dual award of Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 during a tainted vote in 2010 led to the Blatter-era leadership being toppled and reforms that handed the hosting decision to the congress of 211 football nations.

So, the 2026 World Cup was a hotly contested decision with Morocco losing to the combined United States-Canada-Mexico entry with the voters’ picks all made public.

But there will not be multiple options presented to the congress for 2030 and 2034 after FIFA’s leadership secured ratification from its ruling council of 37 members for a process that effectively ensured sole bidders.

It was suddenly announced four weeks ago that the rival bids for the 2030 World Cup were being combined to create an unprecedented six-nation, three-continent event across Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

After the same FIFA Council meeting a rapid process for the 2034 tournament was unexpectedly revealed that gave countries until this Tuesday to submit their interest.

The timeframe was too tight for a country like Australia to pursue its planned bid – especially with its own Asian Football Confederation already lining up behind the Saudis.

Football Australia CEO James Johnson told Sky News: “We had some conversations with people around FIFA about what our chances might be for the 2034 men’s World Cup. And ultimately, I like to bet on sure things. I didn’t feel that we had enough to win.”

Everything had been aligning towards Saudi Arabia which has wooed Mr Infantino in recent years and he has been enchanted by the kingdom welcoming him into its gilded power circles.

Regular encounters with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and trips to Saudi have paid off for the oil-rich nation – securing the most prestigious football event without any vote after a favourable process that required only four existing stadiums of the 14 required by FIFA in time for 2034.

Mr Maduro said: “They promised a much higher degree of transparency on how the bidding was going to take place. We saw nothing of that type in this process.

“Basically, it is something that was cooked internally, within what I usually call the political cartel that dominates FIFA, in such a way that there is no option now but basically the award of the two World Cups to pre-established candidates.”

There are certain commitments to publish an evaluation of the uncontested bid but it is unclear how public the human rights risk assessment will be of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, women’s rights and working conditions.

Mr Maduro said: “Whatever assessment will take place now will be meaningless, because everybody knows who is going to get it.”

FIFA removed Mr Maduro from its position chairing the governance committee in 2017 after less than a year in the role at the start of the Infantino presidency.

The lawyer said from Portugal: “There were a series of promises and commitments that were made after the scandals of 2015.

“Some of those commitments were regarding precisely how the World Cup was going to be awarded and the bidding process was going to take place.

“And basically what this tells us is that FIFA has not lived up to those commitments and those promises – it has actually backtracked on the reform process that they had initiated.”

FIFA insists the spread of nations for the 2026, 2030 and 2034 World Cups promote inclusion.

But it’s the men being prioritised.

The next Women’s World Cup is four years away and without a host.

World

Ship carrying aid for Gaza bombed by drones, as NGO points finger at Israel

Published

3 hours ago

May 2, 2025

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Ship carrying aid for Gaza bombed by drones, as NGO points finger at Israel

A ship carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza has been bombed by drones while it was in international waters.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the NGO responsible for the ship, has pointed the finger at Israel.

Video shows fire raging onboard the vessel, which put out an SOS distress call after it was attacked off the coast of Malta.

It comes as the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice continued this week.

Gaza remains under blockade, with Israel having now refused to allow international aid into the devastated enclave for almost two months despite global outcry.

Following the drone attack, the Maltese government confirmed that after several hours all crew were safe and the fire was under control.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said: “Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade (of Gaza) and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters.”

It asserted that the drone attack “appears to have specifically targeted the ship’s generator” and had left the vessel at risk of sinking.

Describing the attack, it said: “Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull.

“The last communication in the early morning of the 2nd of May, indicated the drones are still circling the ship.”

It released video footage shot in the dark that showed lights in the sky in front of the ship and the sound of explosions. The footage also showed the vessel on fire.

The Israeli foreign ministry has not commented on what happened.

Yesterday, UN aid coordinator Tom Fletcher called on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, which has been in force for almost two months.

“Yes, the hostages must be released, now. They should never have been taken from their families,” he said.

“But international law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in.”

Aid should never be a “bargaining chip”, he added.

‘Children going to bed starving’

Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA said: “The siege on Gaza is the silent killer of children, of older people.

“Families – whole families, seven or eight people – are resorting to sharing one can of beans or peas. Imagine not having anything to feed your children. Children in Gaza are going to bed starving.”

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Germany’s far-right AfD party officially classified as ‘extremist’ organisation

Published

5 hours ago

May 2, 2025

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Germany's far-right AfD party officially classified as 'extremist' organisation

Germany’s spy agency has officially classified the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as an “extremist” organisation.

The party has been growing in popularity and came second in February’s general election.

The country’s domestic intelligence agency said on Friday that it was an extremist entity which threatens democracy.

Its 1,000-page internal report claimed views around ethnicity held by the AfD aim to exclude certain groups from equal participation in society.

“The party’s prevailing understanding of the people based on ethnicity and descent is incompatible with the free democratic basic order,” the agency said in a statement.

“Specifically, the AfD considers, for example, German citizens with a migration background from predominantly Muslim countries not equal members of the ethnically defined German people.”

AfD’s co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla described the decision as a “serious blow to German democracy”.

In a joint statement on Friday, they said: “The AfD is now being publicly discredited and criminalised as an opposition party shortly before the change of government.

“The associated, targeted interference in the democratic decision-making process is therefore clearly politically motivated. The AfD will continue to defend itself legally against this defamation that jeopardises democracy.”

The party leaders have consistently denied the party is either far right or extremist.

Local branches of the party in the east German states of Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt had already been classified as extremist by regional spy chiefs.

The entire party was also previously designated “suspected” far-right extremist.

However, the announcement allows intelligence agencies to increase surveillance on the group.

It may also embolden opponents to try to get the party banned.

The decision was welcomed by the country’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, who said in a statement that the new assessment was “clear and unequivocal”, adding that the party “discriminates against entire segments of the population and treats citizens with a migration background as second-class Germans”.

She underlined that “there has been no political influence on the findings” but said the new classification was likely to be subject to judicial review.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that although the intelligence agency has provided a “very detailed justification” for the decision, “ban proceedings must not be rushed”.

Anton Baron, a regional politician in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, described the decision as “politically questionable”.

While the ruling is a blow for the party, it is unlikely to influence hardcore supporters, many of whom live in states where the party was already designated extremist at a local level.

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Wildfire in Israel burns 5,000 acres as drivers forced to flee cars

Published

15 hours ago

May 2, 2025

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Wildfire in Israel burns 5,000 acres as drivers forced to flee cars

Emergency crews in Israel are battling a wildfire that sent smoke drifting over Jerusalem and forced drivers to run from their cars.

About 5,000 acres (20 square kilometres) have been scorched since the blaze started in the hills outside the city on Wednesday.

The ambulance service said at least 12 people had been treated in hospital, mainly for smoke inhalation, but the fire service said “miraculously” no homes had been damaged.

Ten firefighting planes were dropping fire retardant material on Thursday and authorities said eight more were due to arrive.

Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Ukraine and Romania are among those sending aircraft.

People celebrating Israel‘s independence day on Thursday were advised to be exceptionally careful if holding barbecues and told to avoid forests and parks.

Most official celebrations were cancelled as security forces were diverted to the fire effort.

The blaze is the most significant the country has seen in the past decade, according to Tal Volvovitch, from the fire and rescue authority.

However, an evacuation order for about 12 towns near Jerusalem has been lifted and the main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv also reopened on Thursday.

A day earlier, drivers had to abandoned their vehicles when flames encroached on the road.

Firefighting is continuing but the blaze has now been mostly contained, said the Jewish National Fund, which manages forests in the country.

It said conditions had been perfect for fires to spread – hot and dry, little rain over winter, and strong, shifting winds.

“Of course when there’s a series of drought years, it’s a fertile ground for fires,” said the fund’s Anat Gold, adding that climate change was the likely cause.