List of 2018 FIFA World Cup controversies

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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 publicly indicated that he viewed the corruption investigations as an attempt by the U.S. to oust Sepp Blatter from his post as punishment for continuing to support Russia as host for the 2018 World Cup.[1]

Discrimination in Russia

Racism

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See also: Racism in Russia and Racism in association football
File:Yaya Touré.JPG
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

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See also: LGBT rights in Russia

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

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Main article: Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
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

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Main article: 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

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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

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Main articles: Garcia Report and 2015 FIFA corruption case
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

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  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  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. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  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. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ DFB - German Football Association (30 May 2015)
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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