By Andrew Warshaw
November 12 – The most powerful man in Asian football reacted furiously today at suggestions he had fuelled corruption allegations during a recent meeting of the FIFA executive committee.
Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed Bin Hammam says an infamous note-passing incident between him and Spain’s Angel Maria Villar-Llona should not be construed as anything more than an innocent exchange.
The hand-written note has generated widespread publicity after it appeared to confirm that both Spain/Portugal and Qatar would be given the all-clear to pursue their respective bids for the 2018 and 2022 tournament.
FIFA’s Ethics Committee is due to rule on alleged collusion between the two bidding parties, reported to involve the trading of up to seven votes, on November 17, along with the suspensions of two ExCo members who are awaiting their ultimate fate.
This will be followed two days later by an emergency meeting of the FIFA executive committee to consider the fallout.
According to a Swiss newspaper report earlier this week, Villar Llona passed the note to Bin Hammam during last week’s Executive Committee meeting in Zurich telling him both contenders would escape punishment.
The exact wording, in Spanish, was “Congratulations, Vamos a Ganar”.
Bin Hammam, who does not speak Spanish, had the message translated by the United States’ Chuck Blazer as “we are going to win”, meaning they would have no case to answer since nobody had provided hard evidence to the ethics committee.
Blazer told insideworldfootball that it was “neither the time nor the place” for such an exchange but writing on his website, Bin Hammam hit back.
Admitting that the note exchange did take place, he said it had all been ridiculously overplayed.
“I never gave that message a damn care or interest until today when I read the same message in the newspaper as a new scandal added to the corrupted collusion rumour between Qatar and Spain,” he said.
“I am not any more worried about my country losing its bid for 2022 because as such, for a footballer with sportsmanship, losing a match is obviously part of the game.”
Bin Hammam is clearly concerned, however, about all the adverse publicity circulating around Qatar, even interpreting it as a smear campaign.
“My real worry is what will happen if Qatar legitimately won the bid of 2022,” he wrote.
“Because it looks to me that in order to prove to some that there is no corrupted collusion between Qatar and Spain, it is necessary for them to lose the bid!
“Is that a smart or smear campaign against Qatar and Spain?”
Addressing Qatar’s supporters, he urged them not to be disheartened by the so far unsubstantiated collusion claims.
“There is no time for relaxation or despair.
“I know that the hit below the belt is hurting and not defendable, yet you should expect more of it.
“I feel your disappointment when you think that your noble effort and hard work are not appreciated by some, but I would like to remind you that you are not alone.
“Those who think or see that only Spain is supporting you have a visual problem because they do not see the rest of the world colluding with you.”
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