Sunday Times: Qatar secretly paid 880MD to FIFA for the World Cup
The British newspaper uncovers new documents that would demonstrate multi-million dollar agreements for the 2022 World Cup that'll take place in Qatar.
New documents that prove the agreements between FIFA and Qatar for the payment of 880 million dollars in exchange for the 2022 World Cup have surfaced exclusively by The Sunday Times.
According to the Sunday Times, in 2010 Qatar secretly offered 400 million dollars 21 days before the said country was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup.
Apparently, the offered referred to the purchase by Al Jazeera for the World Cup television rights of 2018 and 2022 that cost about 133.4 million euros each, that included a clause for which Qatar would pay an extra 89 million euros if the Asian country were selected to host the 2022 World Cup.
Clause disguised in the contract as payment for 'production costs,' although FIFA usually pays for filming and editing. The mere offer deems a violation of FIFA normative, that prohibits entities linked with the candidacy of making financial offers. The published documents include the signature of Nasser Al-Khelaidi, PSG president, of BeIn Media and Qatar Sports Investments as general manager of Al Jazeera Satellite Network.
FIFA television rights
The Sunday Times also shows that in 2013, Qatar presented another secret offer of 480 million dollars for television rights, shortly before FIFA gave up its investigation for corruption in the process of election of the World Cup venue and deleted its conclusions reaching 880 million dollars.
Experts from the Sunday Times believe these amounts are difficult to respond to commercial motives, since it multiples what has been paying for these rights, the $400 million for TV rights are not only a record, it's the only one accepted by FIFA.
According to documents revealed by the British media, FIFA should receive a millionare payment next month, part of the 100 million bonus if the World Cup was in Qatar as terms of the contract, which Damian Collins, British Parliament's Digital Culture, Media and Sports Committee chairman said FIFA should freeze the payment and open an investigation.