ÞA briefing note proposing that Qatar extend financial assistance to the Argentine Football Association, which suffered a financial crisis in August 2009. This included a suggestion that the Qatari television company Al Jazeera could purchase television rights. The president of the Argentina FA, Julio Grondona, is a member of the Fifa executive committee.
ÞSpending more than $7 million (£4.4 million) recruiting bid ambassadors including former Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta for £1.4 million, Zinedine Zidane (£1.9 million), Ronald de Boer (£630,000), and Roger Milla (£31,000). Archbishop Desmond Tutu was approached as an ambassador in exchange for a donation of £63,000 to his chosen charities.
ÞDiscussing investment opportunities with Real Madrid and developing an existing relationship with Barcelona. Spain was bidding with Portugal for the 2018 event, and it was alleged during the campaign that they had formed a vote-trading alliance with Qatar. Fifa’s ethics committee investigated but did not pursue the issue because of a lack of evidence. The Qatar bid described the allegations yesterday as “entirely false”.
ÞA proposal to move the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation (which commands four executive committee votes) to Doha from Malaysia, and to offer a number of incentives including the use of a tower block, residential property, cars with diplomatic plates and the use of a private jet.
ÞBid documents proposing to build a football academy in Thailand, home of executive committee member Worawi Makudi, and to extend scouting opportunities in Nigeria, also home of an executive committee member, Amos Adamu, who was banned by Fifa for corruption before the vote.
ÞA gifts budget of £250,000 for “VIPs or VVIPs”. The bid said the money was spent on “modest items” for visitors, many of whom were journalists. Giving “appropriate gifts” is not against regulations, and Qatar said that no gifts were given to executive committee members.
ÞThe Qatari bid sponsoring the Confederation of African Football Congress in Angola last year for £1 million. This gave them the exclusive rights among the bidding nations for the 2022 World Cup to present to delegates.
There is no suggestion that Qatar breached Fifa’s rules or acted improperly. The Fifa guidelines for the bidding process amount to two sides of A4, in contrast to the International Olympic Committee’s extensive protocol. The bid said last night that it was successful because it was “the best”.
“The Qatar bid played within the rules laid down by Fifa at all times,” said a spokesman for the bid. “The ultimate success of our bid was due to the strong presentations we made to Fifa’s ex-co members and the strength and breadth of our case.
“Attempts to smear the success of the Qatari bid are without foundation and are being made without objectively assessing all the bids’ performances or merits.”
Fifa is facing a backlash over its decision to select Qatar because of concerns over the midsummer climate, when temperatures reach 50C, and because of Qatar’s size.
Fifa president Sepp Blatter acknowledged the scepticism over Fifa’s decision on Thursday, saying: “Naturally when you are looking at the country of Qatar, which is a very small country, and when the basic conditions were, and still are, to play in June-July then it may look a bit questionable to go there.”
Sources speaking on behalf of Qatar 2022 confirmed that the budget seen by Telegraph Sport was a genuine document, but said that it was an early draft that was “rejected for being too high”.
The bid did not give details of their final budget for 2010, but said a high level of spending was justified by the need to promote the emirate against more established football nations.
The total communications proposal for a single year of £27 million, which does not include spending on operations, staff, bid-book production or other aspects of the two-year campaign, was almost double the entire £15 million two-year budget for England’s 2018 bid.
Indeed it exceeded the total two-year bid budget for all of their rivals except Australia, which spent £28 million on its campaign. Japan had a bid budget of £6.3 million and South Korea’s package was £7.5 million. The USA did not publish its budget, but the figure has been estimated at £9.4 million, plus private donations.
The Qatar proposal set aside £6.6 million for campaigning at all major football events in 2010, culminating in the World Cup in South Africa, £16.7 million for advertising and marketing and a PR budget of £3.9 million.
A crucial focus for Qatar’s campaign was Africa. The African confederation carried four votes – an important bedrock of support. Qatar had strong links through its Aspire Academy for Sporting Excellence, a government-backed project that runs football development schemes in 10 African nations and in Asia, as well as an academy in Doha.
Most bids – including England’s – promised Fifa they would use the World Cup to aid world football development, but in Aspire Qatar had an asset already active in countries with executive committee members. Qatar discussed extending those programmes and Aspire’s director, Dr Andreas Bleicher, was often a prominent member of bid delegations and acted as a consultant to the bid.
A 2009 bid document listing football and social development projects seen by Telegraph Sport proposed that Aspire “build a football academy in Thailand emulating the Aspire football Dreams Academy in Senegal” and expand grass-roots programmes in Nigeria. Thailand is the home of executive committee member Makudi, and Adamu, a former Nigerian sports minister, was an executive committee member before being banned for corruption by Fifa’s ethics committee.
Lawyers for the bid said last night that this had never been considered: “Our client has never had any discussion regarding Aspire opening an Academy in Thailand.”
The four African votes on Fifa’s ex-co were also crucial to Qatar’s campaign, and the bid sponsored the CAF Congress in Angola in February 2010 for £1 million. The sponsorship gave the bid exclusive access to delegates and the four Fifa executive committee members, AFC president Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, Hany Abu Rida of Egypt, Jacques Anouma of Ivory Coast and Adamu of Nigeria.
The Qatar bid also forged strong links with Spain. Senior officials from the Qatar bid, including chief executive Hassan Al-Thawadi, formerly legal director of the Qatar Investment Authority, planned a three-day visit to Real Madrid in October 2009. The itinerary shows that the day before Real played AC Milan in the Champions League, the delegation intended to meet senior officials from the Spanish club and consultants with links to the Spanish federation.
Sources familiar with the bid process said that possible Qatari investment in Madrid was to be discussed at these meetings. Last night the Qatar bid denied that any meetings with Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez took place.
The connections with Spain were reinforced by the extensive links between Qatar and the new Barcelona leadership. President Sandro Rosell’s company Bonus Sports Marketing helped establish the Aspire Football Dreams programme which scouts more than 600,000 boys in Africa and Asia each year, and coach Pep Guardiola spent two years in Qatar. The ties were formalised eight days after Qatar’s victory when Barcelona announced that the Qatar Foundation, chaired by the Emir’s wife Sheikha Hamoza, would be the club’s shirt sponsor.
The bid said that there was nothing improper in its links with the two Spanish clubs. “Our client and Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence have sought to build relationships with many clubs around the world. There is nothing improper in that whatsoever.”
Qatar also courted South American voters, and it was suggested that the near-financial collapse of the Argentine professional league in August 2009 might provide an opportunity. With Argentine tax authorities seeking £49 million from clubs who were in debt to their own players, Argentine Football Association president and Fifa executive committee member Grondona delayed the club calendar and was seeking improved TV deals to try and save the league.
A bid briefing note suggests offering financial support. It reads: “Al Jazeera Sports to contact AFA about broadcasting rights in Argentina. Can Al Jazeera Sports help?” It continues: “QFA [Qatar FA] to investigate further how to help the clubs with their growing debt. Qatar to be seen as helping football clubs in trouble.”
Lawyers for the bid said last night: “It is true that our client carried out detailed due diligence on the Asociacion de Futbol Argentina, as it did in respect of many other football associations around the world [as no doubt did other bids]. However ... our client did not adopt or proceed with any steps to intervene in or assist with the financial position of it.’’
Qatar also retained former Batistuta as an ambassador. Batistuta had also played in Qatar and is understood to have been paid £1.4 million. Zidane is understood to have been retained for £1.9 million. The bid would not comment on the terms offered to the ambassadors, citing confidentiality.
