Reuters
FIFA remains committed to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and says a boycott would not be an effective way of reducing tensions in the region, soccer’s world governing body said yesterday.
The ongoing conflict between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukraine government came to a head last week with the downing of a Malaysian Airlines passenger plane, leading to the deaths of 298 people.
Moscow denies supporting the separatists, but following the disaster senior German lawmakers raised the possibility of stripping Russia of the hosting rights to the World Cup.
The Dutch football association said it wanted to postpone discussion over participation in the next World Cup until after a national day of mourning to remember the victims, two-thirds of whom were from the Netherlands.
“As a world governing body of football FIFA takes its responsibility in governing football seriously and we support any peaceful and democratic debate,” the Zurich-based organisation said in a statement.
“FIFA deplores any form of violence and will continue to use its tournaments to promote dialogue, understanding and peace among peoples.
“History has shown so far that boycotting sport events or a policy of isolation or confrontation are not the most effective ways to solve problems.”
FIFA said the World Cup could be a “powerful catalyst for constructive dialogue between people and governments”, uniting teams and nations.
Meanwhile, FIFA has said that an investigation into the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and the 2018 tournament to Russia, initially scheduled for completion this month, is only likely to be finished in September.
“We expect to deliver our report to the adjudicatory chamber by the first week of September 2014,” said a statement issued by FIFA this week on behalf of its ethics committee.
Former US attorney Michael Garcia has been leading an internal probe by FIFA’s ethics committee into allegations of corruption in the run-up to the vote in December 2010, which awarded the 2022 tournament to Qatar.
Garcia, who began his investigation 18 months ago, had said in June that he expected to deliver his report by around the end of this month.
Qatar has denied all allegations of corruption.
