Post by paoktzi on Dec 31, 2010 9:45:41 GMT 10
The dirty pig himself
SECRET tapes allegedly expose a shonky FIFA official telling an undercover reporter that Australia was as "dirty" as any nation bidding for the World Cup, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
The disgraced Oceania soccer official is allegedly taped claiming that Frank Lowy got Federal Government chiefs to do his bidding and detailing how the Kevin Rudd government gave AusAID to Oceania in return for its support.
The tapes were recorded by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper by a reporter sent to New Zealand posing as a lobbyist to engage a FIFA official.
In the explosive tapes, the official allegedly says the Australian government splurged $8 million on soccer in the Pacific to secure the Oceania region's World Cup vote.
"You see right now Australia hasn't really done that much for Oceania. As a region they haven't given us much. I think we've had more from America," the official allegedly said.
"From Soccer Australia they have never given us anything. What they did was they pushed the Rudd government because Frank Lowy won't ever spend a dime. He gets other people to do his spending for him. And that's how Lowy [Australia's bid leader] was able to get us eight million Aussie dollars through the Australian Government and its direct assistance to football in Oceania. They are playing dirty tricks as much as any other person is willing to do. I mean here in FIFA it's a dirty game altogether."
The official allegedly said former prime minister Kevin Rudd was involved in negotiating assistance for soccer in the Pacific.
"Now Australia, Football [Federation] Australia, has talked to the government, well before Gillard, but the Kevin Rudd government signed a three-year assistance to regional football with eight million Australian dollars assistance and that comes through AusAID, which is their development, assistance program for Oceania, to the Oceania region."
The official was suspended by FIFA after comments in relation to England's World Cup bid were splashed across The Sunday Times.
A spokesman for the Federal Government said that, in fact, $4 million had been allocated to youth soccer in the Pacific and it was not related to Australia's failed World Cup bid.
"The football-related assistance announced at the 2009 Pacific Islands Forum is to fund activities for 6-12-year-olds in schools in nine Pacific island countries to promote girls' roles, healthier lifestyles and the value of education," the spokesman said.
"This is part of a broader package of $26 million of sport for development assistance that also included support for netball, rugby league, rugby union and cricket.
"From an aid perspective, any support for football - or any sport for that matter - can and must contribute to effective development."
The tapes are a blow to FFA, which has so far claimed it was duped by FIFA officials.
FFA declined to answers specific questions about whether AusAID funds should be used in promoting soccer or the World Cup bid.
The federation also declined to address the allegations, instead releasing the following statement: "Football Federation Australia rejects absolutely any suggestion that it has acted contrary to the letter or spirit of FIFA guidelines governing the World Cup bid process or inappropriately in any way."
