Saturday June 6, 2015
Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday June 6, 2015
FIFA President Victor Montagliani says Canada won World Cup hosting privileges by default
With rampant allegations of corruption, fraud and bribery within the FIFA executive ranks, it’s unsurprising that Canada Soccer is facing questions about how it won the bid for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
According to Canada Soccer president Victor Montagliani, the answer is simple: no one else wanted to host the tournament.
“With all due respect, we were pretty much the only country that wanted it,” he told Rick Cluff on CBC Radio One’s The Early Edition.
“When we bid for it, there was seven originally. Five dropped off right away and they chose to bid for other World Cups. There was only one other country with us which was Zimbabwe and they pulled out.”
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Embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter could still attend the final match of the Women’s World Cup in Vancouver, despite his resignation. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone/Associated Press)
With 14 arrests of high-ranking officials and the resignation of embattled president Sepp Blatter causing a media firestorm, the women’s tournament is at risk of being overshadowed. But, Montagliani says he will welcome Blatter to Vancouver for the final match should he choose to come.
“We’ve been told that he is attending … it probably will be a media circus, but in the same token you have to respect the fact that he still has the office of the presidency,” he said.
“He has every right to attend a FIFA event as the president.” (Source: CBC News)
Published in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Viking Weekly Review (Alberta), Edmonton Journal, and Corner Brook Newspaper