– I almost have to say yes to that, says Per Ravn Omdal. He has just been asked by news expert Åge Hareide whether he himself was tried to be bribed or bought or has been offered a bribe. Ravn Omdal sat on the Fifa board from 1994 to 2002. During that period, he was involved in awarding two different championships: South Korea and Japan, which organized the World Cup in 2002, and Germany, which organized it four years later. Fifa has since then been accused of being thoroughly corrupt. In 2015, the FBI investigated the organization as if it were a mafia organization. Private trips to applicant countries INTERVIEW: Åge Hareide interviews Per Ravn Omdal about the latter’s time in Norwegian and international football. Both of the two awards in Omdal’s term have been linked to corruption allegations. In 2015, reports emerged that South Korea and Japan had paid bribes to the South American Football Association to secure votes for their World Cup. This was denied by representatives from Japanese football. Among other things, this money should have gone to Nicolas Leoz, who was indicted by the FBI for fraud, corruption and money laundering. The following WC, the one in Germany in 2006, has received similar accusations against it. In 2019, three former football leaders in Germany were prosecuted in Swiss court. According to the BBC, it was about a secret payment of 6.7 million euros to Fifa. These are the two countries that eventually ended up winning the World Cup during Omdal’s time in Fifa. He does not want to say anything about whether it was these two applications that tried to bribe Omdal. Other applicant nations for the two World Cups were Mexico in 2002, while Brazil, England, Morocco and South Africa applied for the World Cup in 2006. Omdal explains that he was offered private trips to possible World Cup hosts. Nettavisen mentioned this first. – There were some of the colleagues on the board who we eventually found out traveled around and visited them completely on their own. I received questions or was sent plane tickets and descriptions of travel stays as well, he says. AWARD: Former football president Per Ravn Omdal received the Order of St. Olav in 2022 for his efforts for women’s football. Getting more women into football organizations is still one of Omdal’s most important battles. Photo: Sjur Natvig / NTB Omdal says he never went on the trips he was sent. Together with the seven other Europeans who sat on the Fifa board, they agreed to rather invite the applicant countries to them, instead of traveling on pretentious private trips around the world. – It was manageable. I have received one of the applicants at Ullevål Stadium five times while they were in the application process and I was updated on what happened with the progress there in the country. This was also the root and beginning of some of the things we have unfortunately seen now, says Omdal. Wants a new Fifa president Ravn Omdal has mentioned that he was offered to travel to WC countries in the past, including to Aftenposten, but has never been so clear that he experienced it as a bribe. Fifa had two different presidents while the Norwegian football elite sat on the board: Joao Havelange and Sepp Blatter. Both have been accused of being more concerned with money than football’s best. FIFA: Per Ravn Omdal was both president of the Norwegian Football Association and sat on the Fifa board at the turn of the millennium. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB Sepp Blatter was banned from Fifa in 2015. By then, a large number of other Fifa leaders had been arrested and prosecuted in various criminal cases related to fraud and other offences. Omdal believes the enormous flow of money into Fifa in connection with the World Cup is a problem. – Here, the money is generated to a very large extent. It started in the late 80s and early 90s, when we got pay TV. Then we saw that the income from football started to creep up quite sharply. We roughly doubled our marketing budget in the 90s every year. That’s how it went, and it worked out, says Omdal. – It is quite clear that however many have now been arrested, it is probably approaching 60-70 people who have been caught for corruption – it has been an element within the organisation, says Omdal, he adds. – What should Fifa do to regain the respect of the people? asks Åge Hareide – One step that should perhaps be taken is to shelve all plans to organize the WC every two years. It will also break the national initiatives and national football, if you get another championship like that. Fifa must not assume any role that will govern all football. This comes from below and is created from there, says Omdal. Although Omdal no longer has an official role in football, he has strong opinions about what happens in Fifa. Among other things, he wants more women on the board. Today, six out of 37 members of the Fifa board are women. PRESIDENTS: Per Ravn Omdal brags about how Lise Klaveness has acted as president of the Norwegian Football Association. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB – In addition, it could, for example, be an idea to strengthen the gender quota for elections in the national confederations. To shake the old man’s rule that still reigns in international football, says Omdal. – Maybe we have a potential international politician in Lise Klaveness? – She has done a fantastic job. Both I and everyone else support her 100 percent. If her thoughts, which also represent some of what I am saying now, then it would have been a fantastic development for football. – Then you should just replace her with Infantino, then? So is it okay? – Yes, I wouldn’t have minded.
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Was tried to be bought by WC organizer – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
