FFA says it will learn from Cup mistakes

FOOTBALL Federation Australia says it is “confident mistakes of the past will not be repeated” as it pushes ahead with its bid for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The eagerly anticipated report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was surprisingly released by FIFA yesterday on the back of it being leaked to a German newspaper.

And while greater detail was revealed in regards to some of the questionable elements of Australia’s 2022 bid, there were no explosive new revelations that haven’t already been unveiled in the years since the failed $46 million bid garnered just one vote.

Those hoping for a “smoking gun” that would renew calls for Russia (2018) and Qatar (2022) to be stripped World Cup hosting rights were also left disappointed with the 430-page document providing no hard evidence that either nation “bought” votes.

A shady culture of entitlement among FIFA executives, however, was laid bare.

The 2014 report’s author, former FIFA ethics chief investigator Michael Garcia, concluded Australia made “improper” payments to influence the vote of disgraced executive Jack Warner.

The payments relate to the $500,000 payment to benefit a “centre of excellence” in Warner’s native Trinidad and Tobago and the near $100,000 costs associated with that nation’s under-20 friendly against Australia in Cyprus in 2009.

“Australia’s bid team perceived the payment as a benefit for Mr Warner, as did Mr Warner himself,” the report said.

In a statement, FFA again conceded “mistakes were made by the Australian bid team” in the bidding process.

“However, FFA notes that FIFA continues to reform its governance, including relating to future tournament bids, and is confident mistakes of the past will not be repeated,” the statement said.