Dutch to delay 2018 World Cup ‘decision’
German lawmakers raise doubt about Russia hosting event
AMSTERDAM, July 23, (RTRS): The Dutch football association (KNVB) wants to postpone discussion over participation in the next World Cup in Russia as an angry country on Wednesday mourned victims of the Malaysian airliner shot down over Ukraine by Russianbacked separatists on a flight from Amsterdam last week.
The KNVB said in a statement it had received many questions over playing in the 2018 World Cup in Russia but felt a debate should be delayed while the country observed a national day of mourning.
All 298 people on board the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 died when it was brought down last Thursday over rebel- held territory in eastern Ukraine, where Kiev is struggling to quell a pro-Russian separatist rebellion.
Two-thirds of the victims were Dutch and the disaster has led to calls for strong sanctions against Russia, even if it hurts the Dutch economy, opinion polls published on Wednesday showed.
“The association is well aware that a future World Cup in Russia will stir a lot of emotion among football lovers and the next of kin in the Netherlands,” the KNVB said.
“Standing still to remember our enormous loss is now the priority. The KNVB believes it would be more appropriate to hold the discussion over the future World Cup in Russia at a later time once the investigation into the disaster is completed.”
The Netherlands finished third at the World Cup in Brazil this month, but a national mood of euphoria has been replaced by shock, grief and anger.
With 193 of the dead from the Netherlands, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said almost every family in the country of 15 million knew someone who had died or their relatives. Manchester United’s England international Wayne Rooney shoots during a training session at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on July 22, where the English Premiere League side plays Major League Soccer’s LA
Galaxy on July 23. (AFP)
Russia has blamed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for the crash because he refused to extend a ceasefire with the separatist fighters. Moscow denies supporting the separatists.
US intelligence officials said on Tuesday that Washington believed proRussian separatists probably shot the plane down “by mistake,” not realising it was a civilian passenger flight.
Several senior politicians in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling conservative party raised the possibility on Wednesday of stripping Russia of its right to host the 2018 soccer World Cup after the downing of a passenger plane over Ukraine.
Western countries have blamed proRussian separatists battling Kiev’s forces in eastern Ukraine for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on July 17 in which 298 people were killed.
The European Union has threatened to impose harsher economic sanctions on Russia, though on Tuesday ministers delayed action for a few days.
Taking away Russia’s right to hold the soccer tournament may have significantly stronger impact than more economic sanctions, said Michael Fuchs, deputy head of the conservative bloc in the German parliament.
“FIFA football association should think about whether Moscow is an appropriate host if it can’t even guarantee safe airways,” Fuchs told Handelsblatt Online, adding that Germany and France could take over the tournament if needed.
Economic sanctions would be difficult to implement due to Russia’s long borders, which are too porous to effectively seal off imports, Fuchs said.
German trade associations have said new EU sanctions could hurt business between Russia and Germany, Europe’s biggest economy.
The interior minister of the state of Hesse agreed with Fuchs.
“If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn’t actively cooperate on clearing up the plane crash, the soccer World Cup in Russia in 2018 is unimaginable”, Peter Beuth told Germany’s top-selling daily Bild.
Stephan Mayer, a member of Bavaria’s conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), also said withdrawing the World Cup from Russia “should not be taboo”.
Germany’s DFB football association was not immediately available to comment on Wednesday on the politicians’ comments. Germany won this year’s World Cup tournament in Brazil.
The Malaysian plane had been flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down near Donetsk, a stronghold of pro-Russian rebels.
In the Netherlands, where many of the passengers came from, the Dutch football association said on Wednesday it was too early to review Russia’s hosting of the 2018 World Cup.
“The Dutch football association is aware that a future World Cup in Russia stirs great emotion among all football fans and relatives in the Netherlands,” it said in a statement.
“The association believes it is more appropriate to conduct a discussion over a future World Cup in Russia at a later moment, once the investigation into the disaster has been completed.”