REPORT OF LETTER CALLING ON FIFA TO STRIP QATAR OF WORLD CUP ‘IS FAKE’
Founder of The Local Europe says story was fabricated after investigation found no trace of it on its records
A European news website denied publishing an article saying six Arab nations had written a letter to Fifa demanding that Qatar be stripped of its World Cup.
James Savage, founder of The Local Europe, said a story circulated yesterday and made to appear as if it had been published on his website was fabricated.
The article, doctored to look as if it came from The Local Europe, claimed the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen and Mauritania had written to Fifa.
It claimed the six countries had asked football’s governing body to remove Qatar as host of the 2022 Fifa World Cup, citing Article 85 of the Fifa code, which allowed for such action in event of an emergency.
“Our investigation so far indicated the article appeared on a fake site designed to look like The Local, and never appeared on The Local’s own site,” Mr Savage said.
He said that The Local Europe had searched its records and found “no trace of it in our system, nor any evidence that anyone tried to access our content management system”.
The news website has editions in several countries, including Switzerland, where Fifa has its headquarters.
Reuters published an article using the story as a source, adding that “a source familiar with the Qatari government’s World Cup activities said Qatar is aware the Saudis and others are engaged in such a move”.
It is unclear who was behind the fabricated story.
Fifa claimed that its president had “never received such a letter and subsequently has not made any comment on that”.
Football’s world governing body said it was in regular contact with the Qatar 2022 local organising committee and the supreme committee for delivery and legacy handling matters relating to the 2022 World Cup.
The Arab countries have cut ties with Qatar since June 5, accusing Doha of financing terrorism and having unacceptably close ties with Iran.
In December 2010, Doha won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, becoming the first Arab nation to do so.
The event, however, has been marred by controversy regarding workers’ conditions and allegations of corruption.
Fifa said its president had never received such a letter and subsequently has not made any comment on that