New revelations in the award of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – rts.ch

December 2, 2010. Twenty-two grizzled men gather in Zurich and vote in favor of Qatar to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This decision provokes geopolitical shock waves, economic and sports even today. The turmoil has become legal.

In Bern, in March 2017, the Public Ministry of the Confederation (MPC) opened proceedings against Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and Jerôme Valcke for private corruption. The new discoveries of the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) network, of which RTS and Tamedia are members in Switzerland, place the president of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the center of this scheme alongside Jerôme Valcke, then FIFA Secretary General. Confidential documents, which we have been able to consult, guide the case towards the means employed by Qatar. They suggest that the emirate not only bought the World Cup, but also paid to keep it. For his lawyers, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi "is the subject of a revival of media disparagement in a context of extreme political and commercial tensions, directed against Qatar and his person".

The story begins in 2013. The 2022 Cup in Qatar is doubly threatened. In Zurich, at the offices of the Home of FIFA, an internal investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding the World Cup prize is underway (it started in 2012). The discovery of solid evidence could trigger a new vote to award the tournament. And FIFA has not yet decided whether the Qatari World Cup will be organized in winter. However, it is obvious that no match in summer by 50 degrees can be acceptable for players and supporters. But FIFA fears losing money if the event is in competition with winter sports and the Super Bowl.

Qatar will cover losses

At FIFA, the Finance Committee met on 3 October 2013. The minutes of this discussion are in Football Leaks, documents shared by Spiegel with the EIC network. Cameroon's Issa Hayatou, president of the African Football Federation, wants to know if Qatar is ready to compensate for any loss of revenue for FIFA by postponing it to winter. Jerôme Valcke, secretary general, replies that he recently raised the problem with "representatives of Qatar", who told him that FIFA could receive additional funds from Qatari companies to offset any losses. The French reassures his colleagues, saying that the Qataris have promised him to "cooperate positively".

One day before this commission, Jerôme Valcke wrote in a private email that he was buying a house in Sardinia. He does not need a loan for a villa of 438 square meters, 13 rooms with swimming pool overlooking one of the most coveted coves of Sardinia: "I finalize the acquisition on November 8 of a house in Porto Cervo with its own financing without credits due to an exceptional financial income, which covers the cost of acquisition, namely 5 million euros ".

Where do these extraordinary funds come from? Jerôme Valcke is paid a few million dollars between 2007 and 2016 and receives generous special bonuses. For the 2010 World Cup alone, he will receive a bonus of nine million Swiss francs. In July 2013, the Panama Papers revealed that Jerôme Valcke is opening an offshore company domiciled in the British Virgin Islands. This structure is used for the acquisition of a 32-meter yacht, mainly "to keep the flag of the British Virgin Islands already owned by the boat," adds Me Hunzicker, lawyer Jerôme Valcke. Costs: $ 2.8 million. The following year, Jerôme Valcke will take the boat to a shipyard in Pisa to renovate it, at a cost of 15 million euros according to the Italian daily Il Tirreno.

On October 30, 2013, the French drafts and prints a document for the attention of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, that he "seems to have handed over" to the boss of the PSG, writes the MPC in a summary note. "At the beginning of next week, a transfer of 5'070'000 euros must be made to the account of the notary", and 200'000 euros for the real estate agency and 70'000 euros for the notary . In the project for the sales contract, his ex-wife is specified as buyer.

Villa finally rented

Shortly before signing at the notary, change of plan, for a less visible solution. The villa is bought by a French resident in Qatar, Nasser al-Khelaifi's fifteen-year-old "friend". His brother, a BeIN Sports employee, is considered one of Al-Khelaïfi's closest advisers. Jerôme Valcke will finally rent the beautiful holiday home through his discreet offshore company. Annual rent 96 000 euros. The Secretary-General does not receive the villa as a gift, but must not buy it himself. Jerôme Valcke, by his advice, replied to the EIC that he had fulfilled his obligations and "formally contests having perceived any undue advantage". The same tone is used by the defenders of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi who "strongly contests the accusations against him".

In December 2013, the FIFA Finance Committee meets again and discusses the 2022 World Cup. Soon, Jerôme Valcke proclaims the good news: they have agreed with the media company of Al-Khelaïfi, BeIN Sports, still under the name of Al Jazeera, on extending the TV rights contract for the Middle East: the company would pay $ 210 million for the 2026 World Cup and $ 270 million for the 2030 World Cup, a significant increase over the previous contract. FIFA approves the plans. Thirteen years before the start of the tournament, the federation already allocates television rights for a World Cup whose host is not known. Such an early agreement is extremely unusual.

A law firm advising FIFA on the drafting of the contract wonders if the broadcasting rights will not be worth much more in 2026. The Zurich study also wonders about a possible depreciation of the dollar. It believes that FIFA may sell its rights below their value. "The lack of a competitive market at the time of the media rights allocation in the region, the lack of any advantage granted, as well as the absence of violation of its duties by the FIFA Secretary General are major obstacles criminal prosecution of the MPC, "said Nasser Al-Khelaïfi's lawyers.

The context of the agreement with BeIN

Two internal sources of FIFA, contacted by the Spiegel, confirm that it is no coincidence that the events surrounding the Porto Cervo villa and the BeIN contract take place at a time when the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is about to collapse. The chronological order makes one wonder whether Nasser Al-Khelaïfi has secured the goodwill of the Secretary-General and has appeased FIFA's doubts with the millions of dollars in the TV rights agreement.

Jerôme Valcke denies having received an unreasonable advantage. He wanted to buy the villa himself first, but could not afford it. "There has never been any question that Mr. Al-Khelaïfi is financing this acquisition on behalf of third parties," his lawyers say, "all the more in exchange for anything". The French also states that he did not participate in the negotiations of the BeIN contract. And when he announced Qatari funds to FIFA, he was not talking about media rights holders like BeIN.

Pure coincidence? The report of the FIFA special investigator, Michael Garcia, will be published empty of its contents months later and its publication delayed so much that the investigator will leave his post. For FIFA and Qatar, the show must continue.

Jerôme Valcke will have to face the real crisis only the following year. In February 2015, during a trip to Doha, Valcke will receive another small gift from Qatar, a Cartier watch of 40,000 euros. "Mr. Valcke actually received a watch during a stay in Qatar, which is not unusual in the Middle East.It ultimately does not know who actually offered this watch, deposited in his hotel room", explains Patrick Hunzicker. In the months that followed, investigations intensified and in September 2015 the Frenchman was suspended from FIFA. The Federation will dismiss him for serious violation of his code of ethics. In 2015 always, Jerome Valcke ends the rental of the villa in Sardinia, and in October 2017, the Italian police confiscate the house during a search requested in the name of mutual legal assistance by the MPC. Meanwhile, the authorities accuse the French of corruption, unfaithful corporate management and falsification of documents. Three Swiss criminal proceedings are currently under way against Valcke. The Ministry recalls that "the presumption of innocence applies to all parties to the proceedings". He also refuses any other comment.

FIFA explains to the EIC that its complaint to the MPC asking it "to investigate a whole series of past conduct at FIFA under its former leadership is pending and we are therefore unable to comment. cooperate and continue to cooperate with the authorities to assist them in their investigations as they see fit or appropriate ".

Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is accumulating official posts. To date, he has been heard once by the MPC, in October 2017. "Dates have been blocked for possible hearings in the coming months, but no convocation has yet reached us.It will continue to fully cooperate with the event of truth, "says Me Gregoire Mangeat, one of the Qatari leader's lawyers (along with Mes Marc Bonnant and Fanny Margairaz). But he is also accused of corruption and several investigations are ongoing. For Qatar, history could become even more embarrassing than it already is.

Cecile Tran-Tien and Dimitri Zufferey

Francesa Sironi (L'Espresso), Rafael Buschmann and Christoph Winterbach (Der SPIEGEL), Sylvain Besson (Tamedia) and Yann Philippin (Mediapart) contributed to this article produced within the framework of the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) network.