FIFA Report - CAS Dismisses Mutu Appeal; Tickets Sales Lagging in Africa for World Cup

CAS Dismisses Mutu Appeal

(ATR) Romanian striker Adrian Mutu failed in his bid to overturn an order to pay English giants Chelsea $24.2 million compensation for breach of contract after testing positive for cocaine five years ago.

His appeal was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Mutu, who now plays for Fiorentina in Italy, was fired by the Premier League club after the positive test and was instructed to pay the hefty compensation by FIFA last year, but took his case to sport's highest tribunal.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has today dismissed the appeal filed by the Romanian football player, Adrian Mutu, against the decision rendered by the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) on 7 May 2008 in which he was ordered to pay 17,173,990 euros in compensation... for breach of contract," CAS said in a statement.

Mutu, around the time of his sacking, described the penalty as inhumane and said the offense did not justify it, while the Romanian Players Union complained that if an English player had committed the same offence, he would only have been fired and would not have had to pay any damages.

Africa Not Buying Many World Cup Tickets

Most demand for tickets to next year’s World Cup finals tournament in South Africa is coming from Europe and America, while African nations showed little interest, with the exception of the host nation, organizing committee chief Danny Jordaan said.

Only five African countries, including host South Africa, are able to qualify and more Africans may purchase tickets if their countries qualify, Jordaan said.

“We sold just over 800,000 (out of a total of 3.2 million) of which about 240,000 were sold inside South Africa," Jordaan told a media briefing in Cape Town.

“Very few of those tickets are on the African continent, the highest number is in Ghana, but most of the tickets have gone to Europe and the United States.”

World football’s governing body FIFA, has identified tickets sales, accommodation and transport as being key areas of concern, despite last month’s smooth-running Confederations Cup, seen as a practice run for the world’s most popular sporting event, the quadrennial FIFA World Cup.

Cape Town Confirmed As World Cup Draw Venue

Cape Town is now locked in as the location for the 2010 FIFA World Cup draw after the mayor Dan Pluto and local organizing committee chief Danny Jordaan signed an agreement confirming the city’s role for the December 4 event.

The draw at Cape Town International Convention Centre is expected to be broadcast in almost 200 countries and attended by about 2,000 guests and around 800 media representatives. It will determine the match order for the world's top 32 teams who will contest Africa's first FIFA World Cup, which takes place from June 11 to July 11 next year.

"We can't wait for the fourth of December and we can't wait for 2010 to welcome all the visitors and spectators to our city," Pluto told journalists.

“Cape Town is ready and prepared to deliver a memorable Final Draw and to provide unique visitor experiences for visitors and the soccer fraternity alike.

“The timing coincides with Cape Town's festive season and all stakeholders are working together on integrated planning and preparations for the event."

Jordaan said the draw in South Africa's scenic ‘Mother City' would capture the imagination of the football world and the week-long event will include a number of activities staged by FIFA, the organizing committee, the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Provincial Government and South Africa's nine host cities.

He said the two key projects left in the delivery of the 2010 FIFA World Cup were the draw for the event and then the tournament itself.

Qatar Aiming To Make History With All-Indoor Venues For The 2022 FIFA World Cup

Qatar’s bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will feature all-indoor venues for the first time in the history of the tournament, ESPN reports.

“We strongly believe that it is time for the world's favorite game to come to the Middle East,” Qatar's 2022 Bid CEO Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi told ESPN Soccernet.

“It's time - and we are ready to make history. A World Cup in Qatar will be the first global sporting event to be hosted by the Middle East, bringing greater unity and understanding between peoples from every continent, and perfectly reflecting the FIFA slogan "For the Game; for the World".

To counter concerns over excessive heat , the Qataris are reportedly drawing up plans for the 2022 tournament featuring indoor venues which allow for the latest in cooling methods and technology.

“We already have air-conditioned stadia which have been used and have proven their success," Al Thawadi said.

“Currently, we are researching various cooling methods which are environmentally friendly and very effective in cooling.

“We'll be unveiling a number of visionary, state-of-the-art ideas for iconic stadia and infrastructure and we're very excited by the challenge of ensuring that your passion for football is the only thing that will make you hot."

FIFA Honors Cook Islands Football Chief

Cook Islands Football Association President Lee Harmon has been presented with the FIFA Order of Merit.

The award was presented to Harmon by FIFA Vice-President and President of the Oceania Football Confederation, Reyland Temarii, in Rarotonga at the inauguration of CIFA’s football grandstand and changing rooms.

“This award is for CIFA. I would like to dedicate this award to every executive I worked with, in the past and current.

This award is also for the members and players of Cook Islands football,” the Cook Islands Herald quotes Harmon as saying.

“It is a good feeling to receive an award for something you love doing.”

Harmon joins an elite group of recipients which include Pelé, Nelson Mandela and Henry Kissinger.

Since taking over the presidency in 1997, Harmon has overseen the delivery of FIFA Goal Projects – a football academy, international playing pitches and grandstand plus changing rooms - on the small island nation.

Written by Anthony Stavrinos

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