London mayor cancels FIFA Olympic freebie

Sun, 05 Dec 2010

London - The fall-out to England's defeat in the race to host the 2018 World Cup continued on Sunday as London mayor Boris Johnson withdrew an offer of free hotel rooms for FIFA executives during the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Johnson had agreed to put up FIFA president Joseph Blatter and other officials at the exclusive Dorchester Hotel, but after Thursday's decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia, the offer has been rescinded.

The mayor is understood to have discussed the issue with the London Olympic organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe, but he has not commented on the decision.

Johnson, who was in Zurich to help with last-minute lobbying, said the result was a "big blow and tremendously disappointing".

The withdrawal of the offer, whose initial justification - from a bid that prided itself on not offering inducements - remains unclear, is part of a general backlash in England against FIFA.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/356680,cancels-fifa-olympic-freebie.html.