FOOTBALL’S UNDER-FIRE world governing body has executed a bizarre U-turn amid criticism over the appointment of Issa Hayatou to oversee the London 2012 football tournament at a time when he is under investigation by the International Olympic Committee for alleged corruption.
An announcement on the website of the Confederation of African Football on Tuesday read: “CAF president Issa Hayatou has been appointed by world soccer governing body, Fifa, as chairman of the organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments and the Fifa Goal bureau.”
It is believed Fifa also confirmed to journalists who made inquiries on the same day that he had been appointed to chair both committees. It seems Hayatou’s name also appeared on Fifa’s own website. But late yesterday, in the face of mounting criticism over the appointment, it issued a new, opaque, statement.
“Due to a technical error, appointments for Fifa standing committees have appeared on the Fifa website. The appointments for the chairman and deputy chairman of the Fifa standing committees will be communicated in due course,” it said.
“Therefore, Issa Hayatou has not been appointed as chairman of the organising committee for the Olympic football tournaments.”
An IOC spokesman confirmed that Hayatou, who has been on Fifa’s ruling executive committee and president of the Confederation of African Football for more than two decades, remained under investigation by its independent ethics commission over corruption allegations.
“The ethics commission is independent but my understanding is that the investigation is still continuing,” he said. It is believed that the IOC’s ethics commission will come to a decision within weeks, which is then likely to be discussed by the IOC’s executive board in December.
Meanwhile, Joey Barton has claimed he held talks with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger before joining QPR.
New Rangers captain Barton believes his hopes of becoming an Arsenal player were scuppered after he was involved in Gervinho’s sending-off on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Playing what proved his final home match for Newcastle last month, Barton threw himself to the ground after clashing with Arsenal’s new striker, who was shown a red card.
Midfielder Barton told BBC Sport: “If I hadn’t played against Arsenal on the first day, I may have signed for them. There were a couple of conversations but that’s different to actually signing.
“The Gervinho incident happened and there’s nothing I can do about it now. If it happened again, I’d like to think I’d deal with it differently.”
Kieran Gibbs has urged his Arsenal team-mates to stand up and support Wenger by putting in the performances the manager deserves as payback for all that he has achieved for the club during his 15-year reign.
Defeats to Liverpool, Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers have left the Gunners fourth from bottom with a goal difference of minus eight before Bolton Wanderers’ visit to the Emirates on Saturday.
On Tuesday evening another shaky performance in north London against Shrewsbury Town in the League Cup third round ended in Arsenal winning 3-1, after they had initially fallen behind.
Gibbs, whose 33rd-minute equaliser was his first goal for the club, was asked if the players now have to show they are playing for Wenger. He said: “If we haven’t shown that already then I’m sure we will. We all have to get behind him. I don’t think we need to show what type of man Arsene Wenger is. If we need to do that then there is no point in being here because what the man has done is incredible.”
