The KNVB have confirmed that they will investigate claims from De Volskrant newspaper which claimed there was corruption involved in the World Cup 2018 bid from Netherlands and Belgium.
- By Michael Bell
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Netherlands joint bid with Belgium for the World Cup in 2018 failed, with Russia eventually being handed the tournament by FIFA. A result which has since been claimed to be pre-determined.
However De Volskrant is reporting that money was paid to secure votes for the Dutch/Belgian bid, a report which the KNVB are now looking into.
A statement on KNVB’s website read, “The KNVB has taken note of the reports in De Volkskrant on Saturday, December 12th about the process surrounding the World Cup bid from Netherlands and Belgium in 2010,”
“In the context of due diligence, the Dutch FA has launched an investigation in which all documents pertaining to the procedure of the World Cup bid will be scrutinised.”
Former KNVB secretary and member of the 2018 bid board Harry Been (pictured), added on the claims: “I cannot remember that we in the World Cup campaign bid for 2018 allowed anything inappropriate to pass by.
“I obviously take questions from this newspaper and the investigation seriously. Files from that time will be removed and studied as quickly as possible and evaluated. We will then notify the result to the outside world.”
This report is the latest scandal to be revealed among World Cup bids and FIFA, with the suggestions of corruption in the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar widespread.
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