Charlton remark irks SA
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 16: Top South African 2006 World Cup bid official Danny Jordaan has dismissed as irrelevant criticism of the country by English bid ambassador Sir Bobby Charlton, reports AFP.
Charlton, a member of the 1966 England World Cup-winning team, told the London Daily Express this week how he regularly received South African newspapers packed with crime stories.
"A badly-organised World Cup, given to a country at the wrong time, would be a disaster," Charlton said while England maintained their role as the major critics of the South African bid.
"South Africans are surprised by the outburst against us from Charlton, but we believe it is not worth responding to," bid committee chief executive Jordaan said in a statement released here.
Jordaan claimed England suffered a public relations disaster due to the poor showing of Manchester United at the first world club championship in Brazil, where they were eliminated after the first round this week.
He believed England were trying to deflect attention from United, who finished third behind Vasco de Gama of Brazil and Nexaca of Mexico in their group, by saying FIFA president Sepp Blatter no longer backed South Africa.
"I had a successful meeting with Blatter in Rio de Janeiro and am confident of his continued support," Jordaan said, referring to a statement by the leader of world football that he had to be neutral regarding bids.
Blatter has repeatedly supported South Africa, saying the quadrennial showcase of international football should be rotated among continents and it was the turn of Africa in 2006 to host the event for the first time.
"South Africa know they are the leading candidate in Africa and, therefore, continue to take great heart from the stance of Blatter. The rules demand his neutrality, but this must not be confused with his belief in the principle of rotation," Jordaan said.
Brazil, Germany and Morocco are also bidding to succeed Japan and South Korea as hosts of the World Cup and the winners will be announced after an early July meeting in Switzerland of the FIFA executive committee.
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