So, the bidding war for the 2002 World Cup is finally over and the co-hosted idea is declared “a good thing.”
Don’t believe that for a minute. The awarding of the 2002 World Cup merely served as the latest battleground in the power struggle between incumbent FIFA president Joao Havelange and Swedish pretender Lennart Johansson.
Three years ago, Japan was a shoo-in for the 2002 World Cup. It had heavy-duty sponsors (many of which were on ISL’s books), a star-studded pro league that was the recipient of lavish investment and Havelange’s backing.
That last clause, initially viewed as a strength, transposed into Japan’s biggest weakness. Post-1994, Havelange’s reign has been a mounting series of embarrassing gaffes and back-pedaling.
South Korea, whose bid was centered around the fact that it wasn’t Japan, won a spot for Chung Mong-Joon on the FIFA executive committee and found an ally in Johansson, who liked the bid because Havelange was opposed to it.
Both countries could have promised the heavens — and they did — but the final outcome had little to do with the strengths of their respective bids.
In the end a compromise was achieved. Both nations saved face and the only real loser was Havelange himself.
But a shared World Cup, especially between countries with long history of enmity, presents new questions, too numerous to list here.
FIFA has really created a rod for its own back with all this internecine squabbling. But it’ll all be all right in the end.
Remember, in 1988 a country with little soccer past and few suitable stadiums was awarded the World Cup. USA `94 overcame narrow fields, artificial turf and domed stadiums to produce the most successful tournament in the competition’s history.
And 2002 will mark the next step forward.
by Soccer America Senior Editor Duncan Irving