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Beckenbauer Blasts Euro IOC Members


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Beckenbauer furious over Munich Olympic snub

BERLIN — Franz Beckenbauer has accused European members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of voting against Munich and Annecy's 2018 Winter Olympic bids in order to further their own interests.

Both European candidates failed when South Korea city Pyeongchang was awarded the 2018 Games in Wednesday's vote.

The IOC made a clear decision as delegates in Durban, South Africa awarded 63 votes to Pyeongchang, compared to the 25 given to Germany's Munich and just seven to France's Annecy.

Football great Beckenbauer, who captained Germany to the 1974 World Cup title and coached the team that won Italy 1990, was in Durban to support Munich's bid, but was furious at the IOC's decision.

According to Beckenbauer, the majority of the 42 Europeans sitting on the IOC voted against the European candidates to support a future candidacy in their own nations.

Traditionally, the IOC never awards consecutive games to the same continent and Beckenbauer accuses some European delegates of protecting their own interests for future bids.

"It's absolutely scandalous that Europeans do not help other Europeans for completely selfish reasons," said Beckenbauer, a former member of FIFA's executive committee.

"Forty-two voting Europeans are sitting on the IOC, but only 25 gave their vote to Munich.

"Pyeongchang won the first ballot with 63 votes, that means that a majority of Europeans voted against the European candidates.

"Many prefer to think of a future candidacy of their own country and strive not to damage their chances.

"They would have rather raised their hand for Korea than for Munich or Annecy. It's all about self-interest, I think that's terrible."

But Beckenbauer's criticism was rejected by some of Europe's IOC delegates.

"Franz Beckenbauer should not forget some of the venues that FIFA chooses -- I'm just going to say (2022 World Cup hosts) Qatar," said Russia's IOC member and former Olympic champion swimmer Alexander Popov.

"Besides, the IOC is a democratic body, everyone can decide for himself and there is no coercion."

And Valeriy Borzov, an IOC member and former president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, said Beckenbauer's argument falls flat.

"Munich was difficult because the (Russian) city of Sochi will host in 2014, so a European country already has the Winter Games," he said.

"There was another region to consider and Pyeongchang, after two failed attempts, did a very good job with their presentation."

AFP

Okay, he's right about Europe looking after its own chances for 2020 and 2022. But, hey, that's sports politics.

I LOVE Popov's riposte.

cough .. Qatar ... cough!

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Actually, the IOC should be grateful to FIFA for picking Qatar for 2022. At least it gets those pesky Gulf sheikdoms out of the IOC's hair for awhile.

Seriously--we'll be hearing about the fallout from the FIFA scandal all the way to 2022. That should keep Qatar out of bidding for the Olympics through at least the 2028 race. No way the IOC is going to want to touch that for a long time.

I love Popov.

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It was clear, that Annecy and Munich wont get all European votes, but is PC 9x better than Annecy or 2 1/2x better than Munich?

This is not a lost for France and Germany. It is a smack in their faces and clearly they dont deserve it.

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Did the U.S. "deserve" the 2016 smack in the face. But yet many non-Americans here disputed the notion. Saying it was simply somebody else's turn, blah, blah. Sometimes the double standards on these boards are just amazing.

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Beckenbauer is a such loser!! Someone needs to win and someones needs to lose. South Korea lost the bids two times before they won. It was time for them.

Munich can bid again. Look how many times Sweden has lost in bidding... but now SOC will discuss a bid to WOG 2022. If Beckenbauer and Germany really wants a WOG then they should stop act as losers and look forward to 2022 bid.

The only thing I have against South Korea is that they will host WOG before bigger winter nations as Sweden, Swiss... Is the South Korean bid that much better than Åre/Östersund?

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well, Beckenbauer is an important sport official, but I am not really a "fan" of him - he can be a little bit awkward sometimes:

Who in the world can start a speech with "People call me "Kaiser""?

But I think PyeongChang couldn't do anything wrong in this bid process, since I believe the IOC wanted right after the 2014 decision Korea as Winter Olympics host - I think the IOC was shocked by its own "brutality" to give Russia the Winter Olympics in 2014...

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Beckenbauer is a such loser!! Someone needs to win and someones needs to lose. South Korea lost the bids two times before they won. It was time for them.

Munich can bid again. Look how many times Sweden has lost in bidding... but now SOC will discuss a bid to WOG 2022. If Beckenbauer and Germany really wants a WOG then they should stop act as losers and look forward to 2022 bid.

The only thing I have against South Korea is that they will host WOG before bigger winter nations as Sweden, Swiss... Is the South Korean bid that much better than Åre/Östersund?

Hosting the Games isn't a race to the finish line. It doesn't really matter who gets to host first, as long as both eventually get to host.

I was always under the impression that Sweden was tired of losing, and that the next time they bid, it would be when they think the timing is ideal. In this case, once Pyeongchang/Asia is taken care of. If they bid for 2022, they could be a sentimental favourite to start off. And Sweden, along with the US, is certainly my favourite for 2022 (not necessarily who I think would win, but who I would LIKE to win). Good luck, I know Swedes have been waiting a long time.

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Hosting the Games isn't a race to the finish line. It doesn't really matter who gets to host first, as long as both eventually get to host.

I was always under the impression that Sweden was tired of losing, and that the next time they bid, it would be when they think the timing is ideal. In this case, once Pyeongchang/Asia is taken care of. If they bid for 2022, they could be a sentimental favourite to start off. And Sweden, along with the US, is certainly my favourite for 2022 (not necessarily who I think would win, but who I would LIKE to win). Good luck, I know Swedes have been waiting a long time.

The basic thing about the Swedish bids is that they can't get their major population center (whichever one) close enough to wihtin an hour of their is it Are/Ostersund? slopes. There is that distance that cannot be covered, unless they embark on a plan to build a new mediums-sized city close to Are. Maybe move all the immigrant populations there into a new town? Abbottsberg? :lol:

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That is certainly the issue that hampered the Falun bids. And then Ostersund (Sweden) was just foolhardy in thinking that they could get 1998 when 1994 was going to be right next in Lillehammer (Norway). Not to mention, Albertville (Europe) also had hosted 1992, already making 2 consecutive Winter Euro hsotings in a row with Norway. As is always said on these forums, it's also about timing of your bids.

Beckenbauer is a such loser!! Someone needs to win and someones needs to lose. South Korea lost the bids two times before they won. It was time for them.

Munich can bid again. Look how many times Sweden has lost in bidding... but now SOC will discuss a bid to WOG 2022. If Beckenbauer and Germany really wants a WOG then they should stop act as losers and look forward to 2022 bid.

Exactly, Pillan.

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swimmer Alexander Popov.

"Besides, the IOC is a democratic body, everyone can decide for himself and there is no coercion."

And Valeriy Borzov, an IOC member and former president of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, said Beckenbauer's argument falls flat.

"Munich was difficult because the (Russian) city of Sochi will host in 2014, so a European country already has the Winter Games," he said.

"There was another region to consider and Pyeongchang, after two failed attempts, did a very good job with their presentation."

Popov's claims are absurd. Sochi has received help from Katarina Witt. At that time too many Russians said, Sochi is not Europe, New Frontier and Eurasia. And the day before voting, Asia's IOC members agreed to support Pyeongchang according to media. It's not a democracy.

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