Former FIFA exec committee member FRANZ BECKENBAUER called for the "corruption report on the 2018 and 2022 World Cup host contests to be published," and said on Tuesday that he "took no bribes before voting." Beckenbauer left FIFA's exec committee months after the vote in Dec. '10 gave Russia the 2018 event and Qatar the 2022 tournament. He "remains active" in FIFA but was "briefly banned in June by the ethics committee from all football-related activity for failing to cooperate" with prosecutor MICHAEL GARCIA's corruption investigation. Beckenbauer said that he "cannot understand" why FIFA President SEPP BLATTER wants Garcia's report to "remain secret, echoing calls for its public release from current executives" including UEFA President MICHEL PLATINI. Beckenbauer: "Personally there's nothing to hide. If you have nothing to hide you can publish and divulge it" (AP, 10/8). ... Former Brazilian int'l BEBETO "won a seat in Rio de Janeiro's state parliament" during Brazil's parliamentary elections as "two former World
Cup winners swept into office," with Bebeto's 1994 World Cup-winning teammate ROMARIO elected to the country's upper chamber. One-time Portuguese side FC Porto striker MARIO JARDEL, former goalkeepers DANRLEI and JOAO LEITE and former Brasileiro side Corinthians President ANDRES SANCHEZ "also were winners at the polls" (BLOOMBERG, 10/6).
BIANCHI IN CRITICAL CONDITION: Marussia F1 driver JULES BIANCHI is still in a "critical but stable condition," however it has emerged he is "suffering from a devastating brain injury." The Marussia driver's family released a statement saying that the 25-year-old is suffering from a "diffuse axonal injury (DAI)." It is one of the "most common types of brain trauma" and more than 90% of people who are affected "go into a coma and never regain consciousness." His family added that it has been a "very difficult time." However, the family thanked the "people across the globe who have been offering countless messages of support." French doctor GERARD SAILLANT, who "advised over the treatment" of former F1 driver MICHAEL SCHUMACHER after a ski accident "left him in a medically-induced coma, has flown to Japan." Saillant arrived in Yokkaichi on Monday at the request of Bianchi's family and "travelled to the hospital where the driver was being treated" (London EXPRESS, 10/7).
COE HAS 'BIG PROBLEMS': British Olympic Association Chair SEBASTIAN COE has admitted to having "big problems" with the nomination of sprinter JUSTIN GATLIN for World Athlete of the Year. Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, is "one of 10 on a shortlist" announced by the Int'l Association of Athletics Federations last week. Coe, an IAAF VP, said, "What would you say if I said I felt comfortable about it? The only thing I would say is he is entitled to compete; but I'm not particularly comfortable about it" (BBC, 10/7). ... Former ManU CEO DAVID GILL "will stand for election" to become a FIFA VP next year. Gill, who stepped down as ManU CEO in '13, "already sits on UEFA's executive committee" and is an FA Vice-Chair. At the FIFA Congress in May, Gill is "looking to succeed" FIFA VP JIM BOYCE, the Northern Irishman who has "served as a vice president" since '11. He could "face rival bids from Scottish and Welsh officials" (AP, 10/7). ... FIA President JEAN TODT has delivered "perhaps the most promising news" about Schumacher's condition since his "fateful skiing fall last December." Todt has visited the Schumacher family since the former driver "returned to his home in Switzerland after months in hospital and rehabilitation." Little is "known about Schumacher's health condition, but Todt has reportedly now delivered an upbeat report." Todt: "We may assume that Schumacher can live a relatively normal life within a short period of time. He fights. His condition improves, which is very important, as is the fact that he is now home with his family" (MOTORSPORT, 10/7).
TAVECCHIO SUSPENDED: UEFA announced Tuesday that it has suspended Italian Football Federation President CARLO TAVECCHIO six months for "making a racist statement." Tavecchio was quoted as "making an inflammatory remark about African players after the World Cup during his election campaign for the Italian FA presidency this summer." He was elected Italy's FA president in August, "garnering 63.63 percent of the third-round vote" to defeat DEMETRIO ALBERTIN. UEFA announced its investigation into his "alleged racism shortly thereafter" (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 10/7).
Greek courts indicted KONSTANTINOS MATALAS, former president of the company responsible for the Athens Olympic structures, for “mismanaging” the facilities used during the 2004 Olympics. The prosecution’s 8-month long investigation found that Matalas’s negligence "resulted in damages over 10 billion euros" (LE MONDE,10/7).
