FIFA has accused the Nobel Peace Center of obstructing the values of "peace-building and anti-discrimination" as football's scandal-plagued world governing body "reacted bitterly to its latest blow," according to Mark Cue of the LONDON TIMES. The offshoot of the Nobel Committee, which awards the Nobel Peace Prize, announced on Monday that it would end its support for the Handshake for Peace initiative "as soon as circumstances permit," prompting an "unusually strongly-worded riposte from Fifa House in Zurich." FIFA said, "We are disappointed to have learned from the media about the Nobel Peace Center's [NPC's] intent to terminate the cooperation with Fifa on the Handshake for Peace initiative. Fifa is reluctant to accept this unilateral approach on what is a joint initiative between the football community and the Nobel Peace Center. This action does not embody the spirit of fair play especially as it obstructs the promotion of the key values of peace-building and anti-discrimination" (LONDON TIMES, 6/16). REUTERS' Brian Homewood reported FIFA said that NPC Exec Dir Bente Erichsen phoned FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Tuesday and that she "continued to believe in this initiative and hoped it would live on in football with FIFA." The Oslo-based NPC was behind the Handshake for Peace Initiative, "something that had been enthusiastically promoted by Blatter for three years." FIFA encouraged prematch handshakes between team captains and officials as the Handshake for Peace and was "also hoping to introduce it at the end of matches." FIFA said that the Handshake for Peace would remain protocol at the U20 World Cup in New Zealand and the Women's World Cup in Canada (REUTERS, 6/16). Homewood reported in a separate piece the announcement came three days after Interpol suspended a $22M arrangement with FIFA on fighting match-fixing. The FBI is investigating bribery and corruption involving FIFA officials, "including scrutiny of how FIFA awarded World Cup hosting rights to Russia and Qatar." At the end of last month nine current or former FIFA officials and five business execs were indicted on corruption charges. The Nobel Peace Center said, "The board asks the administration to
terminate the cooperation with FIFA as soon as circumstances allow" (REUTERS, 6/15).
BITTER BLOW: In London, Owen Gibson reported the decision "will have come as a bitter blow to Blatter," who once
harbored hopes of winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The joint Handshake
for Peace initiative, unveiled at the Club World Cup in '13, involved
FIFA making an €800,000 ($899,300) annual contribution to the Nobel Peace Center (GUARDIAN, 6/16).
