The programme obtained a list of alleged kickbacks worth around $100 million paid between 1989 and 1999 by the defunct sports marketing agency International Sports and Leisure (ISL) to FIFA officials in exchange for rights deals.
Most of the 175 payments were made to companies in Liechtenstein – one of which, called Sanud, is allegedly connected to Brazilian federation and 2014 World Cup chief Ricardo Teixeira and received $9.5 million.
The names of Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz, head of the South American confederation, and Cameroon’s Issa Hayatou, president of the African governing body, appear linked to payments amounting to $600,000 and $20,000, respectively.
Moreover, according to the BBC, the initials JH alongside a $1 million sum on the list correspond to a payment to Brazil’s Joao Havelange, ex-FIFA president and former father-in-law of Ricardo Teixeira.
The England 2018 bid, which fears to be hurt by the accusations, reiterated its criticism of the timing of Panorama saying “it did nothing more than rake over a series of historical allegations none of which are relevant to the current bidding process” and that “it should be seen as an embarrassment to the BBC.”
