The Qatari government has spent more than $387 million on a large-scale spy operation against FIFA officials in order to maintain the right to host the 2022 World Cup, Swiss broadcaster Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) reported on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd November, 2022) The Qatari government has spent more than $387 million on a large-scale spy operation against FIFA officials in order to maintain the right to host the 2022 World Cup, Swiss broadcaster Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) reported on Wednesday.
Senior government officials, including Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with the help of the US company Global Risk Advisors, consisting mainly of former CIA agents and headed by ex-spy Kevin Chalker, conducted surveillance of high-ranking FIFA officials as well as those who opposed the holding of the top football competition in Qatar, for many years, the broadcaster said.
According to documents obtained by SRF, the total budget for the operation was estimated between $387 million and $567 million.
Qatar wanted to make sure that FIFA did not change its position on the venue for the 2022 World Cup, the broadcaster reported, adding that the Swiss city of Zurich became the center of the operation.
Particular attention was paid to German football official Theo Zwanziger. Qatar spent $10 million spying on the former president of the German Football Association and former member of the FIFA executive committee, who had a strong voice against holding the World Cup in the Gulf monarchy, the report said.
Global Risk Advisors was ordered to stop the criticism and change the position of Zwanziger through a network of people who were supposed to influence him in the interests of Qatar.
FIFA World Cup will take place from November 21 to December 18 in Doha.
