"I tell you something, in the next couple days you will see a football tsunami that will hit FIFA and the world that will shock you," CONCACAF president Jack Warner said on Saturday. "The time has come when I must stop playing dead so you'll see it, it's coming, trust me. You'll see it by now and Monday."
That Tsunami has materialized.
Amid allegations that he was involved with acts of bribery regarding both the 2022 World Cup Bids and the upcoming FIFA presidential election, AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam withdrew Sunday from the election, in which he was set to challenge incumbent Sepp Blatter.
Also on Sunday, the investigation of the election bribery resulted in the suspension of both Bin Hamman and Warner from FIFA.
On Monday, the day tabbed tipped for the tsunami, an email from FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke revealed an email that he sent to Warner, in which he implies that Bin Hammam had in fact attempted to buy both the 2022 World Cup for Qatar, and the 2011 election.
"For MBH [Bin Hammam], I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB [Blatter]. Or he thought you can buy FIFA as they bought the WC," the email read.
Valcke backed off from that email somewhat, explaining that he wasn't suggesting "any purchase of votes or similar unethical behavior."
Still, the house of cards sheltering FIFA's corruption seems to be thoroughly collapsing.
A photograph of $40,000 cash, supposedly offered to the Bahamas FA as a bribe for a vote for Bin Hammam surfaced on Monday. (Below) In total, Bin Hammam is accused of attempting to buy votes from 25 officials.
A Sunday Times previously reported that two african FIFA officials had been bribed $1.5 million each to vote for the Qatar bid, which Bin Hammam was integrally involved in. Qater defeated the United States 14-8 in the final round of voting.
Bin Hammam is appealing his suspension. "If I was paying money for Qatar, you also have to ask the 13 people who voted for Qatar," he jeered.
Still, many expect more and more evidence of corruption to follow.
Sports Illustrated soccer writer and former FIFA presidential candidate Grant Wahl tweeted some interesting questions on Monday.
"What did Bin Hammam get for agreeing to get out of FIFA race? Wrist slap from investigation? Qatar keeps World Cup '22? Has to be something," he pondered.
