Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1324024
MATTHEW VELLA DOCUMENTS seen by the rep- utable German news magazine Der Spiegel and the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, have un- covered a request by the former Malta Football President Joe Mifsud for a million Swiss francs for his consultancy on an ice hockey world championship. The document from 4, March 1998, seen by MaltaToday, sug- gests that Mifsud, then a member of the FIFA executive committee, was slated to be paid the CHF1 million "net and in cash" for con- sultancy and advice to the sports management company CWL, over the ice hockey world cham- pionship. The invoice states that the ser- vices – market research and ad- vice, as well as support on the sale of rights – are from a con- tract dated 19 November, 1997. The amount was "due in cash on August 15 1998". An internal company docu- ment, eight days later, would claim to show that this payment had little to do with the IIHF championship: written by CWL boss Cesar W. Luthi, he told his accounting department, "strictly confidential"… "Note: Payment of the sum only after the FIFA congress in the summer and after OK of GN" – GN being Gunther Netzer, former West Germa- ny World Cup champion from 1972, and managing director of the sports marketing firm CWL. The German press has long questioned the role that CWL and other German officials played in ensuring the FIFA ex- ecutive committee, of which Mifsud was a member, voted to have Germany host the 2006 World Cup. In a request for comment, Mifsud told MaltaToday he "never had anything to do in any manner whatsoever" with ice hockey tournaments, either as an individual or a lawyer. "Any statement or document claiming otherwise is totally false." MaltaToday has not established whether the money was actually paid out to Mifsud. He had been previously targeted by allegations from long-time MFA rival Nor- man Darmanin Demajo, of pock- eting TV rights cash from CWL from a 2003 friendly played by Bayern Munich against the Mal- tese national squad. Now the new document trove adds more fuel to the fire, square- ly framing the role CWL had in pushing lucrative contracts to people with influence inside the FIFA exco. In comments to MaltaToday Mifsud once again denied having made any personal financial gain. "Any publication, even if copied from a local or foreign source, disseminating lies and untruths about me, will be deemed to be published in bad faith," Mifsud said in a threat to MaltaToday after sending the former MFA president questions on the doc- uments. Many of the suspicions arise from the role that CWL played in advancing handsome consultan- cies to most members of the FI- FA exco, among them the Bayern friendlies for Thailand, Tunisia, Malta as well as Trinidad and To- bago, although useless showcase matches. But there were electors from all of these four countries who decided Germany's bid, for which CWL ensured absurdly high sums for TV rights. According to Der Spiegel, the CWL papers are "another strong indication that the World Cup was bought", with CWL paying money to at least six electors so that their votes go to Germany. CWL was owned by Leo Kirch, a movie and television mogul who acquired the European rights for the 2002 and 2006 World Cup tournaments. Der Spiegel described Mifsud as being at the "head of a food chain" since his influence counted for two other exco members' votes. In 2003, Mifsud was revealed to have signed a contract with CWL in June 2000, counter-signed by Gunther Netzer. The contract was for Bayern Munich to play a friendly match against Malta. 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 JANUARY 2021 NEWS Altstar Netzer Goldene Nase Sommermärchen Neue Dokumente untermauern den Verdacht, dass die WM 2006 gekauft war – und der Deutsche Fußball-Bund eingeweiht. Offenbar gab es einen Pakt zwischen Medien-Mogul Leo Kirch und dem Verband. Ein schmutziger Deal, der bis ins vergangene Jahr hielt. Germans wanted to give Mifsud 1 million Swiss francs for ice hockey deal New documents: former MFA president denies claim of million-franc consultancy by German media giant CWL that played major role in securing World Cup bid in 2006 The Spiegel reveal: pictured is Gunther Netzer, the West Germany football star who became a consultant for CWL Right, bottom: the document unearthed by Der Speigel and Suddeutsche Zeitung shows an alleged invoice from 4 March 1998 carrying the header that says 'Dr Joseph Mifsud', sent to CWL and requesting CHF 1 million net and in cash, for market research, advice, and support on the sale of rights for the International Ice Hockey Federation World Cup of 1998 and subsequent years. 'GEBUCHT' means that the amount was 'booked' by the CWL finance department Top, right: a 12 March memo in which CWL president Cesar W. Luthi says: "Note: Payment of the sum only after the FIFA congress in the summer and after OK of GN" – GN being Gunther Netzer, former West Germany World Cup champion from 1972"