FIFA have hit back at German TV network ARD following their broadcast of a documentary looking into the controversial 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.
The world football's governing body accused German public-service broadcaster ARD of unfair practises and distortion of facts, in a statement released on the FIFA website on Wednesday, and said that the TV station has set "new [low] standards in quality journalism funded by the taxpayer."
"The fact that ARD is a rights partner to FIFA is one thing, and does not preclude them from broadcasting critical reports. Although the fact that a public-service broadcaster allows such a bashing is nothing new, it is astonishing nonetheless," read the statement, underwritten by FIFA director of communications Walter De Gregorio.
The documentary Der Verkaufte Fussball (Football for sale), which aired on Monday evening, ignored all of FIFA's answers to a list of questions sent in by the makers of the documentary, Di Gregorio said, adding that "at the same time it was alleged that FIFA refused to comment."
The authors of the documentary said that FIFA had called upon Russia to repeal its existing employment laws. As proof, a passage of the hosting agreement was shown, and the document was highlighted in two places, and did not show the lines in between. "Lines that would have enabled viewers to understand the true content of the document," FIFA said.
This, FIFA said, was "one of the most glaring examples" that "facts were distorted or presented out of context." FIFA also highlighted that while they asked Russia to suspend employment laws, that related "exclusively to FIFA staff in Russia" and, among other things, concerns "work simplification measures for employees of FIFA, its subsidiaries, service providers, host broadcaster etc."
"It in NO way constitutes the suspension of working conditions and the protection of construction workers and workers in Russia in general. However, this was precisely what was suggested in the segment," the statement read.
In March, German football magazine kicker reported that in May 2013 the Russian Durma passed the FS 108 law, which enables companies preparing the World Cup to hold back wages for overtime hours, as well as work on weekends or holidays, while also curtailing the rights of foreign workers on the World Cup construction sites. A similar law had already been in place for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and goes much further than the FIFA demands.
The ARD documentary already was brought to greater attention outside of Germany when it was revealed earlier this week that members of the crew were arrested and detained in Qatar while filming construction sites for the 2022 World Cup in the Gulf State.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy -- the local organising committee in Qatar -- has since strongly rejected any suggestion that the four men were arrested "as a result of reporting on allegations surrounding the 2022 World Cup or FIFA," and said that the arrests were made because the ARD crew did not possess the work permit required to film in the Gulf state.
However, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy did not comment on a claim that the authorities had erased the crew's material and demolished their equipment.