Russians believe that the FIFA officials` arrests are an attempt to put pressure on Russia; they are confident that the Russia’s victory to host the 2018 World Cup was fair.
MOSCOW, June 17, 2015. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of the survey describing the attitudes of Russians towards the FIFA; what they think about the arrests of high-ranking FIFA officials and Russian bid victory to host the 2018 World Cup.
Most of Russians are aware of what the FIFA is. Two-thirds of them (68%) heard of it; the share of footbal addicts who know this organisation is 95%. More than half of Russians (58%) perceive the FIFA positively (88% of them watch football competitions regularly). Ten percent of respondents assess the performance of the FIFA negatively.
Fifty-six percent of respondents were aware of the FIFA scandal (arrest of FIFA officials) at the time of the survey. Those who are most informed are football fans (81%), men (68%), and elderly respondents (64%). Thirty-eight percent of respondents know nothing about that (48% of 18-24-year-olds, 45% of women, 45% of rural area residents).
Most of Russians think that the causes of the scandal are not the desire to eliminate corruption. Sixty-five percent are confident that all the accusations are nothing but an attempt to undermine the World Cup hosted by Russia in 2018. Every fourth (27%) believes that the scandal shows symptoms of power struggle in FIFA. Only 12% believe that the investigators really want to detect and punish officials.
Most of Russians are confident that the choice of Russia to host the FIFA World Cup is fair (65%). Those who think so are mainly students (69%), residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg (72%) and young respondents (72%), rather than respondents with low level of education (50%), rural area residents (63%) and elderly persons (59% of those aged over 60). Thirteen percent of Russians doubt that the voting was fair. One-fifth of respondents (22%) did not express their opinions.
The VCIOM opinion poll was conducted June 6-7, 2015; 1600 respondents were interviewed in 130 communities in 46 regions of Russia. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%.
Have you heard about the International Association Football Federation (FIFA)? If yes, what are your attitudes towards FIFA? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||
| Total respondents | Regular football fans | Interested in football from time to time | Indifferent to football |
Rather positive | 58 | 88 | 74 | 41 |
Rather negative | 10 | 7 | 11 | 9 |
I hear it first | 12 | 1 | 4 | 21 |
Don`t know | 20 | 4 | 11 | 29 |
At the end of May, the Swiss police arrested seven FIFA high-ranking officials on corruption charges. Have you heard of it? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and more |
I heard before | 56 | 49 | 48 | 57 | 59 | 64 |
I hear it first | 38 | 48 | 45 | 39 | 36 | 26 |
Don`t know | 6 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
The FBI accuses the FIFA officials of giving and receiving bribes and electoral fraud that gave the right to host the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Do you think that the FBI investigation and the FIFA officials arrests are measures to combat corruption or an attempt to put pressure on Russia and to undermine the organization of the World Cup in Russia (closed-ended question, not more than three answers, %) | |||||
| Total respondents | Elementary (incomplete secondary) education | Secondary education (school, vocational school) | Specialized secondary education (technical school) | Incomplete higher (not less than three years in a higher education institute), higher education |
Fight against corruption | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 |
Power struggle in FIFA | 27 | 20 | 26 | 27 | 30 |
Attempt to put pressure on Russia | 65 | 58 | 62 | 69 | 65 |
Don`t know | 15 | 23 | 16 | 14 | 12 |
In 2010, the FIFA decided to give the right to host the 2018 World Cup to Russia. In your opinion, were the bidding rules violated; was the Russia`s victory fair? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||
| Total respondents | Interested in football from time to time | Interested in football from time to time | Interested in football from time to time |
The voting was fair, without violations | 65 | 81 | 74 | 56 |
The voting was not quite fair; the bidding rules were violated | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
Don`t know | 22 | 5 | 13 | 32 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!