Results of our studies

IN BRIEF

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!

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