Two concessions made by the Dutch government to world football governing body Fifa in its bid to host the 2018 World Cup are unlawful, two legal experts told NRC on Tuesday.

The Netherlands and Belgium are making a joint bid for the event and a Fifa delegation is currently inspecting the two countries. They were in Belgium on Monday and arrive in the Netherlands on Wednesday.
According to professors Han Kogels (European tax law) and Peter Kavelaars (fiscal economy) of Erasmus university in Rotterdam, two of the concessions are illegal. Not charging vat on the sale of match tickets is against European rules and making salaries tax exempt for Fifa employees working in the Netherlands during the World Cup is against Dutch tax law.
Last week Harry Been, chairman of the organising committee, told tv programme Nova that the fiscal concessions accorded with the rules governing international organisations. ‘That is not true,’ Kavelaars told NRC.
The Netherlands and Belgium are in competition with Russia, Britain and Spain-Portugal.