Bit late now...

[Epic Swindle]

Former FA and England 2018 chairman Lord Triesman has alleged that four FIFA executive members asked for favours in exchange for World Cup votes - including one who wanted a knighthood.

 

He said FIFA vice-president Jack Warner asked for money - suggested to be £2.5m - to build an education centre in Trinidad with the cash to be channelled through him, and later £500,000 to buy Haiti's World Cup TV rights for the earthquake-hit nation, also to go through Warner.

 

Paraguay's FIFA member Nicolas Leoz asked for a knighthood while Brazil's FIFA member Ricardo Terra Teixeira asked Triesman to 'come and tell me what you have got for me'.

 

 

 

Thailand's FIFA member Worawi Makudi wanted to be given the TV rights to a friendly between England and the Thai national team, said Triesman.

 

Triesman told MPs at the culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons: 'These were some of the things that were put to me personally, sometimes in the presence of others, which in my view did not represent proper and ethical behaviour on the part of members of the executive committee.'

 

Asked why he did not report the incidents to FIFA, Triesman said he feared that would damage the England bid but admitted he should have done so and pushed for action.

 

'The point was not pressed,' he said. 'And I think, in retrospect, we would have burned off our chances.

 

'In retrospect that was not the right view to take and I accept that.'

 

 

 

Allegations that two FIFA executive committee members were paid $1.5m (£900,000) to vote for Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid also emerged.

 

Tory MP Damian Collins said that evidence submitted by the Sunday Times, which the committee will publish, claimed that FIFA vice-president Issa Hayatou from Cameroon and Jacques Anouma from the Ivory Coast were paid $1.5m by Qatar.

 

FIFA's ethics committee last year banned two other executive committee members after a Sunday Times investigation into World Cup bidding.

 

Collins said: "The Sunday Times' submission, and this is to be published by us later, claims that $1.5m was paid to FIFA executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma who went on to vote for Qatar."

 

Collins said the submission claimed Qatar specifically employed a fixer to arrange deals with African members for their votes.

 

 

The committee will also hear from Mike Lee, the London-based public relations consultant who worked on Qatar's successful 2022 World Cup bid.

 

Lee, formerly communications director of the Premier League, UEFA and the London 2012 Olympics bid, has previously been scathing about some aspects of the England bid.

 

Meanwhile, FA chiefs are considering whether to axe funding to three of Africa's poorest countries after a review of overseas projects following the failed 2018 World Cup bid.

 

An FA board meeting will decide next week on the budget and strategy for international development, with high-profile relationships with Malawi, Lesotho and Botswana under threat.

 

The FA decided to review their international projects after the 2018 debacle in December where England won just two FIFA votes, one of those coming from English vice-president Geoff Thompson.

 

Walter Nyamilandu, head of the Football Association of Malawi, said all FA assistance had been cancelled.

 

He told The Nation newspaper: 'They [England] are saying that they are reviewing their support towards development of football in the light of the poor support they received during the 2018 World Cup bid.

 

'According to the FA, they took the decision because they felt FIFA was not recognising the support they were giving to the game of football. Their services are greatly missed.'

 

Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and David James have all visited Malawi on behalf of the FA to boost development projects, England manager Fabio Capello has been to Lesotho, while Paul Gascoigne was part of an FA visit to Botswana.

 

http://www.dailymail...ours-votes.html

Edited May 10, 2011 by Epic Swindle

[Bailo]

They all look like Star Wars villains.

[Cobs]

cn*ts the lot of 'em

[CarraLegend]

The crying is pathetic, they knew the "rules" when applying. You pay up or dont get it, not fair but its the way it is.

 

I'd rather we sorted out the corruption in our own league before whining about the rest of the world.

Edited May 10, 2011 by CarraLegend

[gulaman]

None of this surprising. Did anyone expect Russia and f***ing QATAR of all countries to win the bid without bribing officials? FIFA are crooked to the core but they answer to absolutely no one so in a sense there's no point in complaining but I think it would be nice to see FIFAs corruption exposed to the world.

[Hassony]

Can someone from Paraguay get a knighthood? I thought it was only for commonwealth members

[Gerry]

Can someone from Paraguay get a knighthood? I thought it was only for commonwealth members

 

You don't get if you don't ask.

[Hassony]

You don't get if you don't ask.

 

he probably was taking the piss

 

those Paraguayans are famous for their dry sense of humor

[Bailo]

he probably was taking the piss

 

those Paraguayans are famous for their dry sense of humor

I love Paraguayans now we've got Suarez.

[John am Rhein]

England should be suspended from FIFA for this

[Andy @ Allerton]

Corruption in football? Who'd have thunk it?

[ManxRed]

Corrupt old Blatter's mates are also corrupt shocker.

[gulaman]

I've believed for a long time that the European countries need to withdraw from FIFA. Without the money, support, commercial activities, etc. Europe provides, FIFA would collapse. The idea that world football is run by some tinpot dictator-type figure like Blatter who only gets elected because he practically doesn't allow others to stand against him is just crazy. That we're governed by a bunch of corrupt men hailing from countries that are barely noticed by anyone, countries whose standing in the game is largely mediocre - why are we being ruled by this mob? Europe should go it alone and the rest of the world will realise without Europe there can be no international football federation (i.e. money) and will abandon FIFA to join the new European-dominated organisation.

[floyd]

Does Howard Webb or Martin Atkinson sit on the FIFA Executive Board?

[Jonesy]

I love Paraguayans now we've got Suarez.

 

I see what you did there....but did you?

[Dmitch]

I see what you did there....but did you?

 

 

Was thinking the same.... genius or tard?

[Cobs]

Excellent News ! So FIFA's new President is either going to be Corrupt Man No.1 or Corrupt Man No.2......

[Stevie H]

platini needs to toss his orb into this.

[Cobs]

platini needs to toss his orb into this.

 

keeping his head down and the big job will fall in his lap

[johngibo YPC]

I can't believe these current revelations

[smithdown]

I can't believe these current revelations

 

 

People are becoming so cynical, bitter and envious these days, I agree.

[Stevie H]

keeping his head down and the big job will fall in his lap

yes, possibly. knight on a white steed and all that. there isn't a suitable candidate for the fifa job. it's a f***ing charity that pays no tax, makes a fortune in profits at the expense of rather than to the benefit of the countries under its charter and all its figureheads are bent and largely unaccountable. this stuff could get fascinating.

[Cobs]

yes, possibly. knight on a white steed and all that. there isn't a suitable candidate for the fifa job. it's a f***ing charity that pays no tax, makes a fortune in profits at the expense of rather than to the benefit of the countries under its charter and all its figureheads are bent and largely unaccountable. this stuff could get fascinating.

 

loving the way they've turned on each other

 

they're all feckin bent

 

Blatter should have creamed off enough for himself by now to have retired, tax-free in Switzerland and still enjoy the lifestyle he's become accustomed to - it'd just be coming out of his bank account for a change - big deal - you can't take it with you when you die, Sepp !

 

Hope they all go to prison - but you can see it'll end in a cover up

 

'After extensive/exhaustive investigations we've found nothing to implicate any members of the FIFA Executive in any wrong-doing....blah, blah, blah'

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

loving the way they've turned on each other

 

they're all feckin bent

 

Blatter should have creamed off enough for himself by now to have retired, tax-free in Switzerland and still enjoy the lifestyle he's become accustomed to - it'd just be coming out of his bank account for a change - big deal - you can't take it with you when you die, Sepp !

 

Hope they all go to prison - but you can see it'll end in a cover up

 

'After extensive/exhaustive investigations we've found nothing to implicate any members of the FIFA Executive in any wrong-doing....blah, blah, blah'

which will be soon with any luck

[smithdown]

Wait til they wheel out the smut. There'll be a queue of brasses right round the block ready to tell their stories.