A member of Fifa’s executive committee has played down concerns that England’s 2018 World Cup bid could be undermined by a recent bribery scandal that has surrounded world football’s governing body.
An investigation has been launched after it was alleged in Sunday newspapers that two of Fifa’s 24-man executive committee offered to sell their votes regarding the location of the finals.
With the reports emerging from Britain, there are fears that Fifa members could be angered by the allegations and that it could cause a backlash against England’s bid to host the World Cup in eight years.
It has been suggested that the deciding vote could be postponed from a planned date of 2nd December, but Chuck Blazer, the American member of Fifa’s executive committee, has offered reassurances.
He said: “I don’t think this is an issue which will have an anti-English backlash in the executive committee.
Trap
“If it had been in a Spanish paper, would that damage the Spanish bid? I don’t think so.”
Fifa’s ethics committee has launched an investigation into the expose of Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii, president of the Oceania Football Confederation.
Blazer, though, insists that all bidding countries that he had dealt with had behaved entirely properly.
He said: “I’m disappointed with what I have read but you can’t say the system is bad. They have created a scam, a trap, tempting people to do something wrong and it’s up to the Fifa ethics committee to make their recommendation.”
Blazer said that Fifa should deal with the scandal as quickly as possible and stick to the 2nd December vote.
Scandal
He added: “We should deal with it within the timeframe established. We want to keep the issues separate and it’s important we conclude the World Cup decision. There is no reason why we shouldn’t. The investigation can be done right away.”
Meanwhile, Fifa president Sepp Blatter has admitted that the bribery scandal has had a ‘very negative impact’ on the governing body.
He has written to all 24 executive committee members promising a full investigation into the allegations.
Blatter’s letter says: “I am sorry to have to inform you of a very unpleasant situation, which has developed in relation to an article published today in the Sunday Times titled ‘World Cup votes for sale’.
“The information in the article has created a very negative impact on Fifa and on the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Some current and former members of the executive committee are mentioned in the article.”
He adds: “Fifa will… open an in-depth investigation, which we will start immediately together with the Fifa ethics committee and the Fifa secretary general.
“I will keep you duly informed of any further developments. In the meantime, I would like to ask you to refrain from making any public comments on this matter.”
