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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Filthy FIFA! World Cup vote chiefs wanted bribes from FA, says ex-chairman Triesman

FIFA were accused of being rotten to the core as six members of their executive committee faced allegations of corruption in the House of Commons.
Former FA chairman Lord Triesman alleged that four of the ExCo members effectively wanted bribes for their World Cup votes for 2018, while the Select Committee investigating football governance named two more who had been paid by Qatar's winning 2022 bid.
Unpublished material provided to the MPs by The Sunday Times newspaper named Cameroon's Issa Hayatou and Ivory Coast's Jacques Anouma as having allegedly received $1.5million (£900,000) each to secure their votes for Qatar.
  • The Triesman files: The eight executive members of FIFA accused of corruption
Giving evidence: Former FA chairman Lord Triesman speaks at the House of Commons on Tuesday
Giving evidence: Former FA chairman Lord Triesman speaks at the House of Commons on Tuesday
As two ExCo members have already been suspended following earlier newspaper revelations, it means a third of world football's leading committee, who decided the venues for two successive World Cups in Zurich last December, are now under suspicion for alleged massive wrongdoing that would shame an already discredited organisation.
Tory MP Damian Collins said: 'The Sunday Times submission claims $1.5m was paid to FIFA  executive committee members Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma who went on to vote for Qatar.'
An alleged Qatar deal had also been struck with the third FIFA ExCo member from Africa, Nigeria's Amos Adamu, although he had already been banned from voting.
Triesman, who was making his second appearance before the inquiry specifically to lift the lid on the World Cup vote shenanigans, went into detail about his unacceptable dealings with a quartet of FIFA officials.


Kingmaker: FIFA vice-president Jack Warner (left) and executive committee member Jacques Anouma (right)
These were led by Trinidad's Jack Warner, the most vocal critic of England's campaign who had nevertheless pledged his support to Prince William in Zurich.
Triesman claimed Warner had told him and Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards in October 2009 that he wanted financial support from England to build an education centre in Trinidad that would cost around £2.5m. The funds would be channelled through him and he would guarantee they would be 'appropriately spent'. 
Another request from Warner came after the Haiti earthquake. He wanted £500,000 to buy TV rights so the country could watch the World Cup in South Africa.

He wanted a knighthood! Triesman has made allegations against Nicolas Leoz (left) and Worawi Makudi (right)
Paraguay's Nicolas Leoz, who had a breakfast meeting with Prince William in Zurich, wanted a gong rather than hard cash, according to Triesman. The Labour peer said Leoz had asked him to arrange a knighthood for him through Triesman's Foreign Office connections.
Brazil's Ricardo Teixeira met Triesman after his country had beaten England in a friendly in Qatar in November 2009. When Triesman told him he was looking forward to meeting Brazil's President Lula on his 2018 campaign travels, Teixeira is said to have replied: 'Lula is nothing, you come and tell me what you have for me.'
Triesman's final allegations of major FIFA misdemeanours were aimed at Thailand's Worawi Makudi, with whom the FA foolishly arranged a friendly international which was due to take place in Bangkok next month.

More allegations: FIFA executive committee members Ricardo Teixeira (left) and Issa Hayatou (right)
But the game was cancelled after the Zurich fiasco in which the only votes for England came from our own Geoff Thompson and African confederation president Hayatou, one of the six in the dock.
Triesman claimed that Makudi had asked for the UK TV rights for the proposed match to come his way. He added: 'These were some of the things that were put to me personally, which did not represent ethical behaviour.'
Asked why he did not report the incidents to FIFA, Triesman said he feared it would damage the England bid but admitted he should have done so in retrospect. And he will now take belated action, sending a transcript of his Select Committee appearance to FIFA as the first step.
I'll clean up FIFA! President Sepp Blatter promised to investigate Lord Triesman's claims
I'll clean up FIFA! President Sepp Blatter promised to investigate Lord Triesman's claims
FIFA overlord Sepp Blatter, who is seeking a fourth term as president in the elections on June 1, said: 'If this is true, I will fight this. I am fighting for FIFA to clean FIFA. I cannot answer for individual members of our committee. I cannot say if they are all angels or if they are all devils.'
Makudi was the first to refute Triesman's allegations, saying he was negotiating for the Thailand FA to get the rights money, not himself.
Warner predictably called the accusations against him a 'piece of nonsense' and said Triesman 'no doubt feels he can revive his dying political career by mentioning that piece of foolishness'.
Doomed: Lord Triesman (left) and Prince William were both involved in England's unsuccessful World Cup bid
Doomed: Lord Triesman (left) and Prince William were both involved in England's unsuccessful World Cup bid
Warner added: 'I've never asked Triesman nor any other person, Englishman or otherwise for any money for my vote at any time. Before (Triesman) was unceremoniously kicked out, I've spoken to him on his initiative on only three occasions, while not one of his colleagues will ever corroborate his bit of trivia. This is the last I intend to say on this matter.'
But Warner is sure to be among those under the spotlight again when the BBC's Panorama, whose documentary on the eve of the Zurich vote was said to have helped derail England's chances, broadcast a second programme about FIFA's alleged super-corrupt affairs. It is due to be broadcast on May 23. 
In a statement, Qatar 2022 dismissed the latest claims. It read: 'We categorically deny these allegations. We have nothing to hide and are prepared to support and cooperate with any further investigations and will be happy to counter any allegations from whistleblowers with real evidence.
'The Qatar 2022 bid team ran an historic campaign that changed football. We were beset by rumours and allegations from the outset. Bidding, like football, is a rough sport. Happily, our promise of bringing football to new lands and expanding its legacies across the developing world compelled FIFA.'


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