FIFA vote scandal won't damage England's 2018 Bid

Mon 18th Oct 2010 | FIFA

The damaging claims regarding FIFA executive members selling votes in a leading Sunday paper should not harm England’s bid to host the World Cup 2018 according to a senior FIFA member.

The damaging allegations made in the The Sunday Times yesterday revealed how two FIFA executive committee members offered to sell votes has shocked world football.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said the affair has had a "very negative impact" on world football's governing body.

But according to the BBC, Chuck Blazer, the American member of FIFA's executive committee, said it should not damage England - and the 2 December vote need not be postponed.

Blazer, a member of the 24-strong executive committee which will decide on the World Cup hosts, said it should not sway opinion against England.

"I don't think this is an issue which will have an anti-English backlash in the executive committee," he said.

"If it had been in a Spanish paper, would that damage the Spanish bid? I don't think so."

The revelations against executive committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii come just two days after it was it was announced that the US would be withdrawing its bid to host the 2018 World Cup to concentrate on 2022 and England vice-versa strengthening the countries bid.

The allegations reveal how Nigerian Adamu said he wanted $800,000 (£500,000) to build four artificial football pitches, money to be paid to him directly for endorsing a US bid.

Blazer said all bidding countries he had dealt with had behaved entirely properly.

He added: "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."

But Blazer said: "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.

Blatter has said he wants a full investigation into the matter which lead to fears that the World Cup decision, due to be announced on 2^nd December would be delayed.

However Blazer said there would be no reason to delay the decision and that any investigation could be done within the timeframe.

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