Fifa crisis: Sepp Blatter in pledge to take on 'devils' in football

Published on Tuesday 31 May 2011 01:45

THE corruption scandal at Fifa has deepened after pictures emerged of a brown envelope stuffed with $40,000, allegedly offered to an official as an "incentive".

The cash was earmarked for a Caribbean Fifa member, to secure votes for a candidate bidding to become the organisation's president, it is claimed.

Fifa's boss Sepp Blatter has presided over the deepening controversy but insisted at a hastily arranged press conference yesterday: "Crisis, what crisis?"

His dismissal of the furore came in an extraordinary day of drama as Fifa, football's world governing body, descended into civil war. Its secretary-general, Jerome Valcke, was forced to admit sending an e-mail in which he suggested Qatar had "bought" the 2022 World Cup .

The tidal wave of corruption allegations also prompted an Australian senator to demand Fifa refund 29 million spent on an unsuccessful bid for the 2022 tournament, and led major sponsors Coca-Cola and Adidas to express their concern.

But Mr Blatter said the issues were a mere "difficulty" to be "solved inside of our family".

The Fifa president said he would move to strengthen the organisation's ethics committee but added he was pleased that allegations by former English Football Association chairman Lord Triesman and claims in the Sunday Times would not lead to any further Fifa proceedings.

Yet the Fifa family could be characterised as dysfunctional, with vice-president Jack Warner and Mohamed bin Hammam, president of the Asian Football Confederation - and previously the only candidate to oppose Mr Blatter in this week's election for presidency - both suspended on Sunday over separate allegations of bribery.

It emerged yesterday that officials from the Caribbean Football Union had been invited to a meeting at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Trinidad on 10 May to hear Mr bin Hammam's pitch for the presidency, after which they were allegedly offered brown envelopes containing $40,000 (24,000). The Press Association released a picture of a brown envelope with the name of the Bahamas FA written on it. The Bahamas FA refused the payment and submitted a report to Fifa's ethics committee.

Meanwhile, Mr Valcke said an e-mail he sent suggesting the 2022 World Cup had been "bought" was genuine but insisted he had been referring to Qatar using its "financial strength" to lobby legitimately for votes.

The e-mail to Mr Warner was made public by the Fifa vice-president in a blistering attack on football's governing body.

It referred to Mr bin Hammam, the Qatari who had announced he was standing against Mr Blatter for Fifa president.

Mr Valcke wrote: "For MBH (bin Hammam], I never understood why he was running. If really he thought he had a chance or just being an extreme way to express how much he does not like anymore JSB (Blatter]. Or he thought you can buy Fifa as they bought the WC (World Cup]."

Yesterday, Mr Valcke said: "Mr Warner has published an e-mail which I sent to him. I'd like to clarify that I may use in an e-mail - a 'lighter' way of expression by nature - a much less formal tone than in any form of correspondence.

"Having said that, when I refer to the 2022 Fifa World Cup in that e-mail, what I wanted to say is that the winning bid used their financial strength to lobby for support.

"They were a candidate with a very important budget and have used it to heavily promote their bid all around the world in a very efficient manner.

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"I have at no time made, or was intending to make, any reference to any purchase of votes or similar unethical behaviour. I would also like to clarify that there is, as I said yesterday, no investigation open at Fifa regarding the 2022 Fifa World Cup host election."

Former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman earlier this month gave details of alleged "improper and unethical" behaviour among four executives to the Commons' culture, media and sport committee.

Questioned about England's unsuccessful 2018 World Cup bid, Lord Triesman alleged that Fifa committee members had asked for favours, including 2.5m and even a knighthood, in return for votes.

Mr Blatter shrugged off suggestions from the UK government, among others, that tomorrow's presidential election, for which he is now the only candidate, should be suspended.

"If governments try to intervene then something is wrong," he said. "I think Fifa is strong enough that we can deal with our problems inside Fifa."

The 75-year-old president, who has been in post since 1998, said he welcomed the findings of an independent inquiry that cleared four members of his executive committee over the allegations made by Lord Triesman.

"We were happy that we can confirm there are no elements in this report which would even prompt any proceedings," he said.

Fifa will now publish the full report on its website.

Mr Warner, one of the four members named by the peer, issued a statement last night in which he welcomed the inquiry that had exonerated him.

"Today, I regained some hope in the power of truth and transparency," he said.

"The report of the independent investigator on the allegations of Lord Triesman has proven once again that whenever the truth is told, people will always be able to have their names exonerated."

However, earlier in the day, he had described the Fifa ethics committee that suspended him as "hand-picked by Blatter" and "a kangaroo court".

Meanwhile, Mr bin Hammam, asked about Mr Valcke's allegation that he "bought" the 2022 World Cup for Qatar, replied: "I don't know why he has said that. If I was paying money for Qatar, you also have to ask the 13 people who voted for Qatar."

The Qatar bid team issued a statement "categorically denying any wrong-doing", adding: "We are urgently seeking clarification from Fifa about the statement from their general secretary."

Last week, UK sports minister Hugh Robertson called for Fifa's presidential election to be suspended. But Mr Blatter argued that neither governments nor anyone outside the Fifa membership could have any bearing on the election process and vowed to carry on.

However, he admitted that Fifa's reputation had been tarnished. "I have tried for years to make Fifa's reputation the highest possible," he said.

"I regret what has happened in the last few days and weeks, causing great damage to the image of Fifa and a lot of disappointment for football fans. When I entered Fifa 36 years ago, we had no problems. We had no problems until 1998. This was the so-called 'very modest' Fifa. Now we are a 'comfortable' Fifa. I think we are too comfortable, and some people like that.

"We are in a game and all the little devils can enter the game. We have to fight against these devils.

"We have started to fight. We are in a very bad situation but, starting on Wednesday, the football family has the opportunity and they have to take it if they want to restore the credibility of Fifa, and if they want to restore it with me."

Damian Collins, a Conservative MP who sits on the culture, media and sport select committee, has called for the Fifa presidential election to be suspended.

He has also has called for an independent inquiry followed by voting reform, increased transparency regarding decisions over Fifa's finances, and limits to the number of terms Fifa members may serve either as president or on the organisation's executive committee.